School of Geographical and Earth Sciences

Prof Christopher Philo

Chris Philo
  • Professor of Geography (School of Geographical and Earth Sciences)

telephone: 01413304787
email: Christopher.Philo@glasgow.ac.uk


My ongoing research interests concern the historical, cultural and rural geographies of mental ill-health, supplemented by scholarship in the following fields as well: social geographies of 'outsiders'; children's geographies; new animal geographies; historical and contemporary figurations of public space; Foucauldian studies; the history, historiography and theoretical development of geography. I have recently brought together much of my historical research on 'madness' and asylums in a substantial book-length treatment: Philo, C. 2004. A Geographical History of Institutional Provison for the Insane from Medieval Times to the 1860s in England and Wales: The Space Reserved for Insanity. Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston and Queenston, USA, and Lampeter, Wales UK (712 pages).

I gained a Degree in Geography from the University of Cambridge in 1983, and a PhD from the same institution in 1992 (yes, it took me a while!). I was a PhD student and then a Research Fellow in Cambridge from 1983 to 1989, and then my first lecturing post was in the Department of Geography at the University of Wales, Lampeter, starting in January 1989. I was appointed to a Chair in Geography at the University of Glasgow in 1995, starting in October that year, and it has been my pleasure to research and teach at this institution ever since. From April 2002 to July 2005, I was Head of the Department (of Geography and Geomatics). From 1st August 2005, I have gone back into 'the ranks'. From January 2005, I have been enlisted to the Geography and Environmental Studies RAE Sub-Panel.

Jump to: 2012 | 2011 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2001
Number of items: 46.

2012

Bond, C.E., Philo, C. , and Shipton, Z.K. (2012) When there isn't a right answer: interpretation and reasoning, key skills for twenty-first century geoscience. International Journal of Science Education . ISSN 0950-0693 (doi:10.1080/09500691003660364) (In Press)

Philo, C. (2012) Foucault's children. In: Holt, L. (ed.) Geographies of Children, Youth and Families: An International Perspective. Routledge, London, UK. ISBN 9780415563833 (In Press)

Philo, C. (2012) Gunnar Olsson, figures of 'madness' and a form of schizologie. In: Abrahamsson, C. and Gren, M. (eds.) GO: On the Geographies of Gunnar Olsson. Ashgate. (In Press)

2011

Cook, I. et al. (2011) Geographies of food: 'afters'. Progress in Human Geography, 35 (1). p. 104. ISSN 0309-1325 (doi:10.1177/0309132510369035)

Philo, C. (2011) Discursive life. In: Del Casino, V.J., Thomas, M., Cloke, P. and Panelli, R. (eds.) A Companion to Social Geography. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 9781405189774

Philo, C. (2011) Michael Foucault. In: Hubbard, P. and Kitchin, R. (eds.) Key Thinkers on Space and Place. Sage, London, UK. ISBN 9781849201018

2009

Richards, K. et al. (2009) The nature of publishing and assessment in Geography and Environmental Studies: evidence from the Research Assessment Exercise 2008. Area, 41 (3). pp. 231-243. ISSN 0004-0894 (doi:10.1111/j.1475-4762.2009.00908.x)

Thrift, N., Kitchin, R. and UNSPECIFIED, (Eds.) (2009) International Encyclopedia of Human Geography. Elsevier. ISBN 9780080449111

Lorimer, H., and Philo, C. (2009) Disorderly archives and orderly accounts: reflections on the occasion of Glasgow's geographical century. Scottish Geographical Journal, 125 (3-4). pp. 227-255. ISSN 1470-2541 (doi:10.1080/14702540903364278)

Lorimer, H., Philo, C. , and Mulholland, A. (2009) Resounding: an interview with Drew Mulholland. Scottish Geographical Journal, 125 (3-4). pp. 379-400. ISSN 1470-2541 (doi:10.1080/14702540903364427)

Philo, C. (2009) Ageing. In: Gregory, D., Johnston, R.J., Pratt, G., Watts, M. and Whatmore, S. (eds.) Dictionary of Human Geography. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, USA. ISBN 9781405132879

Philo, C. (2009) Cultural turn. In: Thrift, N.J. and Kitchin, R. (eds.) International Encyclopedia of Human Geography. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ISBN 9780080449111

Philo, C. (2009) Disability. In: Gregory, D., Johnston, R.J., Pratt, G., Watts, M. and Whatmore, S. (eds.) Dictionary of Human Geography. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, USA. ISBN 9781405132879

Philo, C. (2009) Ethnomethodology. In: Gregory, D., Johnston, R.J., Pratt, G., Watts, M. and Whatmore, S. (eds.) Dictionary of Human Geography. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, USA. ISBN 9781405132879

Philo, C. (2009) Health and health care. In: Gregory, D., Johnston, R.J., Pratt, G., Watts, M. and Whatmore, S. (eds.) Dictionary of Human Geography. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, USA. ISBN 9781405132879

Philo, C. (2009) Medical geography. In: Gregory, D., Johnston, R.J., Pratt, G., Watts, M. and Whatmore, S. (eds.) Dictionary of Human Geography. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, USA. ISBN 9781405132879

Philo, C. (2009) Social exclusion. In: Gregory, D., Johnston, R.J., Pratt, G., Watts, M. and Whatmore, S. (eds.) Dictionary of Human Geography. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, USA. ISBN 9781405132879

Philo, C. (2009) Social theory. In: Gregory, D., Johnston, R.J., Pratt, G., Watts, M. and Whatmore, S. (eds.) Dictionary of Human Geography. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, USA. ISBN 9781405132879

Philo, C. (2009) Society. In: Gregory, D., Johnston, R.J., Pratt, G., Watts, M. and Whatmore, S. (eds.) Dictionary of Human Geography. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, USA. ISBN 9781405132879

Philo, C., and Ernste, H. (2009) Determinism / environmental determinism. In: Thrift, N.J. and Kitchin, R. (eds.) International Encyclopedia of Human Geography. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ISBN 9780080449111

Philo, C., and Lee, R. (2009) Welfare geography. In: Thrift, N.J. and Kitchin, R. (eds.) International Encyclopedia of Human Geography. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ISBN 9780080449111

Philo, C., Lorimer, H. , and Hoey, T. (2009) Guest editorial. Scottish Geographical Journal, 125 (3-4). pp. 221-226. ISSN 0036-9225 (doi:10.1080/14702540903364260)

Philo, C., and Pickstone, J. (2009) Unpromising configurations: towards local historical geographies of psychiatry. Health and Place, 15 (3). pp. 649-656. ISSN 1353-8292

2008

Philo, C., (Ed.) (2008) Theory and Methods: Critical Essays in Human Geography. Series: Contemporary foundations of space and place. Ashgate, Aldershot, UK, xiii-xliv. ISBN 9780754627098

Philo, C. (2008) The difficult works in the geographer’s library: reading ‘theory and methods’ in human geography. In: Philo, C. (ed.) Theory and Methods: Critical Essays in Human Geography. Series: Contemporary foundations of space and place . Ashgate, Aldershot, UK, xiii-xliv. ISBN 9780754627098

Philo, C., and Swanson, K. (2008) Afterword: global portraits and local snapshots. In: Jeffrey, C. and Dyson, J. (eds.) Telling Young Lives : Portraits in Global Youth. Temple University Press. ISBN 9781592139309

2007

Hansen, N, and Philo, C (2007) The normality of doing things differently: Bodies, spaces and disability geography. Tijdschrift Voor Economische En Sociale Geografie, 98 . pp. 493-506.

Laurier, E, and Philo, C (2007) 'A parcel of muddling muckworms': revisiting Habermas and the English coffee-houses. Social and Cultural Geography, 8 . pp. 259-281. (doi:10.1080/14649360701360212)

Philo, C (2007) A vitally human medical geography? Introducing Georges Canguilhem to geographers. New Zealand Geographer, 63 . pp. 82-96. (doi:10.1111/j.1745-7939.2007.00095.x)

2006

Laurier, E, and Philo, C (2006) Cold shoulders and napkins handed: gestures of responsibility. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 31 . pp. 193-207.

Laurier, E, and Philo, C (2006) Possible geographies: a passing encounter in a cafe. Area, 38 . pp. 353-363.

Philo, C (2006) Madness, memory, time, and space: the eminent psychological physician and the unnamed artist-patient. Environment and Planning D-society and Space, 24 . pp. 891-917. (doi:10.1068/d3305)

2005

Philo, C (2005) Spacing lives and lively spaces: Partial remarks on Sarah Whatmore's Hybrid geographies. Antipode, 37 . pp. 824-833.

Philo, C (2005) The geographies that wound. Population Space and Place, 11 . pp. 441-454. (doi:10.1002/psp.400)

Philo, C (2005) The geography of mental health: an established field? Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 18 . pp. 585-591.

Philo, C., Parr, H. , and Burns, N. (2005) "An oasis for us": 'in-between' spaces of training for people with mental health problems in the Scottish Highlands. Geoforum, 36 . pp. 778-791. (doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2005.01.002)

2004

Laurier, E, and Philo, C (2004) Ethnoarchaeology and undefined investigations. Environment and Planning A, 36 . pp. 421-436. (doi:10.1068/a3659)

Philo, C (2004) Playful spaces? A social geography of children's play in Livingston, Scotland. Childrens Geographies, 2 (1). pp. 111-130.

Philo, C., and Parr, H. (2004) 'They shut them out the road': Migration, Mental Health and the Scottish Highlands. Scottish Geographical Journal, 120 . pp. 47-70.

2003

Laurier, E, and Philo, C (2003) The region in the boot: mobilising lone subjects and multiple objects. Environment and Planning D-society and Space, 21 . pp. 85-106. (doi:10.1068/d341)

Parr, H, and Philo, C (2003) Rural mental health and social geographies of caring. Social and Cultural Geography, 4 . pp. 471-488. (doi:10.1080/1464936032000137911)

Parr, H., Philo, C. , and Burns, N. (2003) 'That awful place was home': Reflections on the contested meanings of Craig Dunain asylum. Scottish Geographical Journal, 119 . pp. 341-360.

Philo, C (2003) Political Geographies of Children and Young People. Space and Polity, 7 (2). pp. 99-116.

Philo, C (2003) To Go Back up the Side Hill': Memories, Imaginations and Reveries of Childhood. Childrens Geographies, 1 (1). pp. 7-24.

2001

Philo, C (2001) The 'three waves' of research in mental health geography: a review and critical commentary. Epidemiologia E Psichiatria Sociale, 10 (4). pp. 230-244.

Philo, C (2001) Accumulating populations: bodies, institutions and space. International Journal of Population Geography, 7 (6). pp. 473-490.

This list was generated on Sat May 26 15:50:25 2012 BST.

I have recently completed an ESRC-funded collaborative project, with Dr Hester Parr (Co-Applicant: University of Dundee) and Dr Nicola Burns (Research Assistant) on 'Social geographies of rural mental health: experiencing inclusion and exclusion' (see web pages elsewhere on this site, which includes numerous working and findings papers, and also our final report). I have also recently completed another ESRC-funded project with Dr Eric Laurier (Principal Applicant: University of Edinburgh) dealing with 'The cappuccino community: cafes and civic life in the contemporary city' (see web pages elsewhere on this site, which includes draft conference papers, related materials and our final report).

  • Isla Forsyth (PhD candidate)
  • William Hasty (PhD candidate)
  • Richard Lowdon (PhD candidate)
  • Cheryl McGeachan (PhD candidate)
  • Dorothy McGuire (PhD candidate)
  • Jo Norcup(PhD candidate)
  • Geraldine Perriam (PhD candidate)
  • Kimm Ross (PhD candidate)
  • Level 1: lectures on 'Social Geographies of the Countryside and the City' and 'Historical Social Geographies of North America' as part of Level 1 Geography course
  • Level 3: lectures on 'Geographic Thought' core course; contributions to 'Geographic Techniques' core course 
  • Levels 3&4: option courses on 'The Social Geography of 'Outsiders'' and 'The Historical Geography of Social Policy'; contributions to 'Geographyies in and of the Contemporary World' core course; dissertation supervision 
  • MRes in Human Geography: various contributions; dissertation supervision
  • PhD supervision