Welcome

This is the website and blog of Dr John Lever.

Public speaking

This page contains a chronologically ordered list of peer-reviewed and invited talks.
  1. Lever, J. (2023) Sustainable local Food, Eco Fest, 18 November, 2023
  2. Brentnall, C & Lever, J. (2023) Thinking with the Doughnut Self Study, ISBE Annual Conference, 9 November
  3. Lever, J., Scott Vandeventer, J. & Miele, M. (2023) When realties collide: Food, climate change and moments of crisis, Royal Geographical Society Annual Conference, 30 August
  4. Lever, J. (2023) Food and Agriculture in the Holme Valley Post-Brexit, Cafe Europe, Holmfirth, 8 May 
  5. Refai, D., Lever, J. and Haloub, R. Power Disparities and Refugee Entrepreneurship - The Social Positioning of Outsiders, Migrant Entrepreneurship: State of the Art and Perspectives, Paris, Sorbonne: France
  6. Morland, L. and Lever, J. (2023) Turn the handle every day: taking climate action through Conscious Composting, 8th International Conference of Action Learning, York St John University, 17th-19th April
  7. Lever, J. (2022) Resilient regional food systems during the pandemic, 5th International Workshop on Building Resilience in Tropical Agro-Ecosystems, University of Huddersfield 6-18 September
  8. Lever,  (2022) Some initial thoughts on the ecological crisis and food utopias, Towards an Eliasian Understanding of Food in the 21st Century, Huddersfield, 7 September
  9. Lever, J., Vandeventer, J., Miele, M. (2022) The ontological politics of kosher food: between strict orthodoxy and global markets, The RGS-IBG Annual International Conference, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 31 August
  10. Lever, J. (2022) Exploring the potential of circular food economies, Exeter Business School, 8 March
  11. Lever, J. (2022) Doughnut Economics Talk/Workshop: Kirklees Council Leadership & Team Development Programme, Growth and Regeneration, 2 March 
  12. Lever, J. (2022) A safe and just transition: exploring the potential for circular food economies, The Global Food and Environment Institute (GFEI) Seminar, University of Leeds, 22nd June 
  13. Lever, J. (Speaker) Refai, D. and Haloub, R. (2021) Extending State Power Through ‘Syrian Refugee Entrepreneurship’ - The Social Positioning Of Outsiders, 15th European Sociological Association Conference: Sociological Knowledge's for Alternative Futures, 31 August-3 September
  14. Lever, J. (2021) A Safe and Just Regional Food System, Feeding Kirklees: Working Together to find a Sustainable Local Approach to Food Insecurity, 21 July
  15. Dhas, M and Lever, J. (2021) Eating practice performances in UK primary schools, Re-Opening the Bin, Gothenburg, Sweden, 10 June
  16. Lever, J. (2021) Policy Constraints, Project Closing Event: A Better Future? Understanding Refugee Entrepreneurship, University of Leeds, 8 April
  17. Lever, J. (2020) Regional Food System Resilience post Covid-19, Public Health England Webinar: Creating a sustainable local food strategy – Responding to Covid, planning for the future. Webinar, 28 September
  18. Lever, J. (2020) Regional Food System Resilience during Covid-19, at Regional food system resilience and Covid-19: The potential of Living Labs, Huddersfield, Webinar, 22 July
  19. Lever, J. (2020) Regional Food System Resilience post Covid-19, Place-Based Economic Recovery Network (PERN) Webinar at the University of Leeds, Webinar, 15 July
  20. Lever, J. (2019), Place-based food systems and the circular economy: new opportunities, Our Waste - The Future Conference, University of Huddersfield, 4 December
  21. Lever, J. (2019) Reconfiguring local food governance in an age of austerity: towards a place-based approach : How to make a just food future: alternative foodways for a changing world, 8th-10th July 2019 at the University of Sheffield, UK
  22. Lever, J. (2018) Halal Meat and Religious Slaughter: From Spatial Concealment to Social Controversy - Breaching the Boundaries of the Permissible? 6 December, 2018 Elias Conference Brussels
  23. Lever, J. (2018) 'Debating Religious Slaughter Over 200 Years: From Spatial Concealment to Social Controversy' | Key Note Talk @ British Veterinary Association Congress at The London Vet Show, London, United Kingdom, 16 November
  24. Lever, J. (2018) Exploring the dynamics of place-based food governance: a case study from northern England, Place Based Food Systems Conference, Pacific Gateway Hotel, Vancover, British Columbia, Canada, 9-10 August
  25. Lever, J. (2018) The ‘Halal Meat Controversy’: Animal Welfare Concerns or a Sign of the Times?, RC22 Sociology of Religion, XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology, Toronto, Canada, 5-21 July
  26. Lever, J., Refai, D. Al and Haloub, R. (2018) A Homogenising ‘We-Discourse’ and the Social Positioning of Syrian Refugee Entrepreneurs in Jordan: The Business of Hope and the Politics of Misery, RC56 Historical Sociology, XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology, Toronto, 5-21 July
  27. Lever, J. (2018) Supermarket food waste: prevent, redistribute, share - Towards a circular economy Symposium: Sharing the Burden of Supermarket Food Waste: Towards Sustainability and a Circular Economy? Wednesday 27th June, University of Huddersfield
  28. Lever, J. (2018) Consuming halal in the age of globalised mass production: compound practice - knowing what to eat? Key Note Talk @ Rethinking Halal: Genealogy, Current Trends, and New Interpretations, International Conference, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) Research Institute in Religions, Societies, Cultures, Spiritualities (RSCS) Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, 18-19 June
  29. Miele, M. and Lever, J. (2017) Ethical complex-‘ities’: responsible business practice and the big brand takeover of farm animal welfare, RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2017, 1 September
  30. Lever, J. and Cheetham, F. (2017) Food waste and sustainability: distributed responsibility – constructing a sharing economy?, The circular economy: transitioning to sustainability? Conference, CBiS, Coventry University, 11 July
  31. Lever, J. (2017) Kosher and halal meat-concerns over animal welfare, migration and integration?, CRESR Seminar, Sheffield, 26 April
  32. Lever, J. (2017) Farm animal welfare, responsible business and the role of big brands: the politics of sight, Business School Research Conference, University of Huddersfield, 12th January
  33. Lever, J. and Swailes, S. (2016) Ballet for the Sun King: power, talent and organisation, paper presented at the 32nd EGOS Colloquium, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, 7-9th July
  34. Lever, J. and Miele, M. (2016) Farm animal welfare discourses: responsible business practice and the role of big brands, paper presented at Interpretive Policy Analysis 11th International Conference, University of Hull, 5-7th July
  35. Lever, J. (2016) Community Food Enterprise and Local Food in Kirklees, Students for Sustainability Event with Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman and Dorota Hajdukiewicz from Students for Sustainability, April 
  36. Lever, J. (2016) Lever, J (2016) The Future of Local Food in Kirklees, Centre for Sustainable and Resilient Communities, Kirklees Council and University of Huddersfield Business School
  37. Lever, J. and Swailes, S. (2015) 'People and process: at the court of talent management', Figuring organizations: people and processes symposium, 26th November, Dublin City University
  38. Lever, J. and Cheetham, F. (2015) Comoodle and the Collaborative Economy: The Politics of Sharing, CSRC Lunchtime Seminar, University of Huddersfield, October 13
  39. Lever, J. and Evans, A. (2015) ‘Farm animal welfare and corporate social responsibility: making slaughter visible?’, HSA International Symposium 2015: Recent Advances II, 16th-17th July 2015, Zagreb, Croatia
  40. Lever, J (2015) ‘Economic and sustainable growth in Kirklees – an academic perspective’, Aligning public health and economic strategies and promoting health in all policies: An interactive workshop with applied learning from local partners and the EU, 5th February 2015, Huddersfield Town Hall, UK
  41. Lever, J (2014) ‘The future of sustainable food in Kirklees: the development of a strong and sustainable food economy’, Talk to the Kirklees Environment Partnership, 18th September 2014, Huddersfield Mission Biulding, Kirklees Council, Huddersfield, UK
  42. Lever, J. and Powell, R. (2014) ‘Roma – Europe’s "outsiders"’, Social Policy Confronting Change: Resistance, Resilience and Radicalism, 14th-16th July 2014, Sheffield, UK
  43. Lever, J., Powell, R. and Clement, M. (2014) ‘Norbert Elias, figurational sociology and the investigation of contemporary social processes: tensions and possibilities’, From the Past to the Present and Towards Possible Futures: The Collected Works of Norbert Elias, 20-22 June 2014, College Court, University of Leicester, UK
  44. Lever, J. and Hardaker, G. (2013) ‘Re-imagining Malaysia: a postliberal halal strategy?’, "Vous avez dit halal ?" Normativités islamiques, mondialisation et sécularisation, 7th-8th November 2013, Collège de France Paris, France
  45. Porter, J., Lever, J. and Thompson, A. (2013) ‘The Experiences of Polish Migrants in the Welsh Labour Market: A comparison study of three case studies in South Wales’, Work Employment and Society Conference, September 4th 2013, University of Warwick
  46. Lever, J (2012) No Return, No Asylum: Destitution as a way of life? Destitution Concern Bradford, Research launch event and presentation of findings, Kala Sangam, Forster Square, Bradford Friday, September 14
  47. Lever, J (2012) ‘The postliberal politics of halal’, Reinventing Norbert Elias: for an open sociology, 22-23rd June 2012, Amsterdam
  48. Lever, J (2012) ‘The civilizing process : partnership working revisited’, Norbert Elias and Figurational Sociology: Prospects for the Future, 2nd - 4th April 2012, Copenhagen
  49. Lever, J. and Miele, M. (2010) ‘Ordering animal farming practices: farmers vs. animal scientists’, Society for Social Studies of Science Annual Meeting 2010, August 25 – 29, 2010, Komaba I Campus, University of Tokyo, Japan
  50. Lever, J (2010) ‘Ambivalence and sensibility: civilizing animal farming in Europe’, XVII ISA World Congress of Sociology: Sociology on the Move, 11-17th July 2010, Gothenburg, Sweden
  51. Lever, J (2010) ‘Halal and kosher supply chain development’, Dialrel Final Workshop, 15-16th March 2010, Istanbul, Turkey.
  52. Lever, J., Miele, M., Evan, A. and Higgin, M. (2009) ‘Farmers vs. animal scientists : an assessment of welfare quality’, British Sociological Association Annual Conference 2009, 16-18 April 2009, Cardiff, Wales
  53. Lever, J (2008) ‘NGOs, Partnership Working and New Governance Spaces: Civilizing the State’, 39th IIS World Congress, 26-30th June 2008, Budapest, Hungary 
  54. Taylor, M. and Lever, J. (2008) ‘Understanding agency: some reflections on governmentality theory’, ESRC NGPA Theory Workshop, 7-8th May 2008, Goodenough College, LSE, Mecklenburgh Square, London
  55. Lever, J. and Howard, J. (2008) ‘Participation in new governance spaces: what makes for a participatory disposition in different contexts?’, The Voluntary Sector Studies Network Seminar, 14th May 2008, Bristol
  56. Lever, J (2007) ‘Partnership working in South Wales: navigating pathways through new governance spaces?’, 13th VSSN/NCVO Researching the Voluntary Sector Conference, 5-6th September 2007, Universiity of Warwick
  57. Lever, J (2006) ‘Civilization and violence : why do British citizens commit acts of terror in the UK?’, Reducing the Risk & Impact of Terrorism – A Local Authority Role, 28–29 September 2006, Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel, College Green, Bristol, England
  58. Lever, J (2006) ‘Regenerating civilization : inclusive partnership working under New Labour’, Elias in the 21st Century Conference, 10-12th April 2006, University of Leicester