Dr Janos Mark Szakolczai
- Lecturer in Criminology (Sociological & Cultural Studies)
email:
JanosMark.Szakolczai@glasgow.ac.uk
Room 303, Ivy Lodge, 63 Gibson Street, University of Glasgow
Biography
Before my current post (since 2021), I taught sociology and criminology at the National University of Ireland in Cork. My professional experience also includes serving as a social worker and project manager in Italy.
For my BA (Hons) in arts (Sociology and Philosophy), I have produced a genealogical dissertation entitled 'Electronic Solitudes' (2012) on the birth of social media and its influence on identity, with a particular focus on Facebook. My current area of research is the intersection of criminal behaviour, harm, and emerging media.
Working on my MA (Hons) in Criminology (2013), I have engaged in participant observation analysis entitled 'Dynamic Spaces', focusing on the discipline of Parkour and the novel ways for 'living' urban spaces within a cultural criminology spectrum.
My doctorate entitled 'Suspicion, Control and Desire', analyses secretive & toxic elements of digital harm connected to smartphone usage and related mediums.
From 2022 to 2023, I was the Principal Investigator on a Scottish Government-funded multidisciplinary research project, reviewing quantitatively and qualitatively the use and effectiveness of Public Space CCTV in Scotland, comparing results with England, Wales, and Denmark.
Research interests
My work delves into the intricate dynamics of toxic and covert elements of coercion and control facilitated through various devices. My research analyses the impact of these mechanisms on personal spaces and explores how technology intertwines with issues of power, surveillance, and control within intimate settings.
Keywords: CCTV cybersecurity; covert surveillance; ;online toxicity; social harms, Covid-19; obfuscation; onlife,
Grants
In July 2022, I successfully obtained funding for a 7-month contract with the Government of Scotland. Our study studied the utilization and effects of Public Space Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) through a comprehensive survey and qualitative walking interviews conducted in collaboration with various Local Authorities and Police Divisions across Scotland. As the Principal Investigator (PI), my team and I compared the findings with those from other regions in the UK and Denmark.
Supervision
I am particularly keen in supervising dissertations in novel criminological frontiers such as
- hybrid on/off line reality
- obfuscation, surveillance and data-profiling
- sociological and criminological implications of the Sars-Cov-19 pandemic
- AI and crime prevention
- Smart devices and smart enviroments
- cyberharm and cybersecurity
- Web Toxicity
- Deepfakes, Bots & Weaponization of Media
Covid and cybercrime;
NFT cyberfrauds via online ethnography
Discourse analysis of media moral panicking
Teaching
Modules that I Teach on:
- 2021/2022: Understanding & Explaining Crime
- 2022/2023: Criminological Theory in Context (Convener)
- 2022/2023: MRes Methods Lab (Convener)
- 2023/24: Digital Societies: Theories and Substantive issues
Previous Teaching Experience:
- Sociology of Media
- Anthropology of Social Control
- Law, Crime & Societies
Professional activities & recognition
Grant committees & research advisory boards
- 2022 - 2023: Scottish Goverment,
Selected international presentations
- 2023: SocInfo (Glasgow)
Research datasets
Additional information
Other than academic publications, I have contributed on magazines and newspapers in both English and Italian.