Luke Bennett

Luke went to University in the mid 1980s to study sociology and politics but in the spirit of the time ended up graduating with a law degree. In 2007, after 17 years in commercial practice as an environmental lawyer, he switched to an academic position at SHU. Since then Luke has completed his Master of Research (MRes) in sociology, planning and policy. He researches issues that involve the intersection of discourse, material things and everyday practices related to the management of the built environment. Key projects include research into metal theft; the afterlife of abandoned military bunkers and owners and climbers’ perceptions of safety and liability for access to abandoned quarries (a project he’s working on in collaboration with the British Mountaineering Council). He holds a teaching position at SHU, and he is a course leader of the BSc (Hons) Real Estate. Luke primarily teaches surveyors and environmental management students. He thinks out loud about the issues that he researches and teaches about, and how they fit together, on his blog. Sometimes he forgets what his discipline is. He thinks that’s a good thing. Not everyone agrees.