Harm, Resilience, and Regulation: A Journey Through Research and Society
CL/A/028 and Online, Church Lane Building, Campus West, University of York (Map)
Event details
Session Abstract
In this seminar, Professor Robertson presents her research into complex social issues. Her work spans three interconnected streams, unified by themes of harm, resilience, and regulation.
Partner Violence
Her first stream challenges one-dimensional accounts of intimate partner violence. Through nuanced research, she demonstrates that in many relationships, violence is bi-directional, rooted in communication difficulties, controlling attitudes, and hostile beliefs. This work has shaped programmes, resources, and policy designed to better reflect the complexities of real-world relationships.
Dementia and Caregiving
Her second stream focuses on dementia, with particular attention to the role and experiences of caregivers. Drawing on in-depth studies with informal carers, Māori whānau, and community organisations, she identifies barriers to accessing support, the loneliness of caregiving, and the centrality of personhood, social connection, and culturally responsive services in building dementia-friendly communities.
Regulation of Contentious Products
Her third stream investigates the regulation of products such as sugar, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, and cannabis. Across multiple studies, she shows how self-regulation often fails those most at risk, how warning labels can have unintended consequences, and how informal social norms shape cannabis use more powerfully than legal sanctions.
Framed by personal narrative, this seminar showcases research that not only diagnoses problems but also identifies practical pathways toward healthier, more connected communities.
About the speaker
Professor Kirsten Robertson
Kirsten Robertson is Professor of Marketing at the University of Otago. She draws on psychology, public health, and marketing to address pressing societal challenges and improve community wellbeing. Her research has informed public health practice and policy debates on issues including caregiver support in dementia, partner violence, and the regulation of alcohol, cannabis, and therapeutic products.
She completed her BA (1997), MSc (2000), and PhD in (2006), all at the University of Otago. Over a 25-year academic career, she has lectured across Psychology, Psychological Medicine, Oral Sciences, and Marketing, and supervised more than thirty postgraduate research students.
Professor Robertson has published widely in international journals, collaborated with scholars globally, and contributed to the wider community through public talks, media commentary, and service on boards. Her leadership roles include Head of the Department of Marketing, Associate Dean Research (Commerce), Chair of Alzheimers Otago, and her current role as Deputy Director of Te Maea Research Theme.