Profiles
Rebecca Banham
Rebecca Banham
Research Fellow, Sociology
Room 581 , Social Sciences Building
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Dr Rebecca Banham is a Research Fellow in Sociology and Postdoctoral Fellow at the School of Social Sciences in the College of Arts, Law and Education.
Biography
Dr. Rebecca Banham is a Research Fellow at the University of Tasmania. She completed her PhD there in 2019, exploring the emotional and ontological connections that people form with Tasmanian forests, using a symbolic interactionist approach to better explain what it is like to care about places that are under threat. She is particularly interested in the ways that emotion, ontology and experiences of vulnerability and relationship shape how people relate to both other people and to the nonhuman world.
Rebecca currently works as a Research Fellow on the Australian Research Council project, ‘Religious diversity in Australia: Maintaining social cohesion and preventing violence’. Led by Professor Douglas Ezzy (University of Tasmania), this project is a collaboration with Gary Bouma (Monash University), Greg Barton (Deakin University), Anna Halafoff (Deakin University), Robert Jackson (Warwick University), and Lori Beaman (University of Ottawa), and is the first major study of its kind in the Australian context.
Rebecca also currently works as a Research Associate for the Institute for Social Change’s ‘The Tasmania Project’. She is responsible for coordinating interviews for the project and provides analysis of qualitative data.
Rebecca is also a Postdoctoral Fellow with the international research project ‘Understanding Nonreligion in a Complex Future’, led by Professor Lori Beaman. Funded by the Canadian SSHRC, this 7-year interdisciplinary project examines the rise of nonreligion in Canada, Australia, the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland), the United States, the United Kingdom, and Latin America (Brazil and Argentina).
Career summary
Qualifications
| Degree | Thesis title | University | Country | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhD | ‘Seeing the forest for the trees: Ontological security and experiences of Tasmanian forests’ | University of Tasmania | Australia | 2019 |
| Graduate Certificate in Creative and Professional Writing | Griffith University | Australia | 2015 | |
| Diploma of international Studies | University of Tasmania | Australia | 2014 | |
| BA (1st Class Hons) | ‘The interplay of religion, morality, and environmental attitudes’ | University of Tasmania | Australia | 2013 |
Teaching
Teaching expertise
Rebecca has worked as Unit Co-coordinator, lecturer, and tutor for first-year Sociology. Since 2014, she has also worked as an academic tutor for a number of undergraduate and Honours-level Sociology units at the University of Tasmania. This has included teaching students about social theory, sociology of religion, and environmental sociology. She has also taught students about qualitative research methods, drawing on her experiences of using interviews and image analysis in her own work.
View more on Miss Rebecca Banham in WARP
Expertise
Rebecca’s research background is in environmental sociology and sociology of (non)religion, driven by an interest in understanding the links between emotion, ethics, relationality, and sense of place. Her work highlights the complex interactions of (non)religiosity, law and legislation, and environmental practices, to inform frameworks for living well together in a deeply diverse world.
2. Areas of research expertise:
- Qualitative environmental sociology
- Nonreligion
- Religious diversity
- Qualitative research methods
Research Themes
Rebecca’s research aligns with the University’s research themes of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, and Creativity, Culture and Society. Her PhD research addressed important gaps in micro-sociological approaches to environmental problems, and social issues (such as forestry practices and place connections) that are particularly salient in Tasmania. Rebecca currently works as a Research Fellow researching religious diversity in Australia, and is a Research Associate for the Institute for Social Change’s ‘The Tasmania Project’.
Awards
- The Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution 2020 (awarded to the Tasmania Project Team for ‘Outstanding Contribution in Response to COVID-19’)
- Tarla Rai Peterson Book Award in Environmental Communication 2020 (USA) (awarded to the Routledge Handbook of Ecocultural Identity)
- The Australian Sociology Association Honours Student Award (2013)
Fields of Research
- Environmental sociology (441002)
- Religion, society and culture (500405)
Research Objectives
- Religion and society (130501)
- Environmental ethics (130303)
Publications
Total publications
19
Highlighted publications
(4 outputs)| Year | Type | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Journal Article | Banham R, ''Everyday resistance': challenging the norms of human-nonhuman engagements through bushwalking in Tasmania', Journal of Sociology, 58, (4) pp. 570-587. ISSN 1440-7833 (2021) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1177/14407833211012764 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 2Web of Science - 2 | |
| 2021 | Journal Article | Ezzy D, Banham R, Beaman L, 'Religious diversity, legislation, and Christian privilege', Journal of Sociology pp. 1- 17. ISSN 1440-7833 (2021) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1177/14407833211022036 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 4Web of Science - 5 Co-authors: Ezzy D | |
| 2020 | Journal Article | Banham R, 'Emotion, vulnerability, ontology: operationalising 'ontological security' for qualitative environmental sociology', Environmental Sociology, 6, (2) pp. 132-142. ISSN 2325-1042 (2020) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1080/23251042.2020.1717098 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 15Web of Science - 12 | |
| 2020 | Chapter in Book | Banham RT, 'Empathetic ecocultural positionality and the forest other in Tasmanian forestry conflicts', Routledge Handbook of Ecocultural Identity, Routledge, T Milstein and J Castro-Sotomayor (ed), United Kingdom, pp. 461-474. ISBN 9781138478411 (2020) [Research Book Chapter] |
Journal Article
(5 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Ezzy D, Banham R, Beaman LG, 'Religious anti-discrimination legislation and the negotiation of difference in Victoria, Australia', Religion, State and Society, 50, (1) pp. 22-39. ISSN 0963-7494 (2022) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1080/09637494.2021.2010906 [eCite] [Details] Co-authors: Ezzy D | |
| 2021 | Banham R, ''Everyday resistance': challenging the norms of human-nonhuman engagements through bushwalking in Tasmania', Journal of Sociology, 58, (4) pp. 570-587. ISSN 1440-7833 (2021) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1177/14407833211012764 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 2Web of Science - 2 | |
| 2021 | Ezzy D, Banham R, Beaman L, 'Religious diversity, legislation, and Christian privilege', Journal of Sociology pp. 1- 17. ISSN 1440-7833 (2021) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1177/14407833211022036 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 4Web of Science - 5 Co-authors: Ezzy D | |
| 2020 | Banham R, 'Emotion, vulnerability, ontology: operationalising 'ontological security' for qualitative environmental sociology', Environmental Sociology, 6, (2) pp. 132-142. ISSN 2325-1042 (2020) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1080/23251042.2020.1717098 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 15Web of Science - 12 | |
| 2020 | Ezzy D, Bouma G, Barton G, Halafoff A, Banham R, et al., 'Religious diversity in Australia: rethinking social cohesion', Religions, 11, (2) Article 92. ISSN 2077-1444 (2020) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.3390/rel11020092 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 8Web of Science - 6 Co-authors: Ezzy D |
Chapter in Book
(1 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Banham RT, 'Empathetic ecocultural positionality and the forest other in Tasmanian forestry conflicts', Routledge Handbook of Ecocultural Identity, Routledge, T Milstein and J Castro-Sotomayor (ed), United Kingdom, pp. 461-474. ISBN 9781138478411 (2020) [Research Book Chapter] |
Conference Publication
(2 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Banham RT, 'Resisting the marginalisation of the non-human: Interdependency, wonder, and humility in Tasmanian forests', TASA Conference Proceedings 2018, 19-22 November, Deakin University, Burwood Campus, pp. 42-48. ISBN 978-0-6482210-1-2 (2018) [Refereed Conference Paper] | |
| 2017 | Banham R, ' A walk among the gum trees': bushwalking, place and self-narrative', Conference Proceedings TASA 2017 Conference, 27-30 November 2017, University of Western Australia, pp. 116-121. ISBN 978-0-6482210-0-5 (2017) [Refereed Conference Paper] |
Other Public Output
(11 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Lester L, Banham R, Horton E, Pisanu N, Remund A, et al., 'Report for the Premier's Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Committee: The Tasmania Project Wellbeing Survey', The Tasmania Project, Institute for Social Change, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania (2021) [Report Other] Co-authors: Lester L; Horton E; Pisanu N; Remund A; Steel S; Stoeckl N; Sutton G; Tranter B | |
| 2020 | Banham R, 'Life at home and grocery shopping: how Tasmanians are experiencing social distancing', The Tasmania Project, UTAS Institute for Social Change, Hobart, Tasmania, Report 7 (2020) [Report Other] | |
| 2020 | Banham R, 'Social restrictions: community, recreation and travel', The Tasmania Project, UTAS Institute for Social Change, Hobart, Tasmania, Report 8 (2020) [Report Other] | |
| 2020 | Banham R, 'Tasmanians' health and wellbeing concerns in the time of the pandemic', The Tasmania Project, UTAS Institute for Social Change, Hobart, Tasmania, Report 11 (2020) [Report Other] | |
| 2020 | Banham R, 'Financial wellbeing, employment, and small businesses during COVID-19', The Tasmania Project, UTAS Institute for Social Change, Hobart, Tasmania, Report 33 (2020) [Report Other] | |
| 2020 | Banham R, 'Reflection, change, and community spirit' during COVID-19', The Tasmania Project, UTAS Institute for Social Change, Hobart, Tasmania, Report 34 (2020) [Report Other] | |
| 2020 | Banham R, 'Surviving and thriving: Wellbeing during COVID-19', The Tasmania Project, UTAS Institute for Social Change, Hobart, Tasmania, Report 35 (2020) [Report Other] | |
| 2020 | Banham R, Pisanu N, 'In an uncharted world, connection to nature became vital', The Mercury, NewsCorp Australia, Hobart, Tasmania, 10 October (2020) [Newspaper Article] Co-authors: Pisanu N | |
| 2020 | Banham R, Pisanu N, 'National parks and access to nature: Priorities and values about Tasmania's 'green spaces'', The Tasmania Project, UTAS Institute for Social Change, Hobart, Tasmania, Report 16 (2020) [Report Other] Co-authors: Pisanu N | |
| 2020 | Lester L, Banham R, 'Creativity, culture and the arts during COVID-19', The Tasmania Project, UTAS Institute for Social Change, Hobart, Tasmania, Report 23 (2020) [Report Other] Co-authors: Lester L | |
| 2020 | Pisanu N, Banham R, ' A different Tasmania': Hopes and concerns about the post-pandemic future', The Tasmania Project, UTAS Institute for Social Change, Hobart, Tasmania, Report 13 (2020) [Report Other] Co-authors: Pisanu N |
Grants & Funding
Funding Summary
Number of grants
2
Total funding
Projects
- Description
- This is a short study conducted as part of The Tasmania Project to help the Sexual Assault Support Service (SASS) understand the impact of social distancing on the provision of its services.
- Funding
- Sexual Assault Support Services ($4,000)
- Scheme
- Contract Research
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Banham RT; Pisanu N
- Year
- 2020
- Description
- Design and delivery of a survey aligned to the OECD's Better Life Index identifying what matters to Tasmanians and how satisfied they are with each measure in their own lives, as a platform for future policy development.
- Funding
- Department of Finance ($18,093)
- Scheme
- Contract Research
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Lester EA; Stoeckl NE; Tranter BK; Banham RT; Pisanu N; Horton EM
- Year
- 2020
Research Supervision
Current
2
Current
| Degree | Title | Commenced |
|---|---|---|
| PhD | Community Amongst Young People in Tasmania | 2021 |
| PhD | Place, Nature and Being: Nonreligious Experiences of Forest Immersion | 2022 |