Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Lawrence
Emeritus Professor

Geoffrey Lawrence

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Background

Geoff is a leading Australian sociologist with interests in rural and regional sociology, globalisation/localisation and agrifood research.

He attended James Ruse Agricultural High School in Sydney and was School Captain in 1968. He then completed a degree in agricultural economics at Sydney University in 1972. This was followed by a diploma in social science (UNE), Master of Science in Sociology (Wisconisn-Madison) and a PhD (Griffith). In 1992 he became Associate Professor of Sociology and Foundation Director, Centre for Rural Social Research, at Charles Sturt University before moving later that year to Central Queensland University as Foundation Professor of Sociology (1992-2002) and Executive Director, Institute for Sustainable Regional Development (1998-2002). He joined The University of Queensland as Professor of Sociology and Head of the School of Social Science in 2002. He is a Life Member of the Fitzroy Basin Association, a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, Life Member of the Australian Sociological Association, and was President of the International Rural Sociology Association (2012-2016). He became Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Queensland in 2014.

His full profile can be seen at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Lawrence_(sociologist)

Availability

Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Lawrence is:
Not available for supervision

Fields of research

Sociology

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Science, University of Sydney
  • Postgraduate Diploma, University of New England Australia
  • Masters (Coursework) of Science, University of Wisconsin
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Griffith University

Research interests

  • Agriculture, the Environment and the Politics of Sustainability

    The questions are: To what extent is 'greening' and green politics influencing the course of agricultural development and resulting in policies aimed at reducing ecological destruction? What is the nature of the debates and theorisations regarding productivism/post-productivism in the rural landscapes of advance economies? In a practical sense, how is it possible to ensure that current and future natural resource management will provide sustainable outcomes for society?

  • Globalisation, Localisation and Restructuring of Regional Australia

    This is a broad area whcih includes an examination of the social affects of economic change upon regions and highlights town decline, poverty, unemployment and ill-health - as well as the 'ingredients' for successful community development and the enhancement of social capital. Issues of empowerment and governance are crucial to the understanding of the future of the regions. The issue of global/local relations is also of significance - particularly as Australian governments seek to promote 'self help' and 'partnership' options.

  • Financialisation of Food and Farming

    Finance capital is playing an increasingly important role in food and farming industries. Entities like merchant banks, sovereign wealth funds, private equity firms and hedge funds are purchasing farmlands and agribusinesses in an effort to increase returns to shareholders. However, some of these activities are speculative and lead to food price distortions; others impact upon traditional owners when so-called 'land grabs' force producers from their farms. 'Financialisation' is seen as being as important as globalisation and neoliberalism in altering the face of food and farming.

Search Professor Geoffrey Lawrence’s works on UQ eSpace

533 works between 1980 and 2024
All (533) Journal Article (163) Book Chapter (110) Conference Publication (218) Book (29) Other Outputs (9) Edited Outputs (4)

101 - 120 of 533 works

2011

Journal Article

Food security in Australia: Cornucopia or catastrophe?

Lawrence, Geoff and Burch, David (2011). Food security in Australia: Cornucopia or catastrophe?. Australian Options: Discussions for Social Justice and Political Change (64), 4-7.

Food security in Australia: Cornucopia or catastrophe?

2011

Conference Publication

Food security: emerging challenges for Australia

Lawrence, G., Richards, C., Burch, D. and Lyons, K. (2011). Food security: emerging challenges for Australia. XXIV European Congress of Rural Sociology, Chania, Crete, 22-25 August 2011.

Food security: emerging challenges for Australia

2011

Conference Publication

Power and the food supply chain: proprietary and hybrid governance in Australia and Norway

Richards, C., Almas, R., Lawrence, G. and Bjorkhaug, H. (2011). Power and the food supply chain: proprietary and hybrid governance in Australia and Norway. XXIV European Congress of Rural Sociology, Chania, Crete, 22-25 August 2011.

Power and the food supply chain: proprietary and hybrid governance in Australia and Norway

2011

Book Chapter

Peter Cullen: chair of the Lake Eyre Basin Scientific Advisory Panel

Kingsford, Richard and Lawrence, Geoff (2011). Peter Cullen: chair of the Lake Eyre Basin Scientific Advisory Panel. This land our water: water challenges for the 21st century. A collection of papers by Peter Cullen. (pp. 36-39) edited by Vicky Cullen. Hindmarsh, SA, Australia: ATF Press.

Peter Cullen: chair of the Lake Eyre Basin Scientific Advisory Panel

2011

Conference Publication

Productivist agriculture and food security in Australia

Lawrence, G. (2011). Productivist agriculture and food security in Australia. The Australian Sociological Association and Global Change Institute Symposium 'Food Security: Policy, Practice and New Directions for Research', Brisbane, Australia, 14 November 2011.

Productivist agriculture and food security in Australia

2010

Conference Publication

The Globally-engaged Family Farmer: Understanding a New, Transnational, Cosmopolitan Actor

Richards, C., Cheshire, L., Lawrence, G., Smith, K., Skrbis, Z. and Woods, M. (2010). The Globally-engaged Family Farmer: Understanding a New, Transnational, Cosmopolitan Actor. XVII Conference of the Australasian Agri-food Research Network, Gippsland, VIC Australia, 29 November - 1 December 2010.

The Globally-engaged Family Farmer: Understanding a New, Transnational, Cosmopolitan Actor

2010

Conference Publication

The Financialisation of Food and Agriculture: Sovereign Wealth Funds and Farmland Investment in Australia

Burch, D., Graham, N. and Lawrence, G. (2010). The Financialisation of Food and Agriculture: Sovereign Wealth Funds and Farmland Investment in Australia. XVII Conference of the Australasian Agri-food Research Network, Gippsland, VIC Australia, 29 November - 1 December 2010.

The Financialisation of Food and Agriculture: Sovereign Wealth Funds and Farmland Investment in Australia

2010

Conference Publication

Financialisation and Food Security

Hansar, N., Lawrence, G. and Richards, C. (2010). Financialisation and Food Security. XVII Conference of the Australasian Agri-food Research Network, Gippsland, VIC Australia, 29 November - 1 December 2010.

Financialisation and Food Security

2010

Journal Article

Food risks, old and new demographic characteristics and perceptions of food additives, regulation and contamination in Australia

Buchler, Sandra, Smith, Kiah and Lawrence, Geoffrey (2010). Food risks, old and new demographic characteristics and perceptions of food additives, regulation and contamination in Australia. Journal of Sociology, 46 (4), 353-374. doi: 10.1177/1440783310384449

Food risks, old and new demographic characteristics and perceptions of food additives, regulation and contamination in Australia

2010

Conference Publication

The Past Ten Years: Where have we Been? What have we Learned? Lake Eyre Basin Retrospect

Lawrence, G. (2010). The Past Ten Years: Where have we Been? What have we Learned? Lake Eyre Basin Retrospect. Lake Eyre Basin Fifth Biennial Conference, Alice Springs, NT Australia, 10-11 September 2010.

The Past Ten Years: Where have we Been? What have we Learned? Lake Eyre Basin Retrospect

2010

Book Chapter

Introduction: Food security, nutrition and sustainability in a globalised world

Lawrence, Geoffrey, Lyons, Kristen and Wallington, Tabatha (2010). Introduction: Food security, nutrition and sustainability in a globalised world. Food security, nutrition and sustainability. (pp. 1-23) edited by Geoffrey Lawrence, Kristen Lyons and Tabatha Wallington. London, U.K. ; Sterling, VA, U.S.A.: Earthscan. doi: 10.4324/9781849774499

Introduction: Food security, nutrition and sustainability in a globalised world

2010

Conference Publication

The rise of corporate governance and the demise of small-scale agri-food producers through private regulation

Richards, C. and Lawrence, G. (2010). The rise of corporate governance and the demise of small-scale agri-food producers through private regulation. Research Committee on Agriculture and Food, International Sociological Association, Gothenburg, Sweden, 11-17 July 2010.

The rise of corporate governance and the demise of small-scale agri-food producers through private regulation

2010

Book Chapter

The "Wellness" phenomenon: Implications for global agri-food systems

Burch, David and Lawrence, Geoffrey (2010). The "Wellness" phenomenon: Implications for global agri-food systems. Food security, nutrition and sustainability. (pp. 175-187) edited by Lawrence, Geoffrey, Lyons, Kristen and Wallington, Tabatha. London, U.K. ; Sterling, VA, U.S.A.: Earthscan. doi: 10.4324/9781849774499

The "Wellness" phenomenon: Implications for global agri-food systems

2010

Book Chapter

The new international division of cultural labor and sport

Lawrence, Geoffrey, Miller, Toby and Rowe, David (2010). The new international division of cultural labor and sport. Sport and migration : Borders, boundaries and crossings. (pp. 217-229) edited by Joseph Maguire and Mark Falcous. Abbingdon, Oxon, U.K.: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203877319

The new international division of cultural labor and sport

2010

Conference Publication

The wonderful world of 'Wellness': a sociological exploration

Lawrence, G., Burch, D. and Richards, C. (2010). The wonderful world of 'Wellness': a sociological exploration. Second Conference of the Food Study Group, British Sociological Association, London, United Kingdom, 5-6 July 2010.

The wonderful world of 'Wellness': a sociological exploration

2010

Journal Article

Supermarkets’ governance of the agri-food supply chain: Is the ‘corporate-environmental’ food regime evident in Australia?

Smith, Kiah, Lawrence, Geoffrey and Richards, Carol (2010). Supermarkets’ governance of the agri-food supply chain: Is the ‘corporate-environmental’ food regime evident in Australia?. International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food, 17 (2), 140-161.

Supermarkets’ governance of the agri-food supply chain: Is the ‘corporate-environmental’ food regime evident in Australia?

2009

Journal Article

Towards a third food regime: behind the transformation

Burch, David and Lawrence, Geoffrey (2009). Towards a third food regime: behind the transformation. Agriculture and human values, 26 (4), 267-279. doi: 10.1007/s10460-009-9219-4

Towards a third food regime: behind the transformation

2009

Conference Publication

Agri-food Restructuring through Quality Assurance: Proprietary and Hybrid Governance of Food Supply Chains in Australia and Europe

Richards, C., Bjorkhaug, H. and Lawrence, G. (2009). Agri-food Restructuring through Quality Assurance: Proprietary and Hybrid Governance of Food Supply Chains in Australia and Europe. XVI Conference of the Australasian Agri-food Research Network, Auckland, New Zealand, 24-27 November 2009.

Agri-food Restructuring through Quality Assurance: Proprietary and Hybrid Governance of Food Supply Chains in Australia and Europe

2009

Journal Article

The governmentality of master planning: Housing consumption, aesthetics and community on a new estate

Cheshire, Lynda Anne, Rosenblatt, Ted, Lawrence, Geoffrey and Walters, Peter (2009). The governmentality of master planning: Housing consumption, aesthetics and community on a new estate. Housing Studies, 24 (5), 653-667. doi: 10.1080/02673030903082302

The governmentality of master planning: Housing consumption, aesthetics and community on a new estate

2009

Journal Article

Adaptation and change in Queensland’s rangelands: Cell grazing as an emerging ideology of pastoral-ecology

Richards, Carol and Lawrence, Geoffrey (2009). Adaptation and change in Queensland’s rangelands: Cell grazing as an emerging ideology of pastoral-ecology. Land Use Policy, 26 (3), 630-639. doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2008.08.016

Adaptation and change in Queensland’s rangelands: Cell grazing as an emerging ideology of pastoral-ecology

Past funding

  • 2016 - 2021
    Food, Farming and Financialisation: Agri-food Transformations in Australia
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2019
    Frogs, fuel, finance or food? Cultures, values, ethics, arguments and justifications in the management of agricultural land (FORFOOD)
    Centre for Rural Research
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Governing Food Security in Australia in an Era of Climate Change: A Sociological Analysis
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2015
    The New Farm Owners: Finance Companies and the Restructuring of Australian and Global Agriculture
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2011
    Local government, mining companies and resources development in regional Australia: meeting the governance challenge
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2011
    Globally Engaged? Responses to Neoliberal Globalisation among Family Farmers in Australia
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2008
    Review of the Community Futures Task Force (Stage 1)
    Community Futures Task Force Unit
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2011
    From Seedling to Supermarket: The Social and Environmental Implications for Australia of the Restructuring of Agri-food Supply Chains
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2009
    ARC Research Network in Spatially Integrated Social Science
    ARC Research Networks
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2006
    Organics, environment and sustainability
    Griffith University
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2006
    Agri-food Applications of Genetically-Modified Organisms: Public Perceptions Risk and Sustainability
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2003 - 2006
    Building sustainable social capital in new communities.
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2003 - 2006
    Engaged government: a study of government-community engagement for regional outcomes
    Griffith University
    Open grant
  • 2003
    The social construct of safe foods: Uncertainty, risk and trust in agri-food applications of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
    University of Queensland Research Development Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2002 - 2003
    An Analysis of the Patterns of Consumption, Community Impacts and Returns on Investment of Rural Popular Cultural Activities
    UQ FirstLink Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2002 - 2006
    Governance, institutional capacity and regional planning: A Central Queensland case study.
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2002 - 2005
    Farmer adoption of sustainable land management practices in the Fitzroy Basin, Central Queensland.
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2001 - 2002
    The Sustainability of Australian Rural Communities
    Academy of Social Sciences
    Open grant

Availability

Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Lawrence is:
Not available for supervision

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Climate Change in Rural Fiji: Reproduction, Erosion and Limitations of Social Resilience in Intercultural Domains

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Richard Martin, Dr Kim de Rijke

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Climate Change in Rural Fiji: Reproduction, Erosion and Limitations of Social Resilience in Intercultural Domains

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Richard Martin, Dr Kim de Rijke

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Climate Change in Rural Fiji: Reproduction, Erosion and Limitations of Social Resilience in Intercultural Domains

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Richard Martin, Dr Kim de Rijke

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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