Reference: SHLS20059
The proposed project builds substantially on the University mission of the “Common Good”.
The concept of place has a long history in social work, from Jane Addams early work in Chicago to more recent scholarship that considers social work and its relation to environment (Bay, 2010; Zaph, 2010) and to the city (Williams, 2016). Work in cultural geography (Massey, 1994; Thrift, 2003) and social science (Gieryn, 2000) over the past three decades has established the creation of ‘place’ as complex, multifaceted, linked with emotion, tradition and history as much as material substance of built and natural environment. Politicians in Scotland have employed ‘place-making’ strategies such as ‘Thriving Places’ in an attempt to promote social as much as physical regeneration. However, contemporary thought on place (Thrift, 2011; Amin, 2012) does not position it as a container for human activity but as an expression of more-than-human relations between material, animal, vegetal and human bodies. Place is a mode of belonging and as such matters for social work. ‘Place’ matters for social work perhaps now more than ever as we live in an era of displacement due to increased migration, increased homelessness and the threat posed by climate change to human settlements. Understanding place in relation to recovery from such experiences and the problems they produce is therefore vital for social work practice.
This doctoral project will study the relationship between place and recovery through an empirical project based at Lambhill Stables (Glasgow -
https://www.lambhillstables.org/). Lambhill Stables is a community hub in the North of Glasgow situated in a locality that has been significantly affected by post-industrial decline and its associated challenges. It offers a range of opportunities for people of all ages, many of whom experience, poor mental health and substance misuse issues. Situated between Forth and Clyde Canal and Possil Marsh (Site of Special Scientific Interest), relationship to place - as material as well as social - is a crucial aspect of the work of the Stables. The doctoral project will involve ethnographic work with the stables working with volunteers, service users and the material environment. This project will contribute to an understanding of place and how this this relates to the emerging field of post anthropocentric social work.
This interdisciplinary PhD opportunity will be of interest to people who come from backgrounds such as social work, cultural geography, environmental studies, anthropology and sociology. You will have the opportunity to engage with a growing group of doctoral and post-doctoral researchers interested in questions of social work, environment and post-anthropocentric theory. You should have a post-graduate qualification in a related area. The programme of study will involve year 1 – reviewing the literature, year two - field work, and year three - analysis and writing.
How to Apply
This project is available as a 3 years full-time or 6 years part-time PhD study programme with expected start date of 1 October 2021
Candidates are encouraged to contact the research supervisors for the project before applying.
For full-time study of this project, apply here
For part-time study of this project, apply here
Applicants shortlisted for the PhD project will be contacted for an interview within four weeks from the closing date.
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