Coasts are unique spaces in Australia that have long histories that are not homogenous across our shores. Important when examining these sociologically, this paper argues, is the manner in which rationalities have developed over time that are unique to place and local cultures. Although several of our coasts have shared histories in production cycles, the mentalities within each have quite different trajectories when we unpack their different aims and ambitions within prior generations. This is illustrated in this paper in the case of Noosa and Surfers Paradise – two very different coasts that have accumulated and developed different rationalities according to the ideals and values of those previous. We can see then that our lived experiences today of coasts in these illustrative examples are the results of past goals/aims of our predecessors. As such, as Barbara Adam argues, we should unpack these further and ask questions about what sorts of coasts we are pushing forward with for future generations. This paper examines in particular the uncertain forces of climate change that could develop and what questions we should be asking now about coastal development.
About the Presenter
Nick Osbaldiston is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at James Cook University’s Cairns Campus. He is the author of the forthcoming book Toward a Sociology of the Coast (Palgrave, 2017) and Seeking Authenticity in Place, Culture and Self (Palgrave, 2012). Nick is predominantly a cultural sociologist with an interesting in lifestyle migration, the sociology of place and space and has recently done work in academic work cultures with Fabian Cannizzo.