Kevin Jones, PhD, MA, BSocSc

Area of Study / Keywords

Environmental Sociology Urban Agriculture Public Engagement Environmental Risk Community-Based Research

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About

Dr. Kevin Jones is Associate Professor of Community Engagement and Public Policy.

Dr. Jones is an interdisciplinary social scientist researching adaptations to the social and environmental challenges which increasingly define today’s world. His research explores pathways to transformative change focusing on processes of institutional and governance innovation. A central element of this work involves the role of public expertise and citizenship engagement as prompts for reflexivity and for opening-up risk issues to more robust governance approaches. Dr. Jones is the ALES co-chair of the University's Environmental Studies program: https://www.ualberta.ca/agriculture-life-environment-sciences/programs/undergraduate-programs/degree-programs/environmental-studies/index.html

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Research

Below is a brief overview of Dr. Jones's current research interests and activities.

Scholarly Areas of Research:

• Science and Technology Studies, Public Understanding of Science
• Sociology of Risk and the Environment
• Urban Agriculture and Sustainability
• Public Engagement and Participatory Governance
• Community-Based Research

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Teaching

Teaching Awards

Faculty of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty Teaching Award 2025

Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Research, Great Supervisor Award 2020

Graduate Supervision

Dr. Jones is currently supervising graduate students working on topics including: urban sustainability; participatory urbanism; urban agriculture and community gardening; and citizen engagement in environmental governance. Alongside supervisory activities in REES, Dr. Jones accepts graduate students enrolled in the Master of Arts Community Engagement (MACE) program within the School of Public Health.If you are interested in working with Dr. Jones in your own graduate studies please feel free to send inquiries by email.

MACE 551 - Engagement and Public Policy

This course will explore the degree to which citizen engagement contributes to policy and governance adaptation, particularly in response to calls for governance innovations in the face of complex and persistent policy challenges (for instance as relates to sustainability or social justice) Students may not receive credit for both MACE 597 (Engagement and Public Policy) and MACE 551.

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R SOC 455 - Urban Agriculture and Urban Sustainability

Urban Agriculture (UA) involves a wide range of horticultural activities and is often championed as particularly advantageous for cities because it is seen to offer a diversity of social, nutritional and environmental virtues. In this course, students will examine these claims and reflect upon the contemporary development of UA as a source of transformative change in our society. Conceptually, the course draws on material from rural and environmental sociology, urban geography and the social study of food and agriculture. Instruction combines online resources, seminars, and experiential participation in an urban agriculture project. Prerequisite: 60 units.

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R SOC 551 - Engagement and Public Policy

Public engagement has become increasingly prevalent within contemporary democratic systems of government. This course explores the rationales behind the growth of engagement, and critically examines evolving practice and institutional uptake. An important theme of the course involves and examination of the degree to which citizen engagement contributes to policy and governance adaptation, particularly in response to calls for governance innovations in the face of complex and persistent policy challenges (for instance as related to sustainability or social justice).

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R SOC 656 - Urban Agriculture and Urban Sustainability

Urban Agriculture (UA) involves a wide range of horticultural activities and is often championed as particularly advantageous for cities because it is seen to offer a diversity of social, nutritional and environmental virtues. In this course, students will examine these claims and reflect upon the contemporary development of UA as a source of transformative change in our society. Conceptually, the course drawn on material from rural and environmental sociology, urban geography and the social study of food and agriculture. Instruction combines online resources, seminars, and experiential participation in an urban agriculture project.

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Browse more courses taught by Kevin Jones

Van Assche, K., Jones, K.E., and Pacholok, T.

Space and Culture. 2025 August; 10.1177/12063312251363067

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Jones KE, Van Assche K and Parkins J

Local Environment. 2021 June; 26 (7):908-920 10.1080/13549839.2021.1939289

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Shields R and Jones KE

Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research. 2020 October; 10.1080/13511610.2020.1822154

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Granzow M and Jones KE

Local Environment. 2020 April; 25 (5):381-396 10.1080/13549839.2020.1753666

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Jones KE, Granzow M and Shields R

Urban Studies. 2019 March; 56 (4):705-721 10.1177/0042098017719191

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Macmahon E, Granzow M and Jones KE

2016 November; 7 (1):92-103 10.17742/IMAGE.NBW.7-1.7

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Davidson D, Jones KE and Parkins J

Agriculture and Human Values. 2016 June; 33 (2):359-371 10.1007/s10460-015-9609-8

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Jones KE, Lord A, and Shields R

MQUP. 2015 November;

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Jones KE and Davidson D

Food Policy. 2014 December; 49 (1):250-258 10.1016/j.foodpol.2014.09.003

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Irwin A, Jensen T and Jones KE

Social Studies of Science. 2013 February; 43 (1):118-135 10.1177/0306312712462461