Dr Naomi Thompson

Naomi is a sociologist of youth and inclusion with a particular interest in faith and other intersecting identities

Staff details

Position

Reader in Youth and Community Work

Department

Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies

Email

Naomi.Thompson (@gold.ac.uk)

Goldsmiths Research Centres/Groups

My research focuses on issues of inclusion and exclusion for young people and communities. I am interested in people's intersectional identities and experiences - and their relationships with religious and other institutions. I teach primarily in the areas of social science, community development and youth work.

Academic qualifications

PhD Religious Studies 2013
MA Education 2008
BA Youth and Community Work 2004

Research interests

I approach research primarily from a sociological perspective, interested particularly in the everyday narratives of young people and communities. My PhD was funded under the AHRC/ESRC Religion & Society programme and explored the peak and decline of the Sunday School Movement in the twentieth century, as well as young people’s engagement with churches in the present day. It was the first substantial study of Sunday school history to explore internal reasons for young people's declining engagement with churches and their experiences of rejection and exclusion.

My current research includes a study of people's religious and spiritual choices in everyday funerals - as well as how these choices vary by age. I am also conducting a study of the experiences of young black and racially minoritised people on social media. I recently led a large Erasmus+ project with international partners from Turkey, Poland, France and Cyprus that developed training and resources for youth workers relating to child sexual exploitation. I also recently completed a three-year study of refugee and migrant women's experiences of integration.

As a researcher, I am most interested in co-produced and applied research that ensures the voices of young people and communities are heard, particularly where these voices have been marginalised and/or excluded. I undertake research that provides clear implications for communities and services and regularly engage in public fora to disseminate my research findings. I edit for the open access journal, Youth & Policy.

Publications and research outputs

Article

“I would want to see young people working in here, that’s what I want to see…” How peer support opportunities in youth offending services can support a Child First, trauma-informed, and reparative model of practice for Youth Justice Thompson, Naomi and Spacey, Meghan. 2023. “I would want to see young people working in here, that’s what I want to see…” How peer support opportunities in youth offending services can support a Child First, trauma-informed, and reparative model of practice for Youth Justice. Safer Communities, 22(3), pp. 200-216. ISSN 1757-8043
The ‘secular culture’ of youth work training: Are English universities equipping youth workers to work with diverse religious communities? Thompson, Naomi and Shuker, Lucie. 2023. The ‘secular culture’ of youth work training: Are English universities equipping youth workers to work with diverse religious communities? Ethics and Social Welfare, 17(4), pp. 366-386. ISSN 1749-6535
Beyond individual trauma: towards a multi-faceted trauma-informed restorative approach to youth justice that connects individual trauma with family reparation and recognition of bias and discrimination Spacey, Meghan and Thompson, Naomi. 2022. Beyond individual trauma: towards a multi-faceted trauma-informed restorative approach to youth justice that connects individual trauma with family reparation and recognition of bias and discrimination. British Journal of Community Justice, 18(1), pp. 18-35. ISSN 1475-0279

Book

Community Work with Migrant and Refugee Women: 'Insiders' and 'outsiders' in research and practice Thompson, Naomi; Nasimi, Rabia; Rova, Marina and Turner, Andy. 2022. Community Work with Migrant and Refugee Women: 'Insiders' and 'outsiders' in research and practice. Bingley: Emerald. ISBN 9781801174794
Young People and Church since 1900: Engagement and Exclusion Thompson, Naomi. 2017. Young People and Church since 1900: Engagement and Exclusion. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 9781472489784

Book Section

Using a narrative method to research young people’s religious engagement, past and present Thompson, Naomi. 2025. Using a narrative method to research young people’s religious engagement, past and present. In: L Woodhead; L Cadman and N Graham, eds. Messy Methods: Researching Religion in Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199687893
It seemed like the “rite” thing to do – choices about religious content in everyday celebrant-led funerals in the UK Thompson, Naomi; Spacey, Meghan; Baker, Christopher and Cheal, Steve. 2024. It seemed like the “rite” thing to do – choices about religious content in everyday celebrant-led funerals in the UK. In: Terhi Utriainen; Dorothea Lüddeckens and Brenda Mathijssen, eds. Handbook on Contemporary Death Rituals in Europe. Leiden: Brill.
Trauma-Informed Practice with Migrant and Refugee Women Rova, Marina and Thompson, Naomi. 2022. Trauma-Informed Practice with Migrant and Refugee Women. In: Naomi Thompson; Rabia Nasimi; Marina Rova and Andy Turner, eds. Community Work with Migrant and Refugee Women: 'Insiders' and 'Outsiders' in Research and Practice. Bingley: Emerald. ISBN 9781801174794

Social Media and Youth Justice – challenges and possibilities for practice Thompson, Naomi and Joseph, Ian. 2020. Social Media and Youth Justice – challenges and possibilities for practice. In: Claudia Megele and Peter Buzzi, eds. Social Media and Social Work: Implications and Opportunities for Practice. Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 133-154. ISBN 9781447327394
“Learning does not reside in a place called comfortable”: Exploring identity and social justice through experiential group work Woodger, David; Thompson, Naomi and Anastasio, Jean. 2019. “Learning does not reside in a place called comfortable”: Exploring identity and social justice through experiential group work. In: Mike Seal, ed. Teaching Youth Work in Higher Education: Tensions, Connections, Continuities and Contradictions. Tartu, Estonia: University of Tartu/Newman University/Humak University of Applied Sciences/Estonian Association of Youth Workers, pp. 152-159. ISBN 9789985411612
Where is faith-based youth work heading? Thompson, Naomi. 2019. Where is faith-based youth work heading? In: Graham Bright and Carole Pugh, eds. Youth Work: Global Futures. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers. ISBN 9789004396555
In Defence of Youth Work Storytelling as Methodology and Curriculum in HEI teaching Connaughton, Paula; de St Croix, Tania; Grace, Pauline and Thompson, Naomi. 2019. In Defence of Youth Work Storytelling as Methodology and Curriculum in HEI teaching. In: Mike Seal, ed. Teaching Youth Work in Universities: Tensions, Connections, Continuities and Contradictions. Tartu, Estonia: University of Tartu/Newman University/Humak University of Applied Sciences/Estonian Association of Youth Workers, pp. 247-255. ISBN 9789985411612
Faith-based Youth Work: Education, Engagement and Ethics. Bright, Graham; Thompson, Naomi; Hart, Peter and Hayden, Bethany. 2018. Faith-based Youth Work: Education, Engagement and Ethics. In: Pam Alldred; Fin Cullen; Kathy Edwards and Dana Fusco, eds. The SAGE Handbook of Youth Work Practice. London: SAGE, pp. 197-212. ISBN 9781473939523
Indoctrination Thompson, Naomi. 2017. Indoctrination. In: Fathali M. Moghaddam, ed. Sage Encyclopedia of Political Behavior. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN 9781483391168

Edited Book

Critical Research and Creative Practice with Migrant and Refugee Communities Callan, Brian; Nkhoma, Pearson and Thompson, Naomi, eds. 2025. Critical Research and Creative Practice with Migrant and Refugee Communities. Bristol: Policy Press. ISBN 9781447372790
Youth Work and Faith: debates, delights and dilemmas Stanton, Naomi, ed. 2015. Youth Work and Faith: debates, delights and dilemmas. Lyme Regis: Russell House.

Report

Race and Social Media research project - interim findings report Woodger, David; Thompson, Naomi and Law, Natalie. 2024. Race and Social Media research project - interim findings report. Project Report. Meta.
Young Brent Foundation - Valuing Life Programme: Year Three Evaluation, 2022/23 Spacey, Meghan; Woodger, David and Thompson, Naomi. 2023. Young Brent Foundation - Valuing Life Programme: Year Three Evaluation, 2022/23. Project Report. Young Brent Foundation, London.
Barriers and supports in access to higher education for Gypsy, Traveller and Roma students Woodger, David and Thompson, Naomi. 2022. Barriers and supports in access to higher education for Gypsy, Traveller and Roma students. Project Report. Goldsmiths, University of London, London.

Articles related to Dr Naomi Thompson