Chris Perkins

Administrative positions at the University of Manchester

School Disability Officer.
University Map Curator.

My interests have focused upon the changing nature of the map as a representation, with research charting the social contexts of map production. More recently my interest has increasingly come to focus upon critical and ethnographic approaches to contemporary mapping, with an emphasis upon the role of actor-network-based approaches to real world mapping practices, on alternative mapping and upon golf as enacted mobile narrative.

In 2003-4 I had British Academy funding to carry out a series of case study-based investigations of contemporary mapping contexts across the digital divide in the UK. This work examined the differences interactivity makes for people's mapping strategies, by investigating cultures of contemporary map use and was carried out during a period of research sabbatical leave. Grounded in actor-network approaches the focus was on the work that mapping accomplishes and how cartographic meaning is constituted and contested.

From September 2004-September 2006 I have been funded my The Joint Health Unit of the City of Manchester to investigate Community Mapping. Out aims are to develop a suite of on-line and hard copy map products that reflect community views. These walking and cycling maps emphasize the creative potential of local mapping as a part of healthy sustainable lifestyle and explore ways the academy can contribute to this process.

Teaching commitments

Year 1:

Approaches to Geographical Research Co-ordinator (Information Sources, Spatial data sources and the web; Visualising geography, Human Geography Fieldwork).

Keswick Fieldcourse

Year 2:

GE2701; Key Issues in Geography.

Crete Fieldcourse (Leader).

Year 3:

GE3500 Maps in society

Postgraduate:

Contributions to Producing Human Geographies and Contested Concepts in Geography

Current and past postgraduate students

Ann Gardiner. The role of the tactile map in environmental education and recreation. (PhD 2001)

2004 Landscape as form process and meaning, In Matthews, J. and Herbert, D.T. Unifying Geography: Common Heritage, Shared Future. London: Routledge, 2004, 224-239. (With Richard Huggett)

2004 Cartography: cultures of mapping, power in practice, Progress in Human Geography, 28 (3), 1-11.

2003 (With Gardiner E.A.H) Real world map reading strategies. The Cartographic Journal, 40, 3, December 2003, 265-268.

2003 Mapping progress, Progress in human geography, 27, (3), 325-335.

2003 Cartography and graphicacy. In Valentine, G. and Clifford, N. Research methods in Human and Physical Geography. London: Sage.

2003 (with Richard Huggett) Landscape as form and process, In Matthews J.A. and Herbert, D.T. Common Heritage, Shared Future: Perspectives on the Unity of Geography. London: Routledge.

2002 Progress in tactile mapping, Progress in Human Geography, 26, 4, 521-530.

2002 (With E.A.Gardiner) Best practice guidelines for the design, production and presentation of vacuum formed tactile maps.

2001 (With J.Cheesman) Virtual reality: an exploratory tool for investigating the cognitive mapping and navigational skills of the visually impaired. In Fisher, P. and Unwin, D., editors, Virtual reality in geography, London: Taylor and Francis, 2001, 362-381.

2001 (with R.B. Parry) (eds.) The Map Library in the New Millenium. London: Library Association.

2000 (with R.B.Parry) World Mapping Today. London: Bowker Saur, pp 650

1999 Teaching design with student-led tactile campus mapping, in Proceedings of the 19th International Cartographic Association Conference, Ottawa, June 1999. Ottawa: ICC, 1999, pp 473-482.

1997 (with E.A.Gardiner) What I really, really want... How visually impaired people can improve tactile map design, in Proceedings of the International Cartographic Association Conference, Stockholm, June 1997. Gävle: ICC, 1997, pp 1159-1166.

1997 (with R.B. Parry) Quantity and quality in world mapping, pp 1167-1174, in ICC97: proceedings of the International Cartographic Association Conference, Stockholm. Gavle: SCC

1996 (with R.B.Parry) Mapping the UK, London: Bowker Saur, pp 397

Academic websites of interest

• Community Mapping Project
• Maps in Society