Tim Kurz
I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychological Science whose research interests lie at the intersections of social, environmental and discursive psychology. I joined the UWA School of Psychological Science in 2020 after 10 years working in the United Kingdom at the Universities of Exeter (2010-2015) and Bath (2016-2020). Prior to this, I had held a lectureship at Murdoch University, (2006-2009), which I began after completing UK-based postdoctoral research posts at Queen's University Belfast (2004-05) and Newcastle University (2005-06).
A primary theoretical focus of my research has been the role of moral processes in attempts to bring about the fundamental societal and institutional changes necessary to avert the potentially disastrous consequences of environmental degradation, especially anthropogenic climate change. My research targets this agenda across three levels of analysis. First, I explore moral processes at the institutional level by examining the psychological and behavioural implications of authorities implementing different policies designed to change behavior. My past work has shown, for example, that different types of policies, and their framing, invoke different models of moral understanding and behavioural responses. For example, in recent work we have shown the the 'warm glow' of recycling schemes can potentially make people more wasteful if communications surrounding their implementation are not carefully managed. Second, I investigate processes of morality at the societal level by analysing circulating (social) media and political discourses and the social network structures through which they diffuse. Finally, at the interpersonal level, I explore how the morally normative status of environmental issues manifests in people’s reactions to interpersonal confrontations of environmental disregard.
My current work is also focused on understanding the role of moral processes in relationships between humans and non-human animals. This relates to contexts both in which animals are used for human purposes (such as agriculture) as well as contexts in which animals have a free-ranging existence. I am particularly interested in the moral complexities that emerge from situations in which free-ranging animals come into contact with humans in ways that create conflict (both between humans and non-human animals, and between different groups of humans). Street dogs in India represent a fascinating (and morally complex) example. Such conflicts are also important and consequential to both the potential health implications for humans (such as zoonotic diseases like rabies) and the welfare implications for non-human animals. I am currently exploring such questions in the context of human-street dog interactions in India as part of a large, international, interdisciplinary project (ROH-Indies) funded by The Wellcome Trust.
Another area of my research interest examines the social construction of gender. My work in this area has focused on the complexities of theorizing concepts such as ‘choice’, ‘agency’ and ‘empowerment’ in the context of a range of post-feminist public health dilemmas (e.g., infant-feeding, body image/cosmetic surgery and recreational activities associated with what has been termed ‘raunch culture’, such as recreational pole dancing). I have also explored the ways in which gendered identities are made relevant within the context of political leadership (and followership).
Primary Interests:
- Applied Social Psychology
- Attitudes and Beliefs
- Communication, Language
- Gender Psychology
- Helping, Prosocial Behavior
- Political Psychology
- Prejudice and Stereotyping
- Sociology, Social Networks
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Journal Articles:
- Kurz, T. (2002). The psychology of environmentally sustainable behaviour: Fitting together pieces of the puzzle. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 2, 257-278.
- Kurz, T., & Lyons, A. (2009). Intergroup influences on the stereotype consistency bias in communication: Does it matter who we are communicating about and to whom we are communicating? Social Cognition, 27(6), 893-904.
- Kurz, T., Donaghue, N., & Walker, I. (2005). Utilizing a social-ecological framework to promote water and energy conservation: A field experiment. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 35, 1281-1300.
- Kurz, T., Donaghue, N., Rapley, M., & Walker, I. (2005). The ways that people talk about natural resources: Discursive strategies as barriers to environmentally sustainable practices. British Journal of Social Psychology, 44, 603-620.
- Kurz, T., Linden, M., & Sheehy, N. (2007). Attitudinal and community influences on participation in new curbside recycling initiatives in Northern Ireland. Environment & Behavior, 39, 367-391.
- Whitehead, K., & Kurz, T. (2009). "Empowerment" and the pole: A discursive investigation of the re-invention of pole dancing as a recreational activity. Feminism & Psychology, 19(2), 224-244.
- Whitehead, K., & Kurz, T. (2008). Saints, sinners & standards of femininity: Discursive constructions of anorexia nervosa and obesity in women's magazines. Journal of Gender Studies, 17, 345-358.
Other Publications:
- Lyons, A., Clark, A. E., Kashima, Y., & Kurz, T. (2008). Cultural dynamics of stereotypes. In Y. Kashima, K. Fiedler, & P. Freytag (Eds.), Stereotype dynamics: Language-based approaches to the formation, maintenance, and transformation of stereotypes (pp. 59-92). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Tim Kurz
School of Psychological Science
University of Western Australia (M304)
35 Stirling Highway
Perth 6009
Australia
- Phone: +61 (8) 6488 7286
