Sarah Wrathmell

Exploring connective commodity geographies between the UK and Sri Lanka
Supervisors: Professor Peter Jackson, Dr Tariq Jazeel and Professor Nicky Gregson
Funded by Economic and Social Research Council, UK (award no: PTA-0302005-00913)

My project

Over the last few years I have been particularly interested in South Asian post-colonial plantation communities, having conducted undergraduate research on Sri Lanka's up-country tea estates. My PhD research continues to explore these plantation spaces in the wider context of international rubber commodity networks between Sri Lanka and the UK. My project analyses the production, consumption, movement, and (dis)connections within rubber networks, and the people, spaces, and processes bound up in these geographies. A focus on rubber's material cultures explores the practices of rubber-specific production/consumption cultures across both countries.

My research attempts to contribute to an emerging body of geographical work looking at less 'visible' commodities. This work has often focused on a fairly limited range of commodities and their spatialities, perhaps neglecting analysis of those which are arguably harder to trace through their production systems and within consumer cultures.

My project adopts a multi-locale ethnographic methodology through focus groups and interviews, with overseas research primarily focused in the rubber producing regions of southwest Sri Lanka.

Previous Research

• Ian Cook, James Evans, Helen Griffiths, Rebecca Morris and Sarah Wrathmell (2007). 'It's more than just what it is': defetishising commodities, expanding fields, mobilising change? Geoforum, 38(6), 1113-1126.
  doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2006.08.015
• From Rags to Riches: Following the fashion for ethics in Material Worlds (2004). Unpublished MSc dissertation. The University of Birmingham; supervised by Dr Ian Cook.
• The Connectivitea of Britain and Sri Lanka (2003). Unpublished BA (Hons) undergraduate dissertation. The University of Birmingham; supervised by Dr Ian Cook.

Funding Support

I am grateful to present and past funders for financially supporting my research:

• Economic and Social Research Council, PhD Studentship & Overseas Fieldwork Support, 2005-08
• University of Birmingham School of Geography, Kinvig Travel Bursary, 2002; Harry Thorpe Prize for Project and Fieldwork, 2003; MSc Studentship, 2003-04
• RGS-IBG Developing Areas Research Group, Undergraduate Dissertation Prize (non-monetary award), 2003
• Gales Youth Trust, Travel Bursary, 2002

Contact Details

I would love to hear from anyone with an interest in my research, so please get in touch:

Address: University of Sheffield, Department of Geography, Winter Street, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
Tel: +44 (0)114 222 7973
Fax: +44 (0)114 222 7907
Email: S.Wrathmell@Sheffield.ac.uk