Skip to Content
á Department of Sociology Department of Sociology Western University Social Science Logo

Brenda Kobayashi, Assistant Professor

Ph.D. Western University

I am a socio-legal scholar and criminologist who explores the ways power intersect with law and justice. My current research examines the wider implications of policy and legislative changes on young persons who come in conflict with the law. I explore what constitutes a fair and just response to the power imbalances within the justice system that may disadvantage certain population segments by analyzing the experiences of young persons within the Canadian legal system.  

Areas of Specialization

  • Regulation, law, and crime
  • Youth justice
  • Youth and society
  • Punishment
  • Law and society
  • Criminology

Selected Publications

  • Kobayashi, Brenda and Michalski, Joseph H. (forthcoming). "The Meaning of Accountability under Section 72(1)(b) of the Youth Criminal Justice Act", Criminal Law Quarterly.
  • Whitehead, Paul C. and Kobayashi, Brenda. (2014). “Alcoholism and Other Social Problems in Canadian Aboriginal Communities: Policy Alternatives and Implications for Social Action,” in Trovato, Frank (ed.), Aboriginal Populations – Social, Demographic, and Epidemiological Perspectives, University of Alberta Press.