Dr James Robinson
Dr James Robinson
Senior Lecturer in Human Geography
My profile
Biography
I am a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Manchester Metropolitan University. My research interests surround conceptualisations of landscape and the built environment, nature/society interactions, visual cultures, aerial and military geographies, and critical archival and visual methodologies. My current research activities have primarily focused on developing three key areas:
- military geographies and the spaces and practices of camouflage
- the geographies of visual culture and representation
- creative military methodologies
I have been teaching at MMU since 2016. My teaching specialisms include:
- Cultural and Historical Geography
- Qualitative research methods training, including research design and data analysis
- Geographies of conflict
- Geographies of vision, visual culture and representation
I am the Admissions Tutor for our Geography and Environmental Science programmes covering:
I am a member of the Space, Place and Society research group.
Teaching
I currently coordinate the following units:
- 6F4Z3107: Researching Human Geography (30 credits)
- 6F5Z3125: Fieldwork and Data Analysis (Human Geography) (15 credits)
- 6F5Z3126: Research Design (Human Geography) (15 credits)
- 6F6Z3153: Geographies of Peace and Conflict (15 credits)
I also teach on the following units:
- 6F4Z3101: Professional Geographer (15 credits)
- 6F4Z3105: Introducing Human Geographies (30 credits)
- 6F5Z3106: Cultural Geography (15 credits)
- 6F6Z3156: Visual and Sonic Geographies (15 credits)
I supervise undergraduate dissertation students in topics broadly related to cultural and historical geography and the use of qualitative research methods (particularly visual data analysis and archival research). I have previously supervised dissertation topics that have included securitization and the city, gendered identities and the military, spaces of memory and heritage, and the geographies of human-animal relationships.
I am the fieldtrip coordinator for the 2nd year Human Geography field course to Berlin as part of the unit 6F5Z3125: Fieldwork and Data Analysis - one the highlights of my academic year, both for supporting students with their projects in this interesting and fascinating city, but also watching our students mature, grow in confidence and expertise as part of their journey to become early career researchers.
Supervision
I would be keen to supervise PhD students on the following topics:
- visual culture and representation
- landscape geographies
- the social and cultural geographies of mobility
- military geographies
- animal geographies
- critical visual and archival methodologies
Research outputs
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
Jones, R.D., Robinson, J., Turner, J. (2016) The Politics of Hiding, Invisibility, and Silence Between Absence and Presence. Routledge.
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Chapters in books
Robinson, J. (2023) 'Modelling military landscapes: archival encounters, model-making and camouflage practice.' In Cree, A. (ed.) Creative Methods in Military Studies. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, pp. 99-114.
Robinson, J.P. (2013) 'Concealing the crude: airmindedness and the camouflaging of Britain’s oil installations, 1936-1939.' From Above War, Violence and Verticality.
Robinson, J.P. (2013) '‘Hiding the assets’: ‘self-concealing’ architecture and the British landscape during the Second World War.' Ordnance War + Architecture & Space. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.,
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Journal articles
Forsyth, I., Lorimer, H., Merriman, P., Robinson, J. (2013) 'Guest Editorial.' Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 45(5) pp. 1013-1020.
Robinson, J.P. (2013) ''Darkened surfaces': camouflage and the nocturnal observation of Britain, 1941-45.' Environment and Planning A, 45(5) pp. 1053-1069.
Jones, R.D., Robinson, J., Turner, J. (2012) 'Introduction. Between Absence and Presence: Geographies of Hiding, Invisibility and Silence.' Space and Polity, 16(3) pp. 257-263.
Robinson, J.P. (2012) 'Invisible Targets, Strengthened Morale: Static Camouflage as a ‘Weapon of the Weak’.' Space and Polity, 16(3) pp. 351-368.
Robinson, J., Mills, S. (2012) 'Being observant and observed: embodied citizenship training in the Home Guard and the Boy Scout Movement, 1907–1945.' Journal of Historical Geography, 38(4) pp. 412-423.