Amber Martin-Woodhead

Dr

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    Calculated based on number of publications stored in Pure and citations from Scopus
    20122023

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    Research Interests

    Dr. Amber Martin-Woodhead is an Assistant Professor in Human Geography at Coventry University’s School of The Environment and an ASPiRE research fellow in the Centre for Business in Society. 

    Her research explores the geographies of consumption and sustainability, with a particular focus on lifestyle minimalism and sustainable fashion. Her work examines how minimalist practices can foster both personal and environmental benefits, investigating topics such as sustainable parenting in minimalist households and the role of minimalist inspired fashion challenges in promoting sustainability, including collaborations with organisations like Tearfund.

    Dr. Martin-Woodhead’s work has been published in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Consumer Culture, Area, and the International Journal of Sustainable Fashion & Textiles, as well as in edited volumes on ethical and sustainable consumption. She is currently authoring a book on the sustainable potential of lifestyle minimalism.

    As a recognised expert on sustainable consumption, she contributes widely to public discourse through articles in The Conversation and The i newspaper. She frequently provides expert commentary for major media outlets such as Thomson Reuters Foundation News and Cosmopolitan, and has appeared on podcasts and radio programs, including BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours, offering insights into sustainable fashion, decluttering culture, and minimalist living.

    At Coventry University, Dr. Martin-Woodhead has led and taught a diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including Shop Til’ You Drop: Geographies of Consumption, which critically examines the environmental and social impacts of consumer culture. Her teaching integrates real-world case studies, research-led insights, and fieldwork opportunities to engage students in pressing sustainability issues. She also supervises Geography and Environmental Management dissertation students on sustainable consumption, circular economies, and ethical fashion.

    Biography

    Amber was awarded an ESRC 1+3 studentship to complete a MSC in Economy, Space and Society and a PhD at the University of Nottingham, which she completed in 2013. The doctoral thesis used a mixed methods approach to explore the social, economic, and feminist geographies of the sex retail industry.

    Following her PhD, she took a role as Lecturer in Economic Geography at Queen Mary, University of London, where she taught on globalisation, consumption and economic geography and conducted research on the luxury fashion industry with Professor Louise Crewe (University of Nottingham).

    She then worked as quantitative research executive in a market research agency, designing and analysing large scale consumer surveys for clients from the luxury retail and beauty industries.

    She joined Coventry University as a lecturer in 2016 and was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2021. She has led many modules focused on economic and feminist geography and also teaches qualitative and quantitative research methods. She maintains her research in minimalism and sustainable fashion and regularly contributes to broadcast and written media on these themes.

    Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

    In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

    • SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

    Education/Academic qualification

    Education, Postgraduate Certificate, Certificate in Learning and Teaching, Distinction., Queen Mary University of London

    1 Sept 20131 Jun 2014

    Award Date: 1 Jun 2014

    Human Geography, Doctorate, Sex shops and Erotic boutiques: Geographies of sex-product retailing in contemporary England. , University of Nottingham

    1 Sept 20092 Dec 2013

    Award Date: 2 Dec 2013

    Economic Geography, MSc, Economy, Space and Society, University of Nottingham

    1 Sept 20081 Sept 2009

    Award Date: 1 Jun 2009

    Geography, Degree, BA Geography, University of Nottingham

    1 Sept 20051 May 2008

    Award Date: 1 Jun 2008

    Keywords

    • G Geography (General)
    • Fashion
    • Consumption
    • Retail
    • Minimalism
    • Gender
    • Ethical consumption
    • Branding
    • Sustainability
    • Sustainable fashion
    • Circular Economy
    • Material Cultures

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