Rashalee Mitchell
BSc (UWI Mona), MSc (UWI Mona)
College roles
Visiting Bye-Fellow
Biography
Miss Rashalee Mitchell is an emerging scholar in the field of Sociology, with a focused interest in the lived and working experiences of vulnerable communities, specifically among Men who have Sex with Men (MSMs) and Sex Workers.
Miss Mitchell obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology (Major) and Political Science (Minor) in 2004, followed by a Master of Science degree in Sociology in 2006, both from the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus. In 2012, she enhanced her qualifications with a postgraduate certification in International Research Capacity Building, aimed at studying the drug phenomenon in Latin America and the Caribbean, which involved collaboration with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Inter-American Drug Control Commission (CICAD) under the Organisation of American States (OAS).
Miss Mitchell is currently completing a PhD on Social Policy Protection for female sex workers at UWI’s Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies (SALISES). Her doctoral research addresses the vulnerabilities faced by sex workers, emphasizing the need for expanded Social Policy Protection within society. She has authored two notable articles on the drug phenomenon, titled: “The Role of Social Factors in the Use of Licit Drugs Among University Students from One University in Kingston” and “The Role of Family Relations, Spirituality, and Entertainment in Moderating Peer Influence and Drug Use Among Students of Eight Universities from Five Countries in Latin America and Three Countries in the Caribbean.” In addition, she has written technical reports concerning same-sex relations and the experiences of individuals affected and infected by HIV/AIDS.
Miss Mitchell is actively involved in scholarly and professional activities. She is a member of the Caribbean Sociological Association (CASA), where she served as Secretary from 2021 to 2022 and is currently Treasurer for the term 2022-2025. Her research initiatives include collaboration on the National Survey of Attitudes and Perceptions of Jamaicans Towards Same-Sex Relationships, conducted on behalf of the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (JFLAG), as well as evaluating the National Poverty Eradication Project (NPEP) for the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF). Additionally, she has investigated the extent of human trafficking in Jamaica as a research assistant with Searchcon.
Miss Mitchell has lectured in the Department of Sociology, Psychology, and Social Work, for the past 13 years delivering courses on Sociological Theory and the Sociology of Development. She has also contributed to several departmental and faculty committees, including the Staff-Student Liaison Committee and the Teaching and Learning Committee. Since 2019, she has served on the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s (PIOJ) National Poverty Reduction Programme Committee (NPRPC) and its sub-committee on Psychosocial and Human Capital Development.
In recognition of her academic contributions, Miss Mitchell has been awarded the 2024 Margaret Anstee Visiting Fellowship at Newnham College, Cambridge, where she is expected to engage with the university community during the Easter semester of 2025.