Newcastle University

Introduction

Jane is a Lecturer in Planning in the School and joined APL after leading the institute of public policy research (ippr) food and rural socio-economic policy. Jane has an interdisciplinary social science background and her work currently explores the relationship between policy and practice, people and place through the lens of food.

Roles and Responsibilities

Lecturer

Degree Programme Director MSc Town Planning (Diploma Spatial Planning)

Qualifications

BA (Hons): Land Economy, University of Cambridge
MPhil: Land Economy, University of Cambridge
PhD: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, socio-economics/geography

Previous Positions

I joined APL in November 2008. Before that, between 2005-8, I was a Research Fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) where I lead the instutute's work on food and rural socio-economic policy.

Research Interests

My research draws on a range of disciplinary approaches to the study of security and inequality within society and space, with a particular focus as to how these are expressed and organized around food.

Current Work

Currently my work explores the following themes:
(1) inequalities and vulnerabilities related to the food system and the impacts on households and communities, and how this is variably recognized and responded to by national and local public policy and third sector organisations.
(2) Food governance and the policymaking process; the politics and functioning of the policymaking process and governance issues given the cross-cutting and multi-level policy environment surrounding food at different scales.
(3) Exploring the concept of security and insecurity and how this travels through current political and policy discourses as well as material practices.

Postgraduate Supervision

Jane would welcome any postgraduate applications to study issues that with fit with her research interests.

Jane is currently supervising:

Helen Coulson 'The practices of food justice in the contemporary city' (ESRC funded, supervise with Dr Andrew Donaldson)
Alan Hunt 'What Promise Do Local Foods Hold for Our Global Era?' (Fulbright Scholar, supervised with Dr Liz Oughton and Prof Philip Lowe)

Completed students:

Elizabeth Brooks 'Are country towns sustainable for older people?' ESRC/DCLG award (awarded 2011, supervised with Ms Rose Gilroy)

Funding

Catherine Cookson Foundation (2011-12) Serving society ? The role of soup kitchens ad soup runs in urban social order 

Newcastle University HASS Faculty funding (2009-10) Exploring reseponses to household and community food insecurity

ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2004-5) Socio-economics of the household (Newcastle University)
ESRC Postgraduate Studentship (open competition, 2000-3) Women's access to financial services in rural households

Industrial Relevance

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Undergraduate Teaching

TCP1025 Social worlds (module leader)

TCP1026 Understanding place: perpectives and methods (module leader)

TCP2027 Research Skills (module leader)

TCP3099 Dissertation (module leader and dissertation supervisor)

Postgraduate Teaching

TCP 8934 Cities, Security and Resilience (contributor)

TCP8911 Evaluation, Analysis and Research (contributor)

TCP8099 Dissertation (supervisor) 

• Midgley JL. Problematizing the emergence of household food security in England. International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food 2013. In Press.
• Midgley JL. Food (in)security in the global north and south. In: Murcott, A., Jackson, P., Belasco, W, ed. The Handbook of Food Research. Oxford: Berg, 2013. In Press.
• Midgley JL. Exploring food policy developments within the United Kingdom. Environment & Planning C: Government and Policy 2010, 28(6), 1028-1044.
• Lake AA, Midgley JL. Food policy and food governance - changing behaviours. In: Lake, AA; Townshend, TG; Alvanides, S, ed. Obesogenic Environments. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010, pp.165-182.
• Midgley JL. Just desserts: Securing global food futures. London: Institute for Public Policy Research, 2009.
• Midgley JL. Best Before: How the UK should respond to food policy challenges. London: Institute for Public Policy Research, 2008.
• Midgley J. Gendered economies: Transferring private gender roles into the public realm through rural community development. Journal of Rural Studies 2006, 22(2), 217-231.
• Midgley J. Financial inclusion, universal banking and post offices in Britain. Area 2005, 37(3), 277-285.
• Midgley JL, ed. A New Rural Agenda. London: Institute for Public Policy Research, 2006.
• Midgley JL, Bradshaw R. Should I Stay or Should I Go? Rural Youth Transitions. London, UK: Institute for Public Policy Research with Commission for Rural Communities, 2006.
• Midgley JL, Adams J. Towards a new rural agenda. In: Midgley, J.L, ed. A new rural agenda. London: Institute for Public Policy Research, 2006, pp.7-27.
• Midgley JL, Stirling S. An audit of public sector reform in the North East. London: Institute for Public Policy Research, 2007.
• Midgley JL, Shucksmith DM, Birnie RV, Geddes A, Bayfield N, Elston D. Rural development policy and community data needs in Scotland. Land Use Policy 2005, 22(2), 163-174.
• Midgley J, Ward N, Atterton JH. City regions and rural areas in the North East of England. Newcastle upon Tyne: Newcastle University, 2005. Centre for Rural Economy Research Report.
• Midgley JL. Access to financial services: Moving beyond the spatial perspective. In: Higgs, G, ed. Rural Services and Social Exclusion. London, UK: Pion, 2003, pp.162-173.
• Midgley JL, Hodge I, Monk S. Patterns and concentrations of disadvantage in England: A rural-urban perspective. Urban Studies 2003, 40(8), 1427-1454.
• Monk S, Hodge I, Midgley JL. Statistical indicators of rural disadvantage: a comparison between the index of multiple deprivation and the ‘bundles’ approach. In: Higgs, G, ed. Rural Services and Social Exclusion. London, UK: Pion Ltd, 2003, pp.76-94.
• Midgley JL. Exploring alternative methodologies to establish the effects of land area designations in development control decisions. Planning Practice and Research 2000, 15(4), 319-333.