Matthew Boswell

My undergraduate background was in comparative international studies with degrees from the University of West Florida and Yonsei University (Korea). These classroom experiences were accompanied by several years working and studying abroad in both Korea and Japan. Most recently I have focused on criminology and quantitative sociological methods with research experience looking at recidivism in domestic violence batterers as well as applications of criminological theories to explain the behaviors of young adults.

My M.A. thesis, from San Jose State University, examined the impact of a variety of social support types, such as relationships with family and friends, on the attitudes and perspectives of incarcerated felons.

Although I am interested in criminology at all levels of analysis, from individual approaches to macro-level comparisons, my main research interest lies in the study of offender desistance from crime and community reintegration. While here at Iowa I hope to continue looking at offender change by examining how individual level processes operate within the larger structures of social support, such as healthy relationships and meaningful contexts of work, and eventually lead to desistance from crime.

In my free time I enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, including running and bike riding.