Lecturer (Programme Lead)
Contact details
Email: snita.ahir-knight@otago.ac.nz
Research interests and activities
Snita (she/her) is the Programme Lead for the lived experience education and research programme World of Difference | He Ao Whakatoihara kore within the Department of Psychological Medicine. She was previously a visiting research scholar in philosophy and a teaching fellow in ethics at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Find out more about World of Difference | He Ao Whakatoihara kore
She received a Degree in Social Work from Oxford Brookes University, a Master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of London, and a PhD in Philosophy from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Snita is a trained child and adolescent therapist, and social worker. She has more than 15 years’ experience working in the not-for-profit, community, and mental health sectors in New Zealand and the UK.
Her main lens is philosophy; however, her not-for-profit, community, and mental health work background alongside her lived experience are important components of how she approaches her teaching and research.
Snita's research interests include mental disorder, health, children, youth and the parenting relationship.
You are welcome to contact her with collaborative opportunities, community partnership ideas, media enquiries and postgraduate supervision requests.
Publications
Ahir-Knight, S. (2022). Why 10-year-olds shouldn't be criminals. Newsroom, (31 October). Retrieved from https://newsroom.co.nz/2022/10/31/why-does-the-law-make-criminals-of-10-year-olds/ Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles
Ahir-Knight, S. (2021). Mental disorder and mental health interventions for children and youth: The cases of non-suicidal self-harm and unruly behaviour: A philosophical inquiry (PhD). Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. doi: 10.26686/wgtn.14685405.v1 Awarded Doctoral Degree
Agar, N., & Ahir-Knight, S. (2021). Vaccine 'apartheid' a threat to public health. Newsroom, (25 May). Retrieved from https://newsroom.co.nz/2021/05/25/vaccine-apartheid-a-problem-for-public-health/ Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles
Ahir-Knight, S. (2021). Parents are not failing their children by bringing them into the world. Stuff, (19 October). Retrieved from https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/126691745/parents-are-not-failing-their-children-by-bringing-them-into-the-world Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles
Ahir-Knight, S. (2020). Why humans take risks in a Covid-19 world. Newsroom, (21 April). Retrieved from https://newsroom.co.nz/2020/04/21/why-in-a-covid-19-world-humans-take-risks/ Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles