Himashini (Hima) Whitley
PhD Candidate
Institute of Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Australia
Website:
Research Interests
Participatory approaches, the effects of discourse, children’s mobilities, health inequities
Research Projects
I am a Postgraduate Researcher at the Institute of Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN) at Deakin University, Australia interested in children’s experiences of urban mobility.
1. Current Research
Public health policy, practice and research that impacts children’s local active mobilities is primarily informed by the understanding that physical inactivity threatens children’s health and wellbeing. Parents, in particular, are understood to be capable of controlling the individual health outcomes for their children and curb the risk of physical inactivity.
My PhD research examines children’s local active mobilities from a critical constructionist lens with a focus on informing public health policy, practice and research. The project adopts a range of participatory methods (including drawing, maps, walking tours and semi-structured interviews) to engage with 15 Australian children in their final years of primary school. In addition, interviews with parents seek to examine the logics through which certain active mobility practices are legitimised as normal, whilst others are limited.
2. Other / Previous Research
I have worked with Local Councils to develop sustainable transport strategies, and examine pedestrian and cyclist behaviours from a positivist, socio-ecological perspective in my previous role as a Travel Behaviour Change Consultant.
Links to Published Works:
Whitley, Himashini, Jenny Veitch, Anna Timperio, Shannon Sahlqvist, and Octavia Calder-Dawe. 2023. “‘It’s a Good Start to the Day’: Urban Australian Children’s Understandings of Active Mobility and Place.” In Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity Conference, Wellington, New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand. [https://aspactivity.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SESNZ-ASPA-2023-Conference-Full-Programme.pdf]
Whitley, Himashini, Jenny Veitch, Anna Timperio, Shannon Sahlqvist, and Octavia Calder-Dawe. 2022. “How Do Children Understand and Make Sense of Their Active Mobilities and Urban Space? [E-Poster].” In Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity Conference, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. [https://aspactivity.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ASPA2022-Abstract-Book.pdf]
Lake Macquarie City Council. 2012. “Lake Macquarie City Council Cycling Strategy 2021.” Lake Macquarie, Australia: Lake Macquarie City Council. [https://www.lakemac.com.au/files/assets/public/project-files/lake-macquarie-city-council-cycling-strategy-2021-version-2-final.pdf]