Dr Martin Phillips
Reader in Social and Cultural Geography
Contact Details
- Tel: 0116 252 3886
- Email: mpp2@le.ac.uk
- Fax: 0116 252 3854
- Office: Bennett Building F59
- Personal Homepage
Research Interests
I have research interests in four broad areas of geography: rural social and cultural geography, historical geography, society/environment relations, and philosophy in geography. Much of my recent work has focused on the material and symbolic constructions of rural space, with particular regard to the social relations and identities of class and gender. I am also conducting work on museum geographies, retail led-gentrification, filmic geographies and adaptations to climate change.
Completed Projects
I have undertaken many research projects on contemporary rural cultures and societies including:
- A three-year ESRC Research Fellowship on 'The processes of rural gentrification'.
- Studies of the class composition of rural communities in Berkshire, Cotswolds, Gower, Leicestershire and Warwickshire
- A study of 'Gentrifying rural natures' funded as part of the UK Research Council's Rural Economy and Land-Use Programme
- An AHRC funded study of cultural representations of rurality in television drama programmes
I have also been involved in a series of studies of the social inclusion and museums visits (in collaboration with the University of Leicester's Research Centre for Museum and Galleries)
Current Research
I am currently undertaking research on the following projects:
- Conservation films, including Darwin Initiative funded project on 'Community-based biodiversity conservation films in Kenya & Tanzani'
- ' Museums, the cultural industries and social inclusion' (ESRC CASE business Seminar).
- 'Rural Communities adapting and living with climate change', project funded as part of UK Research Council's Rural Economy and Land-Use Programme.
- Retail led urban gentrification
External Activities
- External examiner, University of Dublin
- Invited to give key note presentation on 'People, culture and nature in the rural-urban fringe' at the Joint Meeting of the International Grassland Congress and the International Rangeland Congress, Hohot, Inner Mongolia, China
- Invited contributor to International Seminar on New-Build Gentrifications: Forms, Places and Processes, Institute of Geography, University of Neuchâtel
- Member of ESRC Peer review College
PhD Supervision
Current
- Ghada Kamar 'Luxor city as an open air museum' (with Dr Nick Tate)
- Kate Moore 'Tugen Trails: cultural changes, wildlife conservation and local livelihoods in the Rift Valley of Kenya' (With Dr Sue Page)
- Sarah Smith 'Youth culture and new urban places' (with Dr Peter Kaftl)
- Craig Wheway - 'Nature and spatial extent of gentrification in London Docklands' (with Dr Katy Bennett).
Completed
- Mohammed Al-Dakhil The Spatial Pattern of the Tourism Industry in the Al-Qassim area, Saudi Arabia', PhD awarded 2007
- Oliver Mould 'Cultural globalization and Sydney as a world city', PhD awarded 2008
- Matthew Badcock 'A democratizing nation? Alternative electoral geographies of nineteenth century Britain', PhD awarded 2009
- Anna Woodham 'Museum Visits and Social Exclusion: The Geography of Schools Visits to Museums', PhD awarded 2009
Research Areas for PhD Supervision
Contemporary rural societies and cultures; cinematic and televisual geographies; historical geography; Educational attainment and social class in rural areas, Museums as agents of social distinction and inclusion, New-build gentrification in rural areas, Rural communities, climate change and energy use.
Enquiries: If you are interested in studying for a PhD in one of these research areas, please make informal enquiries via geogPhD@le.ac.uk
Most Recent Publications
Hooper-Greenhill, E., Phillips, M., Woodham, A. (2009) Museums, schools and geographies of cultural value, Cultural trends 18, (2) 149–183
Phillips, M. (2008) Rurality as a globalised mediascape? Impressions from television drama production and distribution at the turn of the millennium in Australia, Britain and New Zealand, Critical Studies in Television 3 (1) 16-44
Phillips, M., Page, S., Saratsi, E., Tansey, K. and Moore, K. (2008) Diversity, scale and green landscapes in the gentrification process: Traversing ecological and social science perspectives, Applied Geography 28 (1) 54-76
Phillips, M. (2007) 'Changing class complexions on and in the British countryside', Journal of rural studies 23, 283-304
Phillips, M. (2005) 'Differential productions of rural gentrification: illustrations from North and South Norfolk', Geoforum 34 (4), pp. 477-494
