TEACHING AND RESEARCH BIOGRAPHY

ABOUT ME:

Version I

Dr. Richard J White is Lecturer of Economic Geography at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. To date, Richard’s main area of research has focused on exploring the geographies of the informal economy in the Minority World/ advanced economies generally, and in particular through understanding community self-help, mutual aid and reciprocity.

His research, focused on both affluent and deprived communities, has critically challenged many dominant myths that surround our understanding of contemporary work and exchange in “capitalist” society. In addition to disseminating his research through peer-reviewed journals, Richard has formally participated in conferences and seminars to International and European audiences (ranging from local policy making communities and think-tanks, to high-profile academics, and senior government officials).

Richard’s broad teaching and lecturing profile includes: re-thinking the economic in economic geography; philosophical approaches to space and place; alter-globalization groups; the use of direct action within human and animal liberation movements; dissident and moral geographies; and critical pedagogy. Finally, Richard is also currently serving on the Editorial Boards of “The International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy” and “The Journal of Critical Animal Studies” and “Theory in Action, The Journal of the Transformative Studies Institute“.

Version II

I am a husband and father of 2.75 children (Matilda, Phoebe and a third baby-to-be-born in summer) and – in the time that’s left over – a Senior Lecturer in Economic Geography at Sheffield Hallam University.

Way back in the 1996, when I first departed the ‘real world’, and entered the inner sanctum of higher education, I made it my goal to stay there: the only difference between a lecturer and a student so far as I could deduce was that a lecturer gets paid! Thus (in addition to playing university rugby) I dutifully attended lectures, seminars, handed work in on time and, over a period of three years, found out two curious things (1) that actually I rather enjoyed Human Geography and (2) I was really quite good at it (some of the time)!

Inspired by the great Anarchist Geography Peter Kropotkin I embarked on a PhD, again undertaken at Leicester University, focused on the geographies of the informal economy – essentially trying to work out how and why people like you use the help of friends, neighbours and family to help you get on in life! The research involved lots of door-to-door knocking asking questions, chatting, drinking lots of cups of coffee, and eating (too many) biscuits. Yes, these were drudgerous times indeed!

The writing up process was a little more arduous but ultimately successful: I formally graduated from Leicester in 2006 ( I still have hope that one day they may name a Departmental corridor in my name in recognition of the decade of service I did there)!

Moving away from Leicester I settled down to marital life in Banbury,. This was a great time but, given my perchance for reckless spending on books, and Oxford’s perchance for wonderful bookshops, it proved an almost financially ruinous one!

Having experienced work as a Research Associate at Warwick University for a few years, I found myself really missing the cut-and thrust of mainstream academic life. Thus, after a long interview held on a hot sticky summer’s day in 2006 I was offered lectureship at Sheffield Hallam University, and here I am – living the life of the perpetual (but paid) student!

(Oh! and incidentally, I’ve found that there are *two* key differences between students and lecturers – lecturers don’t get fined (much) for handing back library books in late)!

 Key Areas of interest/ expertise:

• The Informal Economy
• Community self-help
• Mutual aid and reciprocity
• Alternative economic practices
• Post-capitalist visions of the future of work
• Dissident geographies
• Protest movements (and the use of direct action)
• Radical pedagogy and praxis within geography
• The rights of humans and other animals

 

PEDAGOGY

I take much inspiration in my teaching and activism from one of the most influential thinkers about education in the late twentieth century, Paulo Friere:

“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” (1970: 15)

My teaching & research interests coalesce broadly around five central themes: re-thinking the economic in economic geography; reciprocity in the advanced economies; social anarchism and geography; the geographies of protest and liberation movements; moral geographies.

TEACHING

I teach and supervise students on a wide range of modules, both at undergraduate and post-graduate levels:

Undergraduate

1st Year

 In Introduction to Human Geography I focus my sessions around Re-thinking the Economic in Economic Geography, through exploring the geographies of the informal economic activities (e.g. self-provisioning, mutual aid, paid informal work/ paid mutual aid) in the advanced economies.

2nd Year 

In Research Development, I focus my teaching on the key research themes involved in undertaking a successful and largely independent undergraduate research project. These include selecting a research topic; undertaking a literature review; developing aims and objectives; harnessing research methodology and methods; analysing and representing empirical data.

Urban Change & Conflict focuses on the contested geographies of space and place, focusing extensively on the experiences of European cities. The students also have the opportunity to take a fieldtrip to Prague or Berlin as part of this module. A normative approach to urban change and conflict from ‘what is’ to ‘what could/ should’ be is introduced in an attempt to radicalise geographic praxis.

My sessions in Philosophy, Space & Place focus on the radical geographies that have emerged over the last forty years: these include Marxist geographies; Feminist geographies; Postmodern geographies and Bio-centric/ moral geographies. The sessions critically explore the impact of these respected philosophies and approaches within and beyond the academy.

Postgraduate

In Sustainable Economic Development the sessions explore sustainability by focusing on local economic development; and explores different visions of work and welfare in academic and policy making communities.

Foundation Degree

In Economic and Social Sustainability I engage with the concept of community self help, and discuss the ways in which this can and should be harnessed and promoted in future policy and practice. This ties in with the normative vision of moving away from a society based on full-employment, to one based on full engagement.

SUPERVISION

I am currently a dissertation/ research project supervisor for five undergraduate students focusing on a range of topics including Animal & Moral Geographies; Postmodernism; Social Networks and Local Economic Development.

RESEARCH

Publications

Titles underlined indicates links to the source/ pdf file where available

Recent Publications

Williams CC and White R J (2008) “Variations in the nature of the hidden economy and its public policy implications” in D. Henckel, G. Spars and F Wukovitsch (eds) Arbeiten in der Grauzone, Peter Lang: Frankfurt

Green AE and White R J (2008) “Shaped by place: young people’s decisions about education, training and work” Benefits: The Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, Vol 16. No 3, pp 213-224

Green, A. and White RJ (2007) Shifting Horizons: Attachment to place, (im)mobility and labour market prospects of young people, Joseph Rowntree Foundation: York

White RJ and Williams CC (2005) Informal Volunteering and Older People AGEToday, Issue 5 Citizenship: The difference older people make, Help the Aged: London

Williams CC and White RJ (2003) Conceptualising Social Inclusion – Some Lessons for Action, Municipal Engineer Volume 156: issue ME2 pp. 91-96

Williams CC and White RJ (2002) Tackling Rural Transport Problems: A Third Sector Approach, European Research in Regional Science, vol. 12

Williams CC and White RJ (2002) The transformation of English rural communities, Municipal Engineer Volume ME151 Issue 03

White RJ and Williams CC (2002) Challenging the Rural Idyll, Leicester Latitude, University of Leicester

Williams CC and White RJ (2001) Evaluating the role of the social economy in tackling rural transport problems: some case study evidence from rural England, Planning Practice and Research, vol.16: 3/4, pp.345-356.

Williams CC and White RJ (2001) Village People in Local Government News, Vol. 23 No.7, p.2-3.

 

Reports

Hasluck C, Bimrose J, Barnes S-A, Brown J, Marris L, McGivern G, Orton M and White R J (2006) “Evaluation of Skills Coaching trials and Skills Passports, A synthesis of qualitative and quantitative evidence” Warwick Institute for Employment Research. Department for Work and Pensions, Research Report No.391

Green, A., Homenidou, K., White, R.J. and Wilson, R. Warwick (2006) Working Futures 2004-14: Spatial Report, Coventry: Institute for Employment Research.

Hasluck, C., Bimrose, J. Barnes, S-A. & McGivern, G. with White, R.J and Orton, M. (2005) ‘Evaluation Of skills coaching trials and skills passports: Stage 1 Report: Early lessons from implementation and delivery.’ Warwick Institute for Employment Research. Report for the Department for Work and Pensions.

Sanderson, I., Green, A., and White, R.J.. (2005) Employment Strategies in Newham and Hull NDC: Research Report 62, Sheffield Hallam University: Sheffield

 

CONFERENCES

White, R.J. (2008 ) ‘Attachment to Place: Social networks, mobility and prospects of young people’ in Community Care Conference, Therapeutic Care of Children: Understanding Child Development and Attachment, Kensington: London

White, R. J. (2008 ) ‘Undeclared Work in the European Union’, in ‘Primer seminario del Diálogo México – Unión Europea en Materia de Empleo y Política Social’, Sala Benito Juárez, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, México DF

White, R. J. and Green, A.E. (2008 ) ‘Attachment to Place: Social networks, mobility and prospects of young people’, in Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Seminar Programme, Sheffield Hallam University: Sheffield

White, R.J. (2005) ‘The complex dynamics of unpaid community exchange’ in PAC Annual Conference, University of Nottingham, September

White, R.J. (2003) ‘Engaging community through informal community networks’ in Communities Conference, Trinity and All Saints College, Leeds September 2003.

White, R.J. (2003) ‘Harnessing Voluntary Work: A Fourth Sector Approach’ in 9th Researching the Voluntary Sector Conference, University of Central England, Birmingham.

White, R.J. (2003) ‘Harnessing Community Self-Help in Rural England: a critical evaluation of the third sector approach’ in National Council for Voluntary Organisations conference London

White, R.J. (2003) ‘Geographies of Mutual Aid: A reflection on the methodology of the PhD’ Wessex Consortium Conference, Windsor

White, R.J. (2002) ‘The transformation of English rural communities’ in Engineering Sustainability in the Rural Environment, Institute of Civil Engineers: London.

White, R.J. (2002) Rethinking the Economic in Economic Geography: Mutual Aid and Social Inclusion’. Postgraduate Economic Geography Forum, University of Nottingham