Advancing Knowledge of Rare Breed Beef and Dairy Cattle Farming in Australia in the Climate Change Era

This PhD project will draw on anthropological methods and theory to examine the values and practices of rare and heritage breed cattle farmers, and the challenges they face in their critical conservation work. With a focus on both beef and dairy breeds, the successful candidate will have autonomy to pursue conceptual and theoretical trajectories of their own design, using data from ethnographic research that is to be conducted on at least 4 Australian farms. This PhD stipend is funded by and forms part of a larger project on rare breed farming led by Dr Catie Gressier and will involve some collaborative research and writing. Further information about the project can be found at: https://www.uwa.edu.au/projects/raising-rare-breeds
The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a research intensive university ranked among the world’s top 100 universities. The stunning Crawley campus is located on the Swan River in the heart of Perth, which consistently ranks among the world’s most liveable cities. The School of Social Sciences, in which the PhD candidate will be based, has been awarded more than 10 million dollars in research funding over the past five years, and will provide a rich collegial environment. At the Discipline level, Anthropology and Sociology’s world class scholars have substantial expertise in environmental anthropology, and a long history of interdisciplinary collaboration.