Overview
Jane joined the campus in October 2017, moving from Queen Mary, University of London.
She is Professor of Geography at the Centre for Geography and Environmental Science (CGES) and the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) at the University of Exeter in Cornwall, UK.
Her research interests focus on the changing geopolitical economy of work and regional economic development, new forms of urban political alliances including community organizing and living wage campaigns, and the politics and practice of localism in the UK.
She has published widely, including Locating Localism: Statecraft, Citizenship and Democracy (Policy Press, 2016), Global Cities at Work: New Migrant Divisions of Labour (Pluto Press, 2010), Threads of Labour: Garment Industry Supply Chains from the Workers’ Perspective (Blackwell, 2005), Place, Space and the New Labour Internationalisms (Blackwell, 2001), Geographies of Economies (Arnold, 1997) and Union Retreat and the Regions (Routledge, 1996).
Her taught modules for CGES include The Geography of Cornwall (first year); the Isles of Scilly Fieldtrip (second year); Geographies of Democracy (third year); Democracy, Sustainability and Citizenship (Masters).
Broad research specialisms
Over the past three decades Jane’s research has covered three different themes: (1) The changing geo-political-economy of work, labour supply and labour politics; (2) New forms of urban political alliances with a particular interest in community organising; and (3) the politics and practice of localism in England.
She is developing new research to explore public engagement in sustainability policy and practice.
Previous projects include ESRC and Trust-for-London-funded research into the London living wage campaign; ESRC-funded research into low waged labour and innovative organizing strategies in London; and a Leverhulme Funded project entitled Politics and Place explores the history and practice of localism in England.
For more information about research into the living wage campaign, papers and data, please visit my website at Queen Mary, University of London: www.geog.qmul.ac.uk/livingwage/
I am the administrator for the new campus choir at Penryn, Kana Tremough! and staff can sign up here.
Qualifications
PhD, BA(Hons) Geography
Links
Research group links
Research
Research interests
Jane’s current research interests include the geography of political institutions, with particular attention paid to local structures and the ways in which people can engage in decision-making. This is part of her wider interests in devolution and localism, community organizing and civic innovation.
Working in Cornwall provides new opportunities to explore the importance of local history and culture in underpinning and shaping political attitudes, engagement and activism. Current work is focusing on methods to engage the public in sustainable policy and behaviours, as outlined under 'projects' below.
New report entitled: A new geography of local government: The changing role of town and parish councils in Cornwall (July 2019) was published in 2019. As a Commissioner for Locality's Commission on the Future of Localism, I researched the changing role of town and parish councils in Cornwall. The combined impact of support for devolution along with financial pressures caused by budget cuts has prompted Cornwall Council to transfer important assets to the ownership and management of local councils. I have explored these changes and their impact and you can email me for a copy of a new report that summarises the research or download it here: https://researchpubs.exeter.ac.uk/viewobject.html?cid=1&id=755576
Research projects
A new research project, funded by UKRI, called Growing communities through nature, began in January 2020. This is a partnership with Cornwall Council, Cornwall’s Voluntary Sector Forum and the South Kerrier Alliance Community Interest Company. Prof Juliet Osborne and Dr Ros Shaw are the other colleagues involved from UoE. The funding is part of a national programme entitled Enhancing Place-Based Partnerships in Public Engagement with projects across the UK see: https://www.ukri.org/funding/funding-opportunities/enhancing-place-based-partnerships-in-public-engagement/
The award provides funding to employ a PDRA (Melissa Muir) and aims to engage with the public to improve biodiversity and the quality of public open spaces in Helston, Launceston and Newquay in Cornwall. Working with a range of public sector and community partners in each town, the project aims to foster public engagement in the co-design, co-monitoring and co-evaluation of improvements made to public open space, and to learn lessons from the activity for subsequent work. There will be two workshops in each town to co-design a public open space with local residents and to then feedback on the designs and decide how to develop co-monitoring and management of the space in future. The work will run through the first half of this year.
A short press release from the University of Exeter, announcing the work can be found here: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/newsandevents/news/title_777689_en.html
Publications
Key publications | Publications by category | Publications by year
Publications by category
Books
Wills J (2016).
Locating Localism Statecraft, Citizenship and Democracy., Policy Press.
Abstract:
Locating Localism Statecraft, Citizenship and Democracy
Abstract.
Journal articles
Wills J (2019). The geo-constitution: Understanding the intersection of geography and political institutions.
Progress in Human Geography,
43(3), 416-435.
Abstract:
The geo-constitution: Understanding the intersection of geography and political institutions
© the Author(s) 2018. This paper draws on existing work in the discipline of human geography and cognate fields in order to develop the concept of the ‘geo-constitution’. This concept aims to: (1) highlight the importance of intersections between geography and political institutions in the constitution of government; (2) consider the path-dependent development of political institutions and their impact on statecraft and citizenship; (3) explore the implications of this for political reform. The paper provides an overview of current thinking in political geography and applies the concept of the geo-constitution to the example of devolution and localism in the United Kingdom.
Abstract.
Full text.
Wills J, Scott J (2017). The geography of the political party: Lessons from the British Labour Party’s experiment with community organising, 2010 to 2015.
Political Geography,
60, 121-131.
Full text.
Wills J (2016). (Re)Locating community in relationships: questions for public policy.
Sociological Review,
64, 639-656.
Full text.
Harney L, McCurry J, Scott J, Wills J (2016). Developing ‘process pragmatism’ to underpin engaged research in human geography.
Progress in Human Geography,
40(3), 316-333.
Full text.
Wills J (2016). Emerging geographies of English localism: the case of neighbourhood planning.
Political Geography,
53, 43-53.
Full text.
Linneker B, Wills J (2016). The London living wage and in-work poverty reduction: Impacts on employers and workers.
Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy,
34(5), 759-776.
Full text.
Wills J (2015). Populism, localism and the geography of democracy.
Geoforum,
62, 188-189.
Full text.
Wills J, Linneker B (2013). In-work poverty and the living wage in the United Kingdom: a geographical perspective.
Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers,
39(2), 182-194.
Full text.
Flint E, Cummins S, Wills J (2013). Investigating the effect of the London living wage on the psychological wellbeing of low-wage service sector employees: a feasibility study.
Journal of Public Health,
36(2), 187-193.
Full text.
Chapters
Wills J (2019). Organising. In the Antipode Editorial Collective (Ed)
Keywords in Radical Geography: Antipode at 50, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 202-206.
Abstract:
Organising
Abstract.
Full text.
Wills J (2018). Faith in action: Lessons from Citizens UK’s work in east London. In Pemberton C (Ed) Theology and civil society, Routledge, 19-44.
Wills J, Horton A (2018). Impacts of the living wage on in-work poverty. In Lohmann H, Marx I (Eds.) Handbook of research on in-work poverty, Edward Elgar.
Wills J (2014). Engaging. In Lee R (Ed) Sage handbook of progress in human geography, 367-384.
Reports
Wills J (2019).
A new geography of local government: the changing role of town and parish councils in Cornwall, UK. Locality, Penryn, University of Exeter. 30 pages.
Abstract:
A new geography of local government: the changing role of town and parish councils in Cornwall, UK
Abstract.
Full text.
Publications by year
2019
Wills J (2019).
A new geography of local government: the changing role of town and parish councils in Cornwall, UK. Locality, Penryn, University of Exeter. 30 pages.
Abstract:
A new geography of local government: the changing role of town and parish councils in Cornwall, UK
Abstract.
Full text.
Wills J (2019). Organising. In the Antipode Editorial Collective (Ed)
Keywords in Radical Geography: Antipode at 50, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 202-206.
Abstract:
Organising
Abstract.
Full text.
Wills J (2019). The geo-constitution: Understanding the intersection of geography and political institutions.
Progress in Human Geography,
43(3), 416-435.
Abstract:
The geo-constitution: Understanding the intersection of geography and political institutions
© the Author(s) 2018. This paper draws on existing work in the discipline of human geography and cognate fields in order to develop the concept of the ‘geo-constitution’. This concept aims to: (1) highlight the importance of intersections between geography and political institutions in the constitution of government; (2) consider the path-dependent development of political institutions and their impact on statecraft and citizenship; (3) explore the implications of this for political reform. The paper provides an overview of current thinking in political geography and applies the concept of the geo-constitution to the example of devolution and localism in the United Kingdom.
Abstract.
Full text.
2018
Wills J (2018). Faith in action: Lessons from Citizens UK’s work in east London. In Pemberton C (Ed) Theology and civil society, Routledge, 19-44.
Wills J, Horton A (2018). Impacts of the living wage on in-work poverty. In Lohmann H, Marx I (Eds.) Handbook of research on in-work poverty, Edward Elgar.
2017
Wills J, Scott J (2017). The geography of the political party: Lessons from the British Labour Party’s experiment with community organising, 2010 to 2015.
Political Geography,
60, 121-131.
Full text.
2016
Wills J (2016). (Re)Locating community in relationships: questions for public policy.
Sociological Review,
64, 639-656.
Full text.
Harney L, McCurry J, Scott J, Wills J (2016). Developing ‘process pragmatism’ to underpin engaged research in human geography.
Progress in Human Geography,
40(3), 316-333.
Full text.
Wills J (2016). Emerging geographies of English localism: the case of neighbourhood planning.
Political Geography,
53, 43-53.
Full text.
Wills J (2016).
Locating Localism Statecraft, Citizenship and Democracy., Policy Press.
Abstract:
Locating Localism Statecraft, Citizenship and Democracy
Abstract.
Linneker B, Wills J (2016). The London living wage and in-work poverty reduction: Impacts on employers and workers.
Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy,
34(5), 759-776.
Full text.
2015
Wills J (2015). Populism, localism and the geography of democracy.
Geoforum,
62, 188-189.
Full text.
2014
Wills J (2014). Engaging. In Lee R (Ed) Sage handbook of progress in human geography, 367-384.
2013
Wills J, Linneker B (2013). In-work poverty and the living wage in the United Kingdom: a geographical perspective.
Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers,
39(2), 182-194.
Full text.
Flint E, Cummins S, Wills J (2013). Investigating the effect of the London living wage on the psychological wellbeing of low-wage service sector employees: a feasibility study.
Journal of Public Health,
36(2), 187-193.
Full text.
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