Kevin Markwell
Professor in Tourism,
School of Business and Tourism,
Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia.
E-mail: kevin.markwell@scu.edu.au
Phone: 0419 613294
My Research Interests
I am a social scientist whose primary research is situated in the context of leisure and tourism settings and experiences. My disciplinary home is geography, and, in particular, cultural geography. However, I tend towards multidiscplinarity, often drawing on the theoretical and methodological insights of sociology, history and cultural studies, as well as geography. I
predominantly use qualitative methods informed by an interpretivist paradigm, although I sometimes adopt a mixed methods approach.
I have two primary research interests:
(i) The ways by which we understand and come to construct meaning out of 'nature' within leisure and tourism practices and settings, and, in particular, the place of animals in these experiences (which has become my major interest); and
(ii) The construction and maintenance of individual and collective gay identities through leisure and tourism practices and settings.
Work experience
Professor, Southern Cross University
2008 - present
I have taught a number of subjects including Pacific-Asia Tourism, Special Interest Tourism, Foundations of Visitor Interpretation, Tourism Theories and Practices, Contemporary Tourism Issues and a masters subject, Environmental Management for Hotels and Attractions.
I have supervised two honours students and seven PhD students to completion and am currently supervising/co-supervising one PhD and one Research Masters student.
I have held positions: deputy head of school (2008-2011), head of school and acting head of school (2009, 2010), school director of higher degree research training (2014, 2017).
I was a CI on a project funded by the Clinical Excellence Commission, NSW Health, titled Communication in Emergency Department Waiting Rooms (J. Jenkins, J. Hodges, K. Markwell, j. Edelheim, M. Walo, P. Weeks, M. Witsel).
Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, University of Newcastle
1994-2008
Appointed to Lecturer, 1994-2001
Promoted to Senior Lecturer, 2002
Appointed to Associate Professor, 2007
I was responsible for a range of leisure and tourism subjects including Leisure and Society, Cultural Dimensions of Tourism, Leisure, Tourism and Environmental Issues, Cultural Dimensions of Tourism, Festival and Event Planning, Introduiction to Tourism, Tourist Behaviour and Interactions.
I supervised seven honours students and four PhD candidates to completion.
I received the University of Newcastle Award for Teaching Excellence in 1996
During my time at Newcastle I was a Chief Investigator on an ARC Discovery Grant (S. Tomsen, G. Mason and K. Markwell, 2003-05: Rethinking Social Intolerance: lessons from the suspension of homophobia at public gay and lesbian events) and an ARC Linkage Grant (D. Stevenson, D. Rowe and K. Markwell, 2004-07: Places in Transition: A Case Study of Cultural Planning in an Industrial Suburb).
Lecturer, University of South Australia
1991
This was my first academic appointment and I was based in the Department of Geographical Studies. I taught a number of geography and environmental studies subjects.
Skills
Qualitative methodologies
Photo-analytic techniques
Netnography
2010 - present
2010 - present
Each of my degrees was awarded by the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
B.A (Hons) 1984
Thesis: A Biogeographical Study of the Frog Fauna of Hexham Swamp
M.A 1991
Thesis: Wildlife Conservation on Rural Lands in the Hunter Region
B.Ed.Studs 1993
Thesis: Development and Preliminary Evaluation of an Environmental Interpretation Program at the Wetlands Centre, Shortland (Distinction)
PhD 1998
Thesis: Taming the "chaos of nature": Cultural Construction and Lived Experience in Nature-based Tourism
Education