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About Dr Fiona Williams

My background is in the social sciences with a specialist interest in rural studies. My corresponding research activity is in three interrelated areas: 1) Digital society, particularly means of digital inclusion and resilience 2) The family farm in transition – intergenerational behaviour and change 3) Animal landscapes.  

Teaching

  • GE4002 Introduction to Human Geography (Module Leader)
  • GE4003 Foundations for Successful Studentship (Tutor)
  • GE5006 Tutorials (Module Leader)
  • GE5013/14 Research Design (Tutor)
  • GE6001 Dissertations (Supervisor)
  • GE6019 International Field Experience (Barcelona): Human Geography (Tutor)
  • GE6025 Smart Places (Module Leader)

Research

My current research builds on involvement with the Dot.rural Digital Economy Research Hub (RCUK Programme, 2010 - 2015) and explores the implications of the Digital Society for the future of rural areas and those who dwell therein; addressing perspectives on the digital divide and digital resilience, inter-generational digital behaviours, and the necessary but sometimes uneasy engagement of rural businesses with technology.  This predominantly ethnographic research activity ‘in the wild’ has catalysed my further interest in everyday lives in the rural, incorporating more-than-human geographies, in particular ‘animal landscapes’ and ‘sheep cultures’. 

Prior to joining the University of Chester, I had Principal Investigator and Co-investigator involvement in EU projects and RCUK funded studies. I also have experience of initiating, designing and developing research commissions for Welsh and Scottish Governments, and the third sector. 

Postgraduate Research Students:

Sonja Rewhorn. A Critical Review of Rural Proofing in England. PhD current. Acting Principal Supervisor.

Cath Barton. Appropriate Paper Technology (Assistive Technology) In Cerebral Palsy Children in Kenya. MRes current. Secondary Supervisor.

Stephanie Best. Practitioners’ Perceptions of the Process of Innovating in Health and Social Care in Rural Wales. PhD (Awarded 2014). Supervisor.

Published Work

Selected Publications and Commissioned Reports:

Philip, L., Williams, F. Forthcoming. Active ageing in smart villages? Observations from the field. Invited submission to Smart Villages Special Issue of European Countryside

Philip, L., Williams, F. 2019. Remote rural home based businesses and digital inequalities: Understanding needs and expectations in a digitally underserved community. Journal of Rural Studies (68): 306-318 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.09.011

Williams, F. 2018. Digital Connectivity. In Reuschke, D. and M. Domecka. Policy Brief on Home-Based Businesses, OECD SME and Entrepreneurship Papers, No. 11, OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/abfe755f-en 

Philip, L., Cottrill, C., Farrington, J., Williams, F., Ashmore, F. 2017. The digital divide: patterns, policy and options for connecting the final few in rural communities across Great Britain. Journal of Rural Studies (54): 386-398 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.12.002

Williams, F., Philip, L., Fairhurst, G. Farrington, J. 2016. ‘Digital by Default’ and ‘the hard to reach’: exploring solutions to digital exclusion in remote rural areas. Local Economy 31(7): 757-777 DOI: 10.1177/0269094216670938

Williams, F. 2015. Vignettes. In Farrington, J., Philip, L., Abbot, P., Blank, G., Dutton, W. Two-Speed Britain: Rural Internet Use - Oxford Internet Survey Report. Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press. 

Williams, F., Fairhurst, G. 2015. We need better broadband but the politicians can’t agree how to deliver it. The Conversation 17 April. Available at: https://theconversation.com/we-need-better-broadband-but-the-politicians-cant-agree-how-to-deliver-it-40269

Corbett, S., Williams, F. 2014. Striking a professional balance: interactions between nurses and their older rural patients. British Journal of Community Nursing 19 (4): 130-135. DOI: 10.12968/bjcn.2014.19.4.162

Jarrett, C., Williams, F., Lewis, L. 2013. The Provision of Integrated Care in a Rural Community – an Evaluation of the Rhayader Home Support Scheme. Commissioned Report for Welsh Government

Milne, C., Williams, F., Dalton, G., Thomson, S., Ringrose, S. 2013. Evaluation of the Young Entrants Support Scheme (YESS) Final Report. Commissioned Report for Welsh Government.

Jarrett, C., Williams, F. 2012. Rural Proofing for Health Toolkit and Good Practice. Commission for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Midgley, A., Williams, F., Slee, B., Renwick, A. 2008. Primary Land Based Business Study, for Scottish Enterprise.

Cook, P., Grieve, J., Slee, B., Williams, F. 2008. Barriers to New Entrants to Scottish Farming – an Industry Consultation for the Tenant Farming Forum.

Williams, F., Thomson, S. 2008. The consequences for rural communities. In SAC Rural Policy Centre, Farming’s Retreat from the Hills. Edinburgh: Rural Policy Centre, SAC, 36-43.

Williams, F., Skerratt, S. 2007. Scoping Retirement and Succession Planning of Household Farms, Special Study Report to Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department.

Williams, F. 2006. The future of farming? Factors influencing the decisions of the next generation, Core Project for Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department.

Boyne, S., Hall, D., Williams, F. 2003. Policy, Support and Promotion for Food Related Tourism Initiatives: A Marketing Approach to Regional Development. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing (14) 3-4: 131-154.

 

Selected Conference Papers and Impact Activity:

Williams, F., Miles, A., Halfacree, K. 2019. Sheep Diaries: Exploring Everyday Sheep Landscaping. Paper presented in WG3: Animalia, XXVIII European Society for Rural Sociology Congress 2019, Trondheim, 25-28 June.

Williams, F., Philip, L. 2019. The good digital farmer? The potential and pitfalls of information technology. Paper presented in WG2 Smart Rural Futures, XXVIII European Society for Rural Sociology Congress 2019, Trondheim, 25-28 June.

Philip, L., Williams, F. 2019. Active ageing in smart villages? Notes of caution from the field. Paper presented in WG2 Smart Rural Futures, XXVIII European Society for Rural Sociology Congress 2019, Trondheim, 25-28 June.

Halfacree, K., Williams, F. 2019. Sheep who shape ‘something more than a human estate’: presenting a neglected rural geography. Paper presented in WG3: Animalia, XXVIII European Society for Rural Sociology Congress 2019, Trondheim, 25-28 June.

Duckett, D., Williams, F., Halfacree, K. 2019. Working Group 3. Animalia: Partnerships, policies and understandings for more than human rural futures, XXVIII European Society for Rural Sociology Congress 2019, Trondheim, 25-28 June.

Williams, F., Halfacree, K. 2018. Sheep-shaping in the (re)production of upland rural landscapes. Paper presented at Royal Geographical Society-Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG) Annual International Conference 2018, Cardiff, 28-31 August.

Halfacree, K., Williams, F. 2018. Rural Geography Research Group (RGRG) sponsored session: Beyond mere signifiers: centring animals in the (re)production of rural landscapes, Royal Geographical Society-Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG) Annual International Conference 2018, Cardiff, 28-31 August.

Williams, F., Philip, L. 2017. Mind the Gap: Reflecting on UK Broadband and Digital-only Services Policy and Remote Rural Practice. Paper presented at Royal Geographical Society-Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG) Annual International Conference 2017, London, 30 Aug – 1 Sept.

Halfacree, K., Williams, F. 2017. Sheepwrecking or Sheepshaping? The Contested Role and Place of Sheep in the 21st Century Uplands. For XXVII European Society for Rural Sociology Congress 2017, Krakow, 18-21 July.

Williams, F., Philip, L. 2017. ‘Something terrible has happened!’ - Critiquing the disordered relationship between the hill farmer and information technology. Paper presented at XXVII European Society for Rural Sociology Congress 2017, Krakow, 18-21 July.

Halfacree, K., Williams, F. 2016. Sheep Cultures: Everyday Lives through the Ovine More-than-Human. RGRG sponsored session at the RGS-IBG Annual Conference, London, 31 Aug – 2 Sept.

Williams, F., Philip, L., Farrington, J. 2015. ‘It’s revolutionised how we do things’: then and now – a case study of Internet behaviours in a remote rural community. XXVI European Society for Rural Sociology Congress 2015, Aberdeen 18-21 July.

Williams, F., Philip, L., Farrington, J., Fairhurst, G. 2015. Untangling the rhetoric and realities of rural digital connectivity: regulatory requirements, satellite solutions and sheep farmers. 8th Quadrennial UK-US-Canadian Rural Geography Conference 2015 Global Challenges and Rural Responses, Wales 6-12 July.

Williams, F., Fairhurst, G., Farrington, J., Mohideen, A. 2015. Rural Public Access WiFi Service: Satellite Broadband for Remote Rural Areas. Invited ‘rural evidence’ presentation to the Scottish Government’s Digital Directorate Broadband Policy Team, 19 May.

Williams, F., Townsend, L. 2015. Reaching the Hard to Reach: Satellite Broadband Solutions for Remote Rural Areas. Invited ‘rural evidence’ presentation to Rural Communities Policy Unit, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 28 April.

Williams, F., Philip, L., Farrington, J., Fairhurst, G. 2014. University of Aberdeen, dot.rural written evidence to the Commons Select Committee Rural Broadband and Digital-only Services Inquiry for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA), 19 November.

Hamdoun, H., Williams, F., Mohideen, A., Philip, L., Fairhurst, G., Farrington, J. 2014. Reaching the Hard to Reach? The Public Access WiFi Service Delivery Model – Role, Potential and Pitfalls. All Hands Conference DE 2014, 3-5 December, London.

Williams, F., Fairhurst, G., Farrington, J. 2014. Exploring the Potential of the Rural Public Access WiFi Service Delivery Model – the Story So Far, presentation to the Internet Society ‘Global Access to the Internet for All’ 2nd GAIA meeting, 20-21 October, University of Cambridge. Available: https://sites.google.com/site/irtfgaia/home/gaia-2

Best, S., Myers, J., Williams F. 2014. Rural engagement: practitioner experience of rural innovation projects and co-production of services in Wales. RGRG sponsored session (Coproduction, Capacity & Change: Challenges & Opportunities for Rural Communities) at the RGS-IBG Annual Conference.              

Qualifications

PhD (Aberdeen); MPhil (Open University); BA (University of Wales)

Professional affiliations

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) with IBG

Committee Member of the RGS-IBG Rural Geography Research Group

Honorary Research Fellow of the University of Aberdeen