My teaching and research focus is in the cultural basis of development and economic theory and practice, and analysing related urban and rural settlement, production, and consumption patterns. Whenever possible, I teach with both local and international context so that students evaluate their own perception of local and international geographies. Current debate over the ecological and social sustainability of industrial economies is an especially fruitful source of teaching and research material, since industry is still seen as the basis of modern economic change and mainstream development practice, yet can obviously not continue in its entrenched practices. I have a particular interest in the history of geographic and other scientific/disciplinary thought, and have developed focus on consumption and consumerism in recent work.