Society and Space

The central theme of Society and Space is that the physical and built environments interact with society in complex ways. Sometimes it is necessary to examine issues at various scales of analysis to understand this interaction. PEMS supports one of the few combined physical and human geography groups in the country. This places the School of PEMS in a unique position to continue a close dialogue between physical and human elements of the environment in order to address important social and environmental problems.

These problems include:
* Urban design and transport efficiency and sustainability
* Effective speeds of different transport modes
* The links between sport and health
* Analysis of socio-demographic data
* The importance of 'region' to the wine industry
* Globalisation and its effects on local communities
* Strategies of resistance to globalization
* Urban and peri-urban agriculture for food security, job creation and post-conflict reconstruction (South Africa, Zambia, Sierra Leone)
* The threat of squatter resettlement on informal sector livelihoods (Fiji)
* Land tenure insecurity and community-based agriculture (South Africa)
* Economic openness, cultural obligations and the emerging landless (Samoa)
* 'Liveable' cities and child-friendly environments
* Implications of peak oil for liveable cities and child-friendly environments
* Mapping and understanding the drivers of human health and disease
* The geography and cultures of institutions (including the military and the academy).

Members of the Society and Space Research Group

Academic Staff:

Dr Amy Griffin (a.griffin@adfa.edu.au) MSc, PhD Pens
Dr Scott Sharpe (s.sharpe@adfa.edu.au) BSc (Hons), PhD Macq.
Dr Alec Thornton (a.thornton@adfa.edu.au) PhD, MA (Sussex, UK)
Dr Paul Tranter (p.tranter@adfa.edu.au) BA, PhD N'cle (NSW)

Visiting Fellows:

Mr Jack Doyle BSc McG., MA ANU
Dr Catharina Williams PhD ANU

Research Students:

Annabel Beckenham - Research Topic - A geography of anonymity: Virtual subjectivities in cyberspace.

Walter Giusti - Research Topic - The small world of terrorism: Mapping terrorist group mindsets and behaviours.

Stephen Smith - Research Topic - The electoral geography of minor parties at Australian state and federal elections, 1997-2006.

Research Collaborators:

Ms C. Baker (ACT Health)
Dr A. Banos (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire Image et Ville, Universite Louis-Pasteur)
Dr C. Banwell (National Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health, ANU)
Mr G. Barnett (CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems)
Dr M. Beaty (CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems)
Dr H. Berry (National Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health, ANU)
Prof. Tony Binns (Ron Lister Chair of Geography, University of Otago. Dunedin, New Zealand)
Prof. A. Bundy (University of Sydney)
Dr J. Dixon (National Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health, ANU)
Dr M. Duffy (University of Melbourne)
Dr R. Dyball (Fenner School of the Environment, ANU)
Prof. B. Fagan (Macquarie University, Sydney)
Dr S. Friel (National Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health, ANU)
Dr Godfrey Hampwaye (Lecturer Geography, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia)
Dr M. Hendityo (Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Dr M. Hynes (School of Social Sciences, ANU)
Prof. N. Ilmi Idrus (University of Hasannudin, Makassar, Indonesia)
Dr Maria Kerslake (Dean of Faculty of Arts, National University of Samoa, Apia, Samoa)
Dr M. Lowes (Department of Communication, University of Ottawa)
Dr Kenny Lynch (Senior Lecturer, Department of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire. Cheltenham, United Kingdom)
Assoc. Prof. Etienne Nel (Economic Geographer, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand)
Dr Roy Maconachie (Hallsworth Research Fellow, Institute for Development Policy and Management, University of Manchester. Manchester, United Kingdom)
Prof. Lochner Marais (Centre for Development Support, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa)
Dr M. May (Consultant Researcher, Canberra)
Assoc. Prof. G. Naughton (Australian Catholic University)
Dr K. Proust (Fenner School of the Environment, ANU)
Dr Paul Tengbe (Head of Geography, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. Freetown, Sierra Leone)
Dr J. Warn (School of Business, UNSW@ADFA)
Dr S. Wyver ( Macquarie University, Sydney)

From L to R: Dr Scott Sharpe and Dr Paul Tranter are collaborators on a project investigating how the challenge of peak oil might provide opportunities for making cities more child-friendly.