Society, Culture and Place

In this teaching and research stream we seek to describe and develop the social and cultural ordering of, and thinking about, spaces. The stream illustrates several staff members' interest in exploring the ways in which gender, sexuality, 'race', class and (dis)ability are integral to spatial relations. In this stream we aim to further students' understandings of 'difference'. To do this we draw on critical theory, including feminist, Marxist, postmodernist, anti-racist, post-colonial and queer theory. These theories offer ways for individuals and groups to challenge, resist, dismantle, and transform systems of domination, exploitation, oppression and imperialism which take different forms in different times and places. The theories inform a range of empirical projects which show how different sites (spaces, places, bodies, texts) are bound up with the negotiation and reproduction of particular subjectivities. Our research in this area is informed by reflexive and innovative methodologies.

In the 'Society, Culture and Place' stream we are also very interested in 'embodied' geographies. Internationally, there is a growing interest amongst geographers in 'the body' and its links to space and place. 'The body' is now being used in urban, social, economic, gender, medical and cultural geography courses and research. We examine a number of specific aspects of embodiment including 'bodies at work', sexed bodies, 'racialised' bodies, (dis)abled bodies, and cyborg (disembodied) bodies. We focus on the ways in which 'place matters' to bodies, that is, the mutually constituted relationship between bodies and places.

Careers

Graduates who specialise in 'Society, Culture and Place' have wide employment opportunities. In many jobs it is vital to understand the similarities between ourselves and others, and to understand and respect the differences. In the past graduates who have specialised in 'Society, Culture and Place' have readily found careers in central and local government, community development, teaching, human service organisations, unions, and social research agencies. Graduates who are able to think critically and have a comprehensive understanding of social oppression and social justice are often in demand because these skills can be put to use in a wide variety of careers.

Undergraduate and graduate programme

The following papers form the core of the 'Society, Culture and Place' stream:
100 Level: GEOG101
200 Level: GEOG209
300 Level: GEOG309, GEOG301, GEOG390
500 Level: GEOG519, GEOG501

Staff

For more information on research and teaching interests in these areas see the research page and the personal pages for the following staff:
Lynda Johnston
Robyn Longhurst
Colin McLeay
Russell Kirkpatrick

Related information can be found at the following pages:
Feminist geography