Senior Lecturer Tony Webb

• Biography 
• Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise
• Grants / Current Projects
• Publications
• Contact Details

Biography

Dr Tony Webb is a Senior Lecturer in Agricultural Supply Chain Management working at UWS Hawkesbury since 2007. Previously he was Visiting Research Fellow with the Centre for Popular Education at the University of Technology, Sydney. He holds a PhD in Trans-Disciplinary Research for a study on the social psychology of shame from UWS and an MSc in Energy Resources Management from the Southbank University, London. His research career has included work for a number of UK, US and Canadian Trade Unions, the UK Health Education Authority, the London Food Commission, the Australian Consumers’ Association and the International Organisation of Consumer Unions, the Australian Food Policy Alliance, Australian Council of Trade Unions Food Industry Unions Committee, Australian Centre for Best Practice, and the Melbourne University Foundation for Sustainable Economic Development.

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Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise

Participatory action research exploring community engagement in resource sustainability issues and the building of eco-social capital and  community capacity for influencing policy change and practical action.

Social Psychology of personal and political change - particularly working with shame and other emotions in: anger management and stopping violence work, Restorative Justice, Men’s Group work, Community Education, and Community Cultural Development.

Food and Food Industry Policy particularly Agricultural Supply Chain Management, Organisational and Cultural Change

Public Health issues particularly: Occupational Health and Safety, Radiation and Health, Food Irradiation, Health Promotion.

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Grants / Current Projects

Recent/Current research includes:

Water Futures – using Participatory Action-Research methods to explore the challenge of getting real community engagement in social-environmental planning for water sustainability – with Western Sydney as a model for peri-urban water issues.

Previous Research has focussed on:

• Developing personal and political tools for social change – and their application to issues of aggression/violence; and alienation/addiction.

• Changing cultures – how external pressures, many of a global nature, can be used as a stimulus for change - a case study being the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games illustrating how the spotlight of global attention contributed to significant and long-lasting changes in the culture of Australian industrial relations.

• Community engagement in policy development across issues such as: community development: notably housing, unemployment, and empowerment of minority groups; justice; notably community-based restorative justice and ex-prisoner mentoring; environmental sustainability: notably in recycling, resource use, and energy policy; public health: notably in occupational health issues, radiation & health; and food policy: notably food safety, food irradiation, and building alliances between food-chain stakeholders.

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Publications

Among the more significant publications are:

Books/chapters

Webb, T., (2007) Towards an agri-food 'culture': managing the impact on agricultural supply chains of changes in consumer culture in: Ahmed A, World Sustainable Development Outlook 2007: Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development in the 21st Century, Greenleaf Publishing, Sheffield.

Webb, T., (2001) The Collaborative Games: the story behind the spectacle, Leichardt, Pluto Australia.

Webb, T., (1995) Fair Trade. In: Australian Food: The Complete Reference Guide to the Australian Food Industry: Moorscope Publishing, Camberwell, Vic..

Webb, T., and T. Lang, (1990) Food Irradiation: the myth and the reality. Wellingborough, Thorsons/Collins
(also Food Irradiation the Facts, UK 19877, and Food Irradiation, WHO wants it? US, 1988).

Webb, T., (1990) The Food Alchemists: Food Irradiation, in: Parents for Safe Food, J. and D. Taylor (Eds), The Safe Food Handbook. Ebury Press, London.

Webb, T., (1988) Food Irradiation: a new technical solution or more problems? In: Food Adulteration and How to Beat It. The London Food Commission, Unwin-Hyman, London.

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Journal articles

Webb, T. (2009)  On Love, Shame and Other Strong Emotions.  No To Violence Journal,  Summer 2010 Volume 5 no.1.

Webb, T. (2009) PhotoVoice as a tool for community development? New Community Quarterly:  Vol 7, No 4, 2009.

Webb, T., and S. Burgin, (2009) Engaged service learning – implications for higher education. Journal of Learning Design, 3(1), 41-56.

Webb, T., S. Burgin, and B. Maheshwari, (2009) Action research for sustainable water futures in Western Sydney – reaching beyond traditional stakeholder engagement to understand community stakeholder language and its implications for action. Systemic Practice and Action Research. 22(1),1-14.

Gough, R., M. Ogden, and T. Webb, (2006) Partnership, Bargaining and Production in ‘Co-ordinated Market’ and ‘Liberal Market’ Economies. No. 13, Working Paper Series, School of Management, Victoria University.

Bloomfield, L., T. Webb, and T. Lang, (1990) Food Irradiation: a public health issue? British Journal of Nutritional Medicine, vol 1, 75-80.

Webb, T., and T. Lang, (1989) Food irradiation, The Lancet, March 4, 498.

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Articles in review

Burgin, S., T. Webb, and D. Rae, (2009) Stakeholder engagement in sustainability planning – lessons from attempts to develop a regional irrigation plan in a peri-urban area.

Burgin, S., and T. Webb, Integrating Ecology and Social Science: Community engagement in ecohydrology. Invited paper for proceedings.

Burgin, S., and T. Webb, Integration of ecology and social science to ensure genuine community engagement in Ecohydrology -based on extended abstract presented at "Ecohydrology - an interdisciplinary challenge', held as a 'Special side event' at the UNESCO Conference on International perspectives on environmental and water resources. January 5-7, 2009 Bangkok. 

Burgin, S. and Webb, T., In review. 'Water metres': a new approach to thinking about water conservation in suburbia. Journal of Environmental Science and Policy.

Webb, T., (2010) Darwin’s Shame. ABC Science Show talk recorded for broadcast in Ockham’s Razor segment.

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Major reports

Webb, T., Burgin, S., Maheshwari, B., Huda, S., Wallace, G., Parvez, Q., Packham, R. Lowe, S., Hens, J., Calthorpe, T., Bryson, G., & White, J. 2007. Towards sustainable water futures in Western Sydney: a report on a pilot action-research initiative by a collaborative group of undergraduate students and staff from the School of Natural Sciences. University of Western Sydney. Internal report, Penrith South: University of Western Sydney.

Webb, T., (1999) In Whose Interest? Future regulation and control of food standards in the Australian food industry. A food policy discussion paper. Foodsafe Australia (Chisholm Institute) Moorabbin Vic.

Webb, T., (1996) Potatoes Power and Politics - How control of Australian production and distribution by nine major corporations adversely affects the environment, public health, and the lives of consumers, farmers and food industry workers - Food Policy Alliance. Sydney.

Webb, T., (1996) Mountain Maid/Grower Partnership Forum Report. Australian Centre for Best Practice Ltd, Parramatta.

Webb, T., (1996) Through the Eye of a Needle - New directions for philanthropy, Stegley Foundation, Melbourne.

Webb, T., and M. Ogden, (1995) Towards a best practice Australian food processing industry. Report of a conference held 28-31 March 1995 at the Edmund Barton Centre, Moorabbin Vic. Australian Council of Trade Unions, Melbourne.

Webb, T., (1989) Changing Perceptions of Risk from Radiation - The case for reducing the risk and some implications for the energy sector. Thesis for MSc in Energy Resources Management, University of the South Bank, London.

Webb, T., R. Schilling, B. Jacobson, and P. Babb, (1988) Health at Work? A Report on Health Promotion in the Workplace. Health Education Authority, Department of Health and Social Security, London.

Webb, T., (1975) Seven Nights at the Fire - Report on problems of the single homeless in and around London's Spitalfields area. Centre for Human Rights and Responsibilities, London.

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Web-based publications

Webb, T., (2005) Action Conversations: Asking strategic questions in conversational style as a ‘tool’ for developing community & social action projects, & the evaluation of these projects. http://www.cpe.uts.edu.au/pdfs/action_conversations.pdf

Webb, T., (2005) A Popular Educator’s toolbox for social change. Centre for Popular Education at UTS: http://www.cpe.uts.edu.au/publications/toolbox.html

Webb, T., (2005) Seeing further, listening harder, and asking questions - developing Grassroots leadership for community action. Report on the Warilla Community Leadership development project. Centre for Popular Education at UTS: http://www.cpe.uts.edu.au/pdfs/WarillaProject.pdf

Webb, T. (2003) Towards a mature shame culture: Theoretical and practical tools for personal and social growth. PhD Thesis in Humanities /Trans-disciplinary Research. University of Western Sydney. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/676

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Creative works

Webb, T., and G. Oxley, (2004) Blue Mountains Youth PhotoVoice Exhibition. The Hub, Katoomba.

Webb, T., and G. Oxley, (2005) Photo-Voices - Male Carers’ stories and Photos, Community Inter-agency Male Carers Project, Blue Mountains.

Webb, T., (1982-1984) Radiation on the Job. A series of A.V. productions including: leaflet, booklet and slide kit (1982) Foundation for National Progress, San Francisco; tape-slide and video productions (1983) Canadian Union of Public Employees, Ottawa, and (1984) Ontario Hydro Employees Union, Toronto.

Webb, T., (1990) Into the Mouths of Babes: the case for action on children's TV advertising. Video and campaign kit, Australian Consumers Association, Tempe.
London Food Commission, 1990. This Food Business: Booklet & TV Series - Channel 4 TV, London UK, 1990.

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