Our first PGRG blog post
PGRG Blog #1, August 2017
Welcome to the first blog of the Population Geography Research Group! We are delighted to be launching this blog and our new-look website at the Annual Conference of the RGS-IBG in London next week. Do come along to the launch and share a celebratory drink (Launch and AGM: Wednesday 30th August, 6.45pm, Drayson Room of the RGS-IBG)
Over the past year the Research Group committee has been thinking about the role and work of the group, and our ambitions and strategy for the coming years. The Group’s vision from now until 2020 is threefold:
- to consolidate and extend PGRG’s promotion of population geography and support for population geographers;
- to be known within the sub discipline, discipline, broader academy and in relevant policy and third sector networks as the leading representative body of population geography in the UK, with international reach;
- to promote timely and impactful dialogue on key political issues relating to population geography.
A crucial aspect of achieving these aims is engaging our members and learning and responding to how the Group can best support you. So, earlier this year we surveyed our members and were delighted that most who responded were keen to be involved in Research Group activities. There was particular interest in seminars and, given that our membership extends globally, we are keen to explore how remote participation can be arranged.
The membership survey also revealed the breadth of interest and expertise of PGRG membership, as Table 1 shows. One way to promote ourselves both to each other and beyond the group is through a directory of members and their key research expertise. Some of our members have already provided us with this information via the members’ survey, but we are keen to hear from more of you and to update our expert directory. Please email us to add your name and details.
Table 1. PGRG Members’ Research Interests
| Agglomeration
Census longitudinal studies Commuting Deprivation Economic Elections / Voting Energy Ethnic Economies Ethnic segregation Feminist Geography Fertility Flooding GIS Health / Health Behaviours Historical Demography Housing Inequalities Inequality Ireland / Irish Diaspora Justice Land use Migration/ Residential Movement / Mobility |
International Student Mobility
Networks Older Adults Place attachment Placemaking Population Quantitative Social Science Race / Ethnicity Resilience Risk Security Segregation Social Environment Spatio-temporal Population Statistical Modelling Sustainable Travel Transport Urban Urban/Social Geography Violence Against Women Vulnerability Analysis Wellbeing |
We’re keen to reflect the range of interests of our members in our events and activities. Over the coming year we are particularly keen to support early career Population Geographers (including postgraduates) including in conversation with more experienced researchers.
We also intend to host a headline event at the RGS-IBG to showcase work of Population Geographers and engage in debate beyond the academy. And, we will be maintaining our core activities including an active programme at the RGS-IBG Annual Conference and the award of the Joanna Stillwell Undergraduate Dissertation Prize and Bob Woods Postgraduate Dissertation Prize.
This blog (together with the website, Twitter and email lists) will be where you can find updates on PGRG activities. The blog will include news from the Committee, research highlights, event reports, commentary on population news and statistics, book reviews and more. Members are invited to contribute so if you have ideas for a blog please get in touch.
We hope to see you at PGRG sessions in London next week and wish you all a very stimulating conference!
Nissa Finney (PGRG Chair) and Fran Darlington-Pollock (PGRG Membership Officer)
