Community Economies

Collective action responding to climate change

Gerda Roelvink  

2010-ongoing

This project investigates social movements forming around ethical economic experiments, such as agriculture centred on landscape repair. More specifically, it explores processes of collectivisation in economic experiments that are transforming relationships between humans and animals, nature and the more-than-human world more generally. The first stage of this project is a case study of a social movement forming around agricultural innovation in Australia.

Growing Community Food Economies through action research

Ann Hill

2009-ongoing

This project examines the political and economic possibilities emerging from regional food initiatives in southeastern Australia and northern Mindanao, The Philippines and promotes pathways for the development of resilient community food economies. Research highlights to date include running a regional food workshop and communal gardener focus groups in Mindanao and participating in the planning process of Majura Kitchen Garden in Canberra. For more on the projects beginnings click here.

Food Based Community Enterprises in Australia

Jenny Cameron

2008-ongoing

This project is investigating food based community enterprises in Australia, and especially Newcastle. It uses collaborative research methods (like workshops and field trips with people running food based initiatives) to find out more about how the enterprises operate and to help connect the different initiatives with each other. One early outcome is a workshop report; at the moment I'm working with community gardens in Newcastle to develop a website based on fields trips to each other's gardens.

Mothering and Economic Practices in northwest China and Australasia

Kelly Dombroski

2006-ongoing

A doctoral thesis project exploring diverse mothering and economic practices in Qinghai province, China, and the adoption and adaption of some of these practices by mothers in Australia and New Zealand. In this project, economic/mothering practices travelling from 'developing' to 'developed' contexts are shown to offer possibilities for much needed social and environmental transformation in developed countries.

Rethinking the Creative Economy: Participatory Action Research with Artists and Artisans in the Greater Franklin County

Abby Templer, Leo Hwang-Carlos

2010-Ongoing

The aim of this project is to highlight and support the diverse economic activity of the artists and artisans in the region. Through the use of participatory action research (PAR) with a group of artists and cultural ambassadors, we will create a community partnership of people who: are taught how to recognize various forms of economic activity, are given tools and resources to record and document these activities, and are provided with consultation to identify practices and endeavors that can strengthen those activities

Community Economies in Berlin: A Case Study of Economic Citizenship Practices in Urban Space

Esra Erdem

2012- ongoing

This project investigates the diversity of community economies in Berlin, Germany. It considers the ways in which these interventions can be understood as practices of economic citizenship, thus contributing to the debate on urban renewal in post-industrial space.

Urban Homesteading: Changing Social and Economic relations through self-provisioning in the city. 

Oona Morrow

2011 - ongoing

This doctoral dissertation examines the social and economic relations that develop around urban self-provisioning practices, such as do-it-yourself, urban agriculture, and cottage food production. Through ethnographic research with urban homesteaders in Boston it explores the intersection between gender and diverse economies, sustainable lifestyles and livelihoods, and urban policy, land use, and law.  

Past Projects

Community Partnering Project Latrobe Valley, Victoria 1999-2001

A partnership between community members, university based researchers and the Latrobe City Council designed to strengthen the community economy by building upon the assets and capacities of those usually seen as most marginalized. This project was funded by the Australian Research Council Strategic Partnerships-Industry and Training Grants Scheme in collaboration with Monash University and Latrobe City, with contributions from Australian Paper and Loy Yang Power.

Rethinking Economy in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts, 1999-2001

Based on a powerpoint presentation that gives an overview of the methods and results of the Pioneer Valley Rethinking Economy Project.