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Francesca Soliman

@frasoliman.bsky.social
1.2K followers 1K following 85 posts

Lecturer in criminology at Edinburgh Napier University. Associate director of the Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research (SCCJR). Using zemiology to research migration, border harms, and environmental harms. Migrant, feminist, bird & cat enthusiast.

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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Recently I found myself explaining who Gisèle Pelicot is to a normally well informed male colleague, who knew absolutely nothing about the case. I was astonished that he had not heard of it, but I now wonder whether, as a man, he has simply been algorithmically shielded from news of sexual violence.
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Rankings are bullshit and all that, but to see Edinburgh Napier University also rank #1 modern university in the UK for #criminology feels like recognition of the incredible expertise and hard work of the best colleagues one could ever hope for. Rankings or not, very proud to be part of the team 🏆
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Eleanor Paynter @eleanorbpaynter.net · 30/08/2026
new article out in Crossings, coauthored with @frasoliman.bsky.social & Giulia Sbaffi Stolen time: The temporal captivity of migrants in the Italian border regime 1/ intellectdiscover.com/content/jour...
intellectdiscover.com
Stolen time: The temporal captivity of migrants in the Italian border regime | Intellect
Waiting – a structural condition in the lives of migrants – is a coercive tool built into all bordering practices and one we recognize as a form of captivity, holding migrants hostage through the stea...
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Thinking about postgraduate studies? Interested in criminal, restorative, and transformative justice? Watch this video to hear about our MSc Crime and Justice in Practice directly from members of our teaching team, and take a peek around our campus. For more info: www.napier.ac.uk/courses/msc-...
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Thinking about postgraduate studies? Interested in criminal, restorative, and transformative justice? Watch this video to hear about our MSc Crime and Justice in Practice directly from members of our teaching team, and take a peek around our campus. For more info: www.napier.ac.uk/courses/msc-...
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Sociological and Cultural Studies, University of Glasgow @uofgsociology.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
2/2 Free workshop on violence prevention resource next week, 24 Feb 1-2pm online. Sign up here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sccjr-just...
eventbrite.co.uk
SCCJR Justice Future Seminar Series
A new seminar series for 2026 which asks the question, how do we imagine justice evolving in the future?
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Gorgeous boy, I am sure he will be very sorely missed.
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Dr Kajsa Dinesson @dinesson.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
📣 Call for contributors 📣 from myself and @frasoliman.bsky.social for the edited collection 'Harmful Security: multidisciplinary perspectives on the harms of counterterrorism'. Please share - details in picture and in thread below 👇🏼
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Criminology, policing and social sciences ENU @socscinapier.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
Our social sciences and criminology colleagues are ready to welcome prospective students at Edinburgh Napier University's Open Day 2025. Come see us at Sighthill Campus between 10am and 3pm #MustBeNapier
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Thank you Andy, Bob was such a valued member of our family, but also had so many friends and fans. Looking through old photos I found this memory from lockdown, when I would set up a webcam for him so he could join our daily PhD writing retreats and bring his trademark aura of calm to the community.
A beautiful black and white cat sleeping curled up on a grey blanket, while a webcam watches him from a nearby desk.
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
Grateful also to panel chair @vcanning.bsky.social who kindly let me present and answer questions first, so I could run off to call home while my beloved cat was put to sleep. Bob was 19 and chronically ill, but we were still unprepared for his sudden loss. Always loved, forever missed.
A beautiful black and white cat lying on a red blanket and resting his head on the arm of a person who is trying to type on a laptopAn absolutely stunning black and white cat lies belly up with his eyes closed on a wooden table, soaking up the sunlightA gorgeous black and white cat is lying on a person's lap and meowing while looking at the camera
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
Another excellent @europeangroup.bsky.social conference this year in Malmö: programme packed with critical and radical voices and clear commitment in support of Palestine. Grateful for the kind and attentive audience listening to my and @dinesson.bsky.social's paper on zemiology of counterterrorism
A woman standing in front of a screen showing a presentation titled "Decriminalising terror: for a zemiology of counterterrorism".
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Criminology, policing and social sciences ENU @socscinapier.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
Our colleague Dr @kir-anderson.bsky.social was discussing her recent book "The Barlinnie Special Unit: Art, Punishment and Innovation", the first detailed analysis of a unique time in the history of Scottish prisons. The book is available here: www.watersidepress.co.uk/books/barlin... #EdBookFest
A woman wearing glasses and a striped black and white shirt smiling at the camera while holding a copy of the book "The Barlinnie Special Unit: Art, Punishment and Innovation"
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
Packed room for the "Unlocking the arts" event at the Edinburgh Book Festival this afternoon, with the wonderful Kirstin Anderson and Lady Unchained discussing art, incarceration, and how to think of possible ways forward to both mitigate and prevent the harms of criminalisation.
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
My brilliant colleagues' recent funding successes have opened up 2 fixed term positions in our criminology team at @edinburghnapier.bsky.social; if you are an early career researcher, or you are finishing up/just out of a PhD, we would love to hear from you.
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
You can't swing a cat in Napier's crim team's offices without hitting a successful colleague in the face, and I am beyond delighted to see the latest success of all-round excellent human being @kir-anderson.bsky.social, I can think of no better person to conduct this important project.
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
A much needed (and excellently timed) resource produced by my esteemed @edinburghnapier.bsky.social colleagues, looking forward to taking my students through this work. This really couldn't have been written by more diligent hands, absolutely delighted to see it out into the world ⚖️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
And of course, great to see that "Decriminalising terror: for a zemiology of counterterrorism" by @dinesson.bsky.social and myself is settled in its new home: bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journal...
bristoluniversitypressdigital.com
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
I really love this journal, yet another incredible issue featuring cutting edge critical and radical scholarship, and a great bonus is that so many articles are open/full access. Looking forward to sinking my teeth into this one.
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 19/06/2025
Chatbots — LLMs — do not know facts and are not designed to be able to accurately answer factual questions. They are designed to find and mimic patterns of words, probabilistically. When they’re “right” it’s because correct things are often written down, so those patterns are frequent. That’s all.
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Andy Aydın-Aitchison @andy8chi.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
June 25, 4pm BST (UTC+1), online Against the Latin American Current? Decarceration in Chile Javier Wilenmann, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Chile From @thesccjr.bsky.social www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/against-th... #Penology #Criminology #Chile
eventbrite.co.uk
Against the Latin American Current? Decarceration in Chile
While Latin America has seen a significant rise in incarceration rates over the last 30 years, Chile has experienced a 33% drop. Why?
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
...found it useful to "practice" this kind of F2F interaction before they find themselves in their first job interview(s). Changing assessments takes time and lots of thought, particularly about what the assessment is actually for, but given current HE challenges it's a conversation worth having.
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
It's a work in progress, but I had the chance to co-design the assessments with students (particularly those with disabilities/learning difficulties) and that has really helped make the assessment less burdensome for students and reduce anxiety; fourth year students in particular have...
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
That is very true, not every assessment format will fit every student. My assessments now have a written component, a dialogical component, and a Q&A: this means students are not just expected to jump into the unknown on the day of the assessment, but can rely first on some pre-prepared material;
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
I have switched to oral assessments over the past year and found they are no more time consuming than marking; in fact, they are often much faster, especially when genAI use (or even "traditional" plagiarism) is suspected. In addition, they allow students to better articulate their learning.
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
"Kirstin Anderson opened by pulling no punches". I have zero trouble believing that! As always, here's @kir-anderson.bsky.social taking hard questions head on and leading exactly the kind of conversation we should be having about prisons: about social harms, academic pavidity, and lessons unlearned.
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
This past year it has felt particularly important to connect with all my students individually, and work my hardest to help them bring their experiences and understanding of the world into the classroom. I am truly SO thankful for this "Best Lecturer" nomination, perhaps I might be onto something.
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Steve Tombs @stevetombs.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
Please do consider signing the petition and forwarding this message @bschcnetwork.bsky.social @europeangroup.bsky.social @iliadou.bsky.social @frasoliman.bsky.social @mfbosworth.bsky.social @inquest-org.bsky.social @debcoles13.bsky.social
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Victoria Canning @vcanning.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
The petition to #FreeFatou is here - please sign if you can 👇🏽https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-deportation-of-our-sister-fatou-her-life-is-in-danger-if-she-is-deported
change.org
Sign the Petition
Stop the Deportation of Our Sister Fatou – Her Life Is in Danger if she is Deported
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Anna Meier @annameier.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
"The term is being misused" the term is being used exactly as intended. "The law is being misused" this is the point of the law.
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Stephen or Steve "EMV" Cobb @scobb.net · 25/03/2025
Great to see a shout out to #Zemiology, key to understanding the full impact of technology abuse.
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Criminology, policing and social sciences ENU @socscinapier.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Did you know? We now offer 3 #masters degrees as part of our subject area's masters suite: in criminology, in joint criminology and forensic psychology, and in social research. All 3 programmes focus on applied learning and offer an optional work placement 💼 Check out the information below 👇
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 09/03/2025
@ologies.bsky.social would be my top suggestion
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Utterly delighted to see this MSc out in the world after so much hard work went into its design. Come study #criminology (and #zemiology) with us at @edinburghnapier.bsky.social, you couldn't find a better team than the outstanding scholars and educators I have the pleasure of calling my colleagues
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Kirstin Anderson @kir-anderson.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Excited to give a SASO guest lecture on the Barlinnie Special Unit tomorrow evening, 4 March 2025, at the Edinburgh Sheriff Court, 17:30, free, open to all interested and no registration needed @socscinapier.bsky.social www.sastudyoffending.org.uk/attachments/...
sastudyoffending.org.uk
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Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
These stories amount to "the left was so annoying about pronouns or liberals made people feel so guilty about plastic straws they had no choice but to get on board with the second coming of the Third Reich and the destruction of the planet."
meditationsinanemergency.com
The She Made Him Do It Theory of Everything
The rhetoric and logic of the abuse of power operates similarly at all scales, which is why I've found feminism such useful equipment for understanding authoritarians in public and political life. Bec...
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
Unlike the author I think research on the aetiology of crime should be abandoned altogether, but the questions raised in this enjoyable article are pertinent: why do we teach and legitimise causal claims we know to be rubbish, perpetuating criminological myth? www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Zombie criminology and disciplinary maintenance: How living-dead explanations that eat your brain, preserve the criminological status quo, and shape the criminological paradigm
This manuscript introduces zombie criminology (ZC). ZC draws upon zombie arguments made in other disciplines (e.g. physics), and makes reference to historical/cultural meanings associated with zomb...
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
Can't claim credit for this as @kir-anderson.bsky.social did the organising and I did the tagging along, but it was interesting to see what students made of the process (especially those who remembered me saying in class "when you want to bury an issue and avoid accountability, launch an inquiry")
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Criminology, policing and social sciences ENU @socscinapier.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
An insight into real world practice as our students heard statements from the Scottish Police Federation and GEOAmey on the impact of COVID-19 on their organisations. Thanks to @kir-anderson.bsky.social and @frasoliman.bsky.social for organising and @covid19inquiry.scot for a warm welcome.
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
This is brilliant Ben, and very timely, I look forward to sharing it with my students
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Come for the view, stay for the postgraduate offerings, stay even longer for the whiskey bar
A view of a wide Edinburgh road, with sandstone buildings on either side
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Interested in postgraduate studies? You are still in time to register for our Open Evening event on Wed 26 February. Come find me to discuss our new criminology masters, the MSc Crime and Justice in Practice 🎓 www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-u...
napier.ac.uk
Postgraduate Events
Learn more about postgraduate study by attending a postgraduate event with Edinburgh Napier. Meet academics, student support teams and current students.
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Happy Valentine's day from this power couple
A black and white cat is sitting on the floor, and a toddler is hugging it
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
In even better news, the article is open access and will remain free long after February ends 🎉
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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
1. Quick 🧵 on the change to policy that, on the face of it, bans refugees from ever acquiring British citizenship. @sonial77.bsky.social has published a short article on Free Movement: freemovement.org.uk/good-charact... And I've done a follow up on my Substack: open.substack.com/pub/wewanted...
open.substack.com
New change to Home Office policy permanently blocks refugees from citizenship
Change is bad in principle and breaches the Refugee Convention
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Victoria Canning @vcanning.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
Most read articles for 'Justice, Power and Resistance' - journal of the European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control with @policypress.bsky.social are FREE this month - links in thread 👇
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Dr Kajsa Dinesson @dinesson.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
@frasoliman.bsky.social and I are among BUPs most downloaded authors of 2024! You can read our paper "Decriminalising terror: for a zemiology of counterterrorism" and the whole collection free until Feb 28th! Most downloaded collection: bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/page/most-re...
bristoluniversitypressdigital.com
Most read articles collection
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
I have good news: go.bsky.app/J8yqxnN
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Francesca Soliman @frasoliman.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
My friend and I have shared so many cool sightings with one another over the few years since we met: stars, planets, moons, orbiting space stations, birds, squirrels, whales in the firth of Forth. His curiosity, joy, and kindness know no bounds. This is the first full moon since he passed away.
A close up picture of a full moon
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Alick Simmons @parliamentarygoose.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
If you’d like to see the end of driven grouse shooting, sign this. There’s five months left which means it needs almost 14,000 signatures/month. There’s no time to lose so repost after singing!
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