The Politics of Shark Attacks
Christopher Neff is an American PhD student at the University of Sydney conducting the first doctoral thesis on the “politics of shark attacks.” He is looking at how shark attacks are framed by the media, communities and politicians and how this impacts the development of beach safety and shark conservation policies in South Africa, Australia and the United States.
Christopher has worked as a United States Senate staffer, federal lobbyist and political consultant. He completed his Masters Degree in Public Policy (honours) at the University of Sydney in 2007 and continues his current research under the supervision of Dr. Betsi Beem. In May 2011, he presented at the International Marine Conservation Congress on the changing frames of ‘shark bite incidents’ in Australia. Neff also recently organized a “re-think” the shark forum at Sydney University, co-hosted by the Uni Wildlife and Politics societies.
Christopher’s research looks at both quantitative and qualitative methods for reviewing public perceptions of risk regarding sharks and how governments choose to respond following shark bites.
