@theffernan
Anthropologist at Australian National University researching the nexus between crisis, recovery, kinship & social identity. Lover of good stories, better questions, and rethinking the status quo. He/him ⚡🧠 🏳️🌈
For #disaster #preparedness, participatory 1:1 approaches show evidence of behaviour change that actually reduce risk.
🔊 "That means really listening to people about what they know and how they feel about flood risk."
👥 Brian Robert Cook et al. @aunz.theconversation.com
🔗 doi.org/10.64628/AA....
🔗 Book link: manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526195777/ @manchesterup.bsky.social
Book cover of The Anthropology of Ambiguity. Sand-coloured text on an image of a rock carving in Victoria, Australia
📚 Manchester UP is having a 40%-off sale
Don't miss this opportunity to pick a copy of The anthropology of ambiguity.
✅ 40% off titles purchased via the Manchester website until Jan 31st. Discount is automatically applied at checkout EXCEPT for North American customers - use JAN40 at checkout.
📚The Anthropology of Ambiguity, an edited collection
👀 Check out the introduction to the mini-series exploring the chapters of this book
Published by @manchesterup.bsky.social
More info: manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526173843/
You can read more about our proposition for a national policy response here
theconversation.com/climate-disa...
ANU School of Archaeology and Anthropology
ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
@theconversation.com
Disasters are putting more people at risk of homelessness
22,261 Australians are displaced on ave. each year. Globally, 70% of internal displacement was from disasters
There is consensus in the homelessness & emergency management sectors that Australia needs a national policy response. Read here👇
As disasters worsen, more Australians risk homelessness.
We're calling for a National Disaster Housing & Homelessness Framework to embed housing in climate adaptation
🏠 Key actions:
Plan for emergency/interim housing
Deploy fit-for-purpose modular homes
Cross-sector training for shared capability
As disasters worsen, more Australians risk homelessness.
🔵Recovery can deepen housing insecurity—especially for renters & vulnerable groups.
🏘️We need a national taskforce to align housing, homelessness & disaster policy.
Read more:
🖇️There is an inextricable link between 🍂 climate change and 🏠 #homelessness. Climate #disasters are pushing renters and people living in precarious housing to to their limits.
In this report, we explore this issue and set out reccommendations for gov and ngos
Read the article by Mittul Vahanvati, David Sanderson and I, published today in The Policymaker
The Australian National University, University of New South Wales, RMIT University #housing #publicpolicy #disaster #disastermanagement
@auspublicpolicy.bsky.social
💡 New article on The Policymaker
After #disaster, housing recovery uses what’s available (cabins, motels, 🏕️ and gov lots). These stopgaps help in the short-term but also expose the extent of fragility in the housing system. What if instead we saw #housing as critical infrastructure post-disaster?
This report was co-authored by the Australian Red Cross, Homelessness Australia and HowWeSurvive (UNSW Sydney)
🖇️There is an inextricable link between 🍂 climate change and 🏠 #homelessness. Climate #disasters are pushing renters and people living in precarious housing to to their limits.
In this report, we explore this issue and set out reccommendations for gov and ngos
Funded by @ahuriresearch.bsky.social, we examined 7 Aus #disaster recovery cases and found effective housing policy must combine immediate relief with future-focused #preparedness. Success depends on integrating technical measures, social inclusion, x-sector collaboration, funding & political will.
#Disaster resilient #housing
3M Aus 🏠 are at risk of flooding. Our research shows we need:
🏚️ Risk reduction thru land-use planning & building standards
💱 #Insurance reform to tackle $$ and underinsurance
✳️ Inclusion of vulnerable groups in #preparedness
👨👩👧👦 Support for community-centred recovery
At a time of rising authoritarianism, Steindl-Kopf’s work is vital, showing how citizens reclaim space & agency through protest & collective ambiguity.
📖 In The Anthropology of Ambiguity. Out now from @manchesterup.bsky.social. #Anthropology #Activism
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526173843/
🚨As #disasters rise, #housing policy must adapt!
Our report shows how to build back better—not just replace
🏡🔥🌊 We need:
✔️ Stronger local gov (Resilience as core biz!)
✔️ Affordable insurance to future-proof 🏡
✔️ Smarter recovery funding for local economies
Time to rethink, rebuild & protect 👥👨👨👧👦
A screenshot of the book review, beginning with: Mahnaz Alimardanian and Timothy Heffernan’s edited volume, The Anthropology of Ambiguity: Theory, Praxis, and Critique (2024), ventures into the intricate terrain of ambiguity as a core human condition, examining its multifaceted presence across sociocultural and existential experiences. The book’s primary focus is the interplay between ambiguity and the anthropological lens, addressing how uncertainty, contradiction, and indeterminacy shape individual and collective lifeworlds. Grounded in ethnographic rigor, the contributors collectively emphasize the productive potential of ambiguity, challenging its conventional framing as a mere obstacle to clarity. Instead, ambiguity is celebrated as a dynamic force that underpins knowledge production, societal negotiation, and meaning-making across cultural contexts.
Thank you to Intan Rosita et al. for their recent review of 📚The #Anthropology of #Ambiguity, published in the journal 'Reviews in Anthropology' 👀 Check it out for a thorough overview of the book.
@manchesterup.bsky.social.
doi.org/10.1080/0093...
#Iceland's new PM: Progressive politics & welfare is a way to combat far right. “I think that is an antidote to right extremism. Welfare-oriented centre right, centre left parties, wherever you want to situate this gov, brings politics back to the humane level” www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
It is that time of year again. The Whiteboard Soirée. Let's plan your research for 2025. Together. December 20. 10am Aotearoa / New Zealand time. Alternative time zones are available! Free. Via Zoom. Let's change the world. Details provided at the link. See you there! brabazon.net/2024/12/13/w...
Just submitted our report "Enhancing #Housing Recovery Policy and Practice for Community Resilience to Future #Disasters." This 40K-word report reviews temporary housing & recovery policies in 4 Australian states after fires, floods & cyclones, highlighting successes, gaps & policy recs. Stay tuned!
Book cover for th evolume "The anthropology of ambiguity", with a light gray background, image of the book cover, and text saying "Out now"
The #anthropology of #ambiguity edited by Mahnaz Alimardanian and I, published by @manchesterup.bsky.social
🔗https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526173843/the-anthropology-of-ambiguity/
Contributors: Elly Bird, Douglas D'Antoine, Sabrina Davis, Anne Leadbeater, John Harkin, Lisa Keedle, Margaret Moreton, Erin Pelly, Daniel Aldrich, Danielle O'Hara, David Sanderson and Bhiamie Williamson
Creators: Kate Brady, Lisa Keen and Natalie Diane howwesurvive.com/what-can-hel...
We’ve spoken to community leaders, recovery practitioners, policy makers and researchers – and we’ve encouraged them to be authentic, opinionated and thought-provoking! howwesurvive.com/what-can-hel...
Introducing the ✨Disaster Recovery Almanac✨
What do you think is the most pressing issue in disaster recovery that we need to be paying attention to?
HowWeSurvive (UNSW Sydney) took this question to 12 people with first-hand experience of disaster recovery, and have published their responses