Professor John-David Dewsbury
JD Dewsbury is Professor in Human Geography at the School of Science at UNSW Canberra. His research focuses upon the performative and non-representational nature of social life, in particular, on how we view space, environment, affects, human behaviour and subjectivity. Using post-continental philosophy his research looks at understandings of habit, agency and technology, understanding politics and identity throughÌýthe relationship between ontology and events, and the impacts of assemblage theory and affect in research practice. Although situated in human geography, he has produced successful collaborations with performance studies, political theory, sociology and environmental studies.Ìý
He is currentlyÌýleadingÌýresearch capacity and expertise in the areas of Cultural and Environmental Geography at UNSW Canberra ²¹²Ô»åÌýdevelopingÌýresearchÌýin the interdisciplinary field of Behavioural Science in the Age of Social-Technical Innovation, specifically looking at this in the context of Australia’s policy, defence and emergency service infrastructures.
His research has previously appeared in the journals Environment & Planning D, Cultural Geographies, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, Social and Cultural Geographies, Area,Ìý²¹²Ô»åÌýPerformance Research.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
2016ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýBristol-Kyoto Symposium/The Great Britain Sasakawa FoundationÌý£9’000 w/ Andrew Lapworth and Jenifer CoatesÌýDeterritorialising Visual Theory and Culture: Anglo-Japanese Encounters
2013-14 ÌýÌýESRC - Seminar Series, £23,870.28 w/ Jessica Pykett (PI), Ben Anderson, Maria Fannin, RhysÌýJones, Joe Painter, Mark Whitehead:ÌýBehaviour Change and Psychological Governance.
2013-14 ÌýUniversity Research Fellowship, University of BristolÌý£10,000.
2013ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýVisiting Fellowship UNSWÌýAUS $12,080.
2012-13 ÌýUniversity of Bristol Cabot Institute, £5,000, co-PI w/ Chris Priest and Malcolm Fairbrother:ÌýICT4 Adaption;Ìý
2012ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýAHRC: Follow-up Impact Grant, £100,000,ÌýBeyond the Flood: performance events in Eastville, Bristol & Shipley, Leeds core participant;
2011-12 ÌýBRITISH COUNCIL - UK/US Connect Partnerships, £14,000, PIÌýÌýw/ Maria Fannin,ÌýKeith Woodward:ÌýThe Politics of Affect;
2010-11 ÌýAHRC - Researching Environmental Change Programme:ÌýReflecting onÌýEnvironmental Change through Site-based Performancecore participant;
2011ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýWUN/IAS - Research Initiative Fund, £5,000, co-PI w/ Maria Fannin:ÌýPoliticalÌýEvents and Spaces of Affect
2010ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýWUN Research Mobility Programme, £1,277 w/ University of Wisconsin-Madison:ÌýEmerging Localized Politics in the Event Based Philosophy of Alain Badiou,ÌýJean-Luc Nancy &ÌýJacques Ranciere.
2009-10ÌýÌýUniversity of Bristol Global Change Initiative, £5,000, co-PI w/ Bronwen Morgan,ÌýMark Jackson, and Eldin Fahmy:ÌýAffecting Concern in Climate Change and SocialÌýPolicy.Ìý
2009ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýAHRC - Beyond Text Research Programme: named participant in two networkÌýworkshops.De-placing Future Memory.Ìý
2007-08ÌýÌýAHRC – Landscape and Environment Research Programme: named participantÌýin three network workshops and site researchÌýLiving in a Material World.Ìý
In transposing key philosophical concepts into social scientific thinking, I have been at the forefront of research in non-representational theory in geography, gaining distinction for taking this work into the 3 main directions: (1) in the application of post-continental philosophical conceptualizations of politics; (2) in performative understandings of the social, focusing on affect, embodiment, materiality and technology; and (3) in the dissemination of techniques and methodologies from performance studies.Ìý
Post-Continental Philosophical Conceptualizations of Politics
I have recently published a book Why Guattari? A Liberation of Cartographies, Ecologies and PoliticsÌý(2019: Routledge)Ìýwith colleagues that pushes the agenda of philosophy in the social sciences and am completing a draft of a monograph entitledÌýPerformative Spaces: events, materiality and subjectivity.
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PhD Theses
2003-2007ÌýCharlie RolfeÌýBreaking Promises: for a community that works on the world of assumption
2004-2008ÌýLucy HoodÌýRethinking Urban Geographies of Architectural Form and Experience
2008- 2012ÌýNaomi MillnerÌýHabits of Emancipation: critical relationships with undocumented migration in the EU security regime
2009-2013ÌýGeorgie UrryÌýImmaterial Labour: between life and death
2014-2018ÌýStephanie DenningÌýFaith Based Social Action and Affective Communities
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Performative Understandings of the Social: Affect, Embodiment and Technology
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PhD Theses
2002-2006ÌýJennifer LeaÌýEnacting Somatic Technologies: geographies of complimentary and alternative medicines
2003-2007ÌýGunnpora OlafsdottirÌýRelating to Nature: the performative spaces of Icelandic Tourism
2005-2009ÌýJames AshÌýIntensive Worlds of the Image: practices and processes of video game design and use
2006-2010ÌýJames ClarkeÌýGovernmental Practices in People Centred Planning with Learning Disabled Subjects
2006-2010ÌýSam KinsleyÌýPractising Tomorrows? Ubiquitous computing and the politics of anticipation
2010-2014ÌýAndrew LapworthÌýOntogenetic Art: rethinking the politics of art-technoscience
2011- 2015ÌýThomas RobertsÌýEcologies of Non-organic Life
2011-2015ÌýStacey SmithÌýThe Neural Event: plasticity through practice
2013-2017ÌýThomas KeatingÌýAn Ethology of Technics: concepts and experiments with technological affects
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Performance Studies and Methodologies of Expression
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PhD Theses
2001-2005ÌýFrancis MortonThe Music of What Happens: spaces of performance of Irish traditional music Galway, Ireland
2005-2009ÌýPepe RomanillosExperiences of Finitude: communication as spatiality after Georges Bataille and Alain Robbe-Grillet
2006-2009ÌýPaul SimpsonEcologies of Street Performance: bodies, affects, politics
2006-2010ÌýJulian BrigstockeThe Life of the City: aesthetics of existence in fin-de-siecle Montmartre
2012 –2016ÌýNina WilliamsÌýThe Art of Walking, An Aesthetic Gait, Aesthetic Ambulation
2015-ÌýJethro BriceÌýVulnerability and Non-Representational Landscapes
2018Ìý-ÌýGeorge BurdonÌýSound and the Production of Worlds
2019-ÌýCarlota De La Herran IriarteÌýArt and the Non-Representational Unconscious
My Teaching
Current Teaching
Cultural Geography [Unit Convenor and Lecturer] ~ 25 Students, lectures & tutorials, 100% of 39hrs; 2 assignments and examination]
Social Geography [Lecturer] ~ 30 Students, lectures & tutorials & field school, 30% of 50 hrs; 1 assignment and 1/3 of examination]
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Previous Teaching
Human Geography [Unit Convenor and Lecturer ~150 students; 1st Year; lectures & practicals; 1/5 of 55 hrs; summer examination]
Philosophy and Social Theory [Unit Convenor and Lecturer ~75 students; 2nd Year; lectures & seminars; 1/3 of 24hrs; 3000 word essay assignment]
Experiencing Cities: Barcelona Field Trip [Unit Convenor and Lecturer: ~35 students; 2nd Year; lectures, seminars & fieldwork; 1/3 of 130hrs; fieldwork and notebook assignment]
Nature, Culture, Power [Lecturer: ~70 students; 3rd Year; lectures, 1/5 of 20hrs; summer examination]
Affect, Biopolitics, Technology [Unit Convenor and Lecturer: ~10 students; MSc; lectures & seminars; 1/2 of 20hrs; 4500 word essay assignment]
Theorizing Society and Space [Unit Convenor and Lecturer :~15 students; MSc; lectures & seminars; 3/5 of 20hrs; 4500 word essay assignment]
Dissertations [Unit Convenor:~150 students; lectures and office hours, 13’000 words thesis].