Dr Jesse Heley

Job Title: WISERD Researcher (Localities team)

Institution: Aberystwyth University

Email: Eyh@aber.ac.uk

Telephone: 01970 622 160

Role: Jesse is a member of the WISERD localities team

 

Biography

Jesse was appointed as a research associate for the Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods in January 2009 having completed a BA, MA and PhD at the Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University.

Research Interests

Jesse’s research interests include rural social change, class analysis and qualitative research methods.  His Ph.D. was concerned with the phenomenon of the ‘new squirearchy’ in the British countryside, and focused on the performance of rural identities by a highly visible element of the middle class.  Drawing on an ethnography undertaken in his ‘home’ community, this has spurred a longstanding interest in the methodological and ethical implications of undertaking ‘native’’, ‘local’ and ‘insider’.

Jesse also has an interest in relational conceptions of space and spatiality.  In particular, his work focuses on how concepts of relational space are being drawn upon and employed by planning practitioners.

Current Research

Jesse is a member of the localities team, current work focuses on how people in mid Wales make sense of their locality, and how this translates into practice.  More specifically, Jesse’s work has contrasted the understandings of mid Wales as employed by local government stakeholders with narratives of this ‘region’ as contained in Welsh Government policy discourse.  To this end, Jesse’s work examines and critiques the potential for region building and region shaping through such programmes as the Wales Spatial Plan.

As the linked researcher to WISERD’s Employment and Training Thematic Reference group.   Jesse’s work is also concerned with the social and political implications of economic change; particularly in regard to shifting policy agendas on work and skills in Wales.

Click here to view Jesse’s official Aberystwyth University bio page.

Recent Publications

Journals

Heley J, ‘Soft spaces, fuzzy boundaries and spatial governance in post-devolution Wales’ International Journal of Urban and Regional Research (Forthcoming)

Heley J, Moles K, ‘Partnership working in Regions: reflections on local government collaboration in Wales’ Regional Science, Policy and Practice (Available here)

Heley J, Jones L, 2012, ‘Relational Rurals: some thoughts on relating things and theory in rural studies’ Journal of Rural Studies 28(3) pp 208-217 (Available here)

Heley J, Watkin S, Gardner G, 2012, ‘Cultures of local economy in a Celtic fringe region’ European Urban and Regional Studies (Available here)

Heley J, 2011, ‘On the potential of being a village boy:  an argument for local rural ethnography’ Sociologia Ruralis 51(3) pp 219-237 (Available here)

Smith RJ, Heley J, Stafford I, 2011, ‘Woolworths and Wales: A multi-dimensional analysis’ Sociological Research Online 15(5) (Available here)

Heley J, 2010, ‘The new squirearchy and emergent cultures of the new middle classes’ Journal of Rural Studies 26(4) pp 321-331 (Available here)

Heley J, 2008, ‘Rounds, Range Rovers and rurality: The drinking geographies of a New Squirearchy’ Drugs: education, prevention and policy 15(3) pp 1-7 (Available here)

Book Chapters

Heley J, Jones M, 2012, ‘Devolution and Wales – fiddling with spatial governance while the economy burns’ in Changing gear – is localism the new regionalism Ed(s) M Ward, S Hardy (The Smith Institute, London) (Available here)

Woods M, Heley J, Richard, C, Watkin S, 2011, ‘Rural people and the land’, in Making Sense of Place Eds I Convery, T Dutson, P Davis, G Corsane (Boydell and Brewer) (In Press)

Reports

Coffey A, et al, 2012, ‘Anonymisation in Social Research‘ WISERD/MBS/003 (Available here)

Convery I, Dutson T, Heley J, Richards R, Rogers R, Storey D, Watkin S, Woods M, 2008, ‘Rural People and the Land – the Case for Connections’, report to the Commission for Rural Communities

Recent Conference Papers

Heley J, Stafford I, 2011, ‘The revival of regionalism? A multi-scalar approach to the reconfiguration of public service delivery in Wales’, paper presented at Regional Studies Association Winter Conference, 25 November, London, UK

Heley J, Moles K, 2010, ‘Partnerships, Power and Place’ paper presented at WISERD Summer Conference, 28 June, Cardiff University, UK

Heley J, 2010, ‘Institutionalizing regions: Political Geographies of the Wales Spatial Plan’ paper presented at WISERD Policy Conference, 15 December, Cardiff University, UK

Heley J, 2010, ‘Institutionalizing Regions: Political Geographies of Contemporary Wales’ paper presented at Regional Studies Association Annual Conference, 25 May, Pecs, Hungary

Heley J, Watkin S, 2009, ‘Brave New Localities? Cultures of Local Economy in a Celtic Fringe Region’ paper presented at Regional Studies Association Annual Conference, 6 April, Leuven, Belgium