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Dr Jonathan Ablitt
(he/him)
Teams and roles for Jonathan Ablitt
Research Associate
Overview
I am a Research Associate at the Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE), the Centre for Development, Evaluation, Complexity and Implementation in Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer) and the Centre for Adult Social Care Research (CARE). I am currently working on Police in Classrooms, a project funded by the Youth Endowment Fund that evaluates a trial of a police-delivered PSHE lessons in secondary schools, and SERENA, a Horizon Europe-funded project aiming to improve access to services for children who have experienced abuse and neglect.
I also recently led an evidence review on profit-making in children's residential and foster care.
Prior to this I worked on an independent evaluation of Action for Children's Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention Service and the process evaluation of the Welsh Basic Income Pilot. I also previously worked on a Health Care Research Wales funded project co-producing the Complex Safeguarding Wales Practitioner Toolkit for an effective service response to improve the outcomes of young people at risk of child criminal exploitation (CCE).
My PhD research (completed in 2021) explored the situated, collaborative production of urban parks as mundane civic spaces, focusing on interactional encounters between Park Rangers and members of the public in Cardiff. This work was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
I am a Fellow of the Security, Crime, and Intelligence Innovation Institute (SCIII), a founding member of the Cardiff Ethnomethodology, Ethnography, Interaction and Talk (CEEIT) Research Group, and a co-convenor of the Cardiff Ethnography Group. I am also active in the Youth, Society and Risk Research Development Group within CASCADE.
Publication
2025
- Housley, W. , Dahl, P. and Ablitt, J. 2025. Mundane civics, situated digital broadcast and membership categorisation analysis. In: Housley, W. et al., New Directions in Membership Categorisation Analysis. Brill
- Roberts, L. et al. 2025. Innovative and ambitious or unrealistic and risky? Initial professional perspectives on the Basic Income for Care Leavers in Wales pilot. The British Journal of Social Work bcaf124. (10.1093/bjsw/bcaf124)
2024
- Ablitt, J. , Jimenez Lugo, P. and Holland, S. 2024. Eliminating profit from children’s residential and foster care: evidence review. Technical Report.
- Holland, S. et al. 2024. Basic income for care leavers in Wales pilot evaluation: annual report, 2023 to 2024.
2023
- Maxwell, N. et al. 2023. Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention Service Evaluation. Project Report.[Online].Cardiff: CASCADE. Available at: https://cascadewales.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/SOCEIS-Evaluation-2023.pdf.
- Smith, R. et al. 2023. The coining of convivial public space: Homelessness, outreach work, and interaction order. Urban Planning 8 (4), pp.42-51. (10.17645/up.v8i4.6457)
2022
- Maxwell, N. and Ablitt, J. 2022. Child criminal exploitation: working with parents rather than against them.. Presented at: EUROCRIM 2022: Annual Congress of the European Society of Criminology Malaga, Spain 21-24 September 2022.
- Maxwell, N. and Ablitt, J. 2022. ‘Walking the walk’: Peer mentoring in a youth diversion service. Presented at: EUROCRIM 2022: Annual Congress of the European Society of Criminolog Malaga, Spain 21-24 September 2022.
- Maxwell, N. et al. 2022. Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention Service: Interim Evaluation Report. Project Report.[Online].Cardiff: CASCADE. Available at: https://cascadewales.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/Serious-Organised-Crime-Early-Intervention-Service-Evaluation-Report.pdf.
2021
- Ablitt, J. 2021. Accomplishing public work: encounters with park rangers. PhD Thesis , Cardiff University.
2020
- Ablitt, J. 2020. Dawn Lyon, What Is Rhythmanalysis? [Book Review]. Qualitative Research 20 (2), pp.243-245. (10.1177/1468794119880393)
- Ablitt, J. 2020. Walking in on people in parks: Demonstrating the orderliness of interactional discomfort in urban territorial negotiations. Emotion, Space and Society 34 100648. (10.1016/j.emospa.2019.100648)
- Smith, R. J. et al. 2020. Ethnography and the new normal. Etnografia e ricerca qualitativa 2020 (2), pp.195-205. (10.3240/97805)
2019
- Ablitt, J. and Smith, R. J. 2019. Working out Douglas’ aphorism: discarded objects, categorisation practices, and moral inquiries. The Sociological Review 67 (4), pp.866-885. (10.1177/0038026119854271)
Articles
- Ablitt, J. 2020. Dawn Lyon, What Is Rhythmanalysis? [Book Review]. Qualitative Research 20 (2), pp.243-245. (10.1177/1468794119880393)
- Ablitt, J. 2020. Walking in on people in parks: Demonstrating the orderliness of interactional discomfort in urban territorial negotiations. Emotion, Space and Society 34 100648. (10.1016/j.emospa.2019.100648)
- Ablitt, J. and Smith, R. J. 2019. Working out Douglas’ aphorism: discarded objects, categorisation practices, and moral inquiries. The Sociological Review 67 (4), pp.866-885. (10.1177/0038026119854271)
- Roberts, L. et al. 2025. Innovative and ambitious or unrealistic and risky? Initial professional perspectives on the Basic Income for Care Leavers in Wales pilot. The British Journal of Social Work bcaf124. (10.1093/bjsw/bcaf124)
- Smith, R. et al. 2023. The coining of convivial public space: Homelessness, outreach work, and interaction order. Urban Planning 8 (4), pp.42-51. (10.17645/up.v8i4.6457)
- Smith, R. J. et al. 2020. Ethnography and the new normal. Etnografia e ricerca qualitativa 2020 (2), pp.195-205. (10.3240/97805)
Book sections
- Housley, W. , Dahl, P. and Ablitt, J. 2025. Mundane civics, situated digital broadcast and membership categorisation analysis. In: Housley, W. et al., New Directions in Membership Categorisation Analysis. Brill
Conferences
- Maxwell, N. and Ablitt, J. 2022. Child criminal exploitation: working with parents rather than against them.. Presented at: EUROCRIM 2022: Annual Congress of the European Society of Criminology Malaga, Spain 21-24 September 2022.
- Maxwell, N. and Ablitt, J. 2022. ‘Walking the walk’: Peer mentoring in a youth diversion service. Presented at: EUROCRIM 2022: Annual Congress of the European Society of Criminolog Malaga, Spain 21-24 September 2022.
Monographs
- Ablitt, J. , Jimenez Lugo, P. and Holland, S. 2024. Eliminating profit from children’s residential and foster care: evidence review. Technical Report.
- Holland, S. et al. 2024. Basic income for care leavers in Wales pilot evaluation: annual report, 2023 to 2024.
- Maxwell, N. et al. 2023. Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention Service Evaluation. Project Report.[Online].Cardiff: CASCADE. Available at: https://cascadewales.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/06/SOCEIS-Evaluation-2023.pdf.
- Maxwell, N. et al. 2022. Serious Organised Crime Early Intervention Service: Interim Evaluation Report. Project Report.[Online].Cardiff: CASCADE. Available at: https://cascadewales.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/10/Serious-Organised-Crime-Early-Intervention-Service-Evaluation-Report.pdf.
Thesis
- Ablitt, J. 2021. Accomplishing public work: encounters with park rangers. PhD Thesis , Cardiff University.
Research
Research interests
- Working in public space
- Service interactions
- Ethnographic research methods
- Language and category-use in action
Biography
Education
PhD Sociology, Cardiff University (2021)
MSc Social Science Research Methods, Distinction, Cardiff University (2016)
BScEcon Sociology and History, 2:1, Cardiff University (2015)
Honours and awards
Nominated for 'Graduate Tutor Award', Enriching Student Life Awards, Cardiff University Students Union (2018)
Speaking engagements
Ablitt, J. and Hamlyn, A. (2024). 'Police in Schools: Education, Prevention and Trust'. CASCADE Seminar Series, Cardiff, UK. 15th October 2024.
Ablitt, J. (2024). 'Beyond the outside: Category relevancies and social distance in research moments'. Youth, Society and Risk Research and Development Group, Cardiff, UK. 3rd October 2024.
Smith, R.J., Brooker, P., Ablitt, J., Dahl, P., Jimenez, P, and Au-Yeung, T. (2024). 'Undisciplining the academic conference'. The Sociological Review: Undisciplining II, Manchester, UK. 11th September 2024.
Ablitt, J. (2024) 'Monkeying around: Animals, borders, and nation'. European Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction Annual Conference, Pisa, Italy. 6th June 2024.
Ablitt, J. and Dahl, P. (2023). 'Orienting to the research machine: The research interview as an interactional accomplishment'. European Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction Annual Conference, Cardiff, UK. 7th July 2023.
Ablitt, J. (2023). ‘Trusting professionals: Notes on relationship-contingent interventions in a serious organised crime diversion service'. Welsh Centre for Crime and Social Justice Annual Conference, Gregynog Hall, Newtown, UK. 24th April 2023.
Ablitt, J. (2023). ‘Beyond the form: Notes on meaningful ethical engagement from an ethnographic study’. Youth, Society and Risk Research and Development Group, Cardiff, UK. 7th February 2023.
Maxwell, N and Ablitt, J. (2022). ‘Child criminal exploitation: Working with parents rather than against them’. Annual Congress of the European Society of Criminology, Malaga, Spain. 28th September 2022.
Ablitt, J. and Maxwell, N. (2022). ‘Walking the walk: Peer mentoring in a youth diversion service’. Annual Congress of the European Society of Criminology, Malaga, Spain. 27th September 2022.
Ablitt, J., Smith, R.J., Hall, T. (2022). ‘Questioning conviviality: Mobile encounters and the visibility of public space’. The Royal Geographical Society Annual International Conference, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. 31st August 2022.
Ablitt, J. (2019). ‘Getting over the fence: Realising city parks’ boundaries through Urban Park Rangers’ practical action’. Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, New York, NY, USA. 12th August 2019.
Ablitt, J. (2019). ‘The power of ambiguity: Indexical moral categorisation in urban territorial negotiations’. Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction, New York, NY, USA. 10th August 2019.
Ablitt, J. (2018). ‘Dealing with and disattending discomfort: The interactional accomplishment of urban park space’. The Royal Geographical Society Annual International Conference, Cardiff, UK. 30th August 2018.
Ablitt, J. (2018). ‘Reclaiming the clean-cut city: Audit, aesthetics, and accomplishing the moral order through urban maintenance practices’. Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers, New Orleans, LA, USA. 12th April 2018.
Ablitt, J. (2017). ‘Peripheral practices in urban maintenance: Street-level tactics to keep cities clean’. Cardiff Ethnography and Qualitative Research Group, Cardiff, UK. 6th December 2017.
Ablitt, J. and Smith, R. J. (2017). ‘Working out Douglas’ aphorism: Discarded items, categorisation practices, and moral inquiries. Down the Pan: New Directions in the Sociology of Dirt (The Sociological Review), Glasgow, UK. 12th October 2017.
Committees and reviewing
- Co-convenor, Cardiff Ethnography Group
- Founding member, Cardiff Ethnomethodology, Ethnography, Interaction and Talk (CEEIT) Research Group
- Organising committee member, European Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction Annual Conference 2023
- Peer reviewer, The Sociological Review
- Peer reviewer, Qualitative Research (QRJ)
- Peer reviewer, Local Environment
- Peer reviewer, Symbolic Interaction
Contact Details
Specialisms
- ethnography
- ethnomethodology
- membership categorisation analysis