Dr Jai Cooper

Dr Jai Cooper is a Consultant for the Institute for Regional Futures and a leading environmental sociologist with over thirty years’ experience working directly with regional communities.

Jai's diverse background builds upon decades of practical experience working with regional communities. This includes youth work and community support in natural resources particularly in regional NSW. Jai draws upon a life history of working within the textiles, tourism and adventure industries through to the education and training sector, land management, and Aboriginal communities.

In 2022, Jai completed his PhD in Sociology/Anthropology examining the experiences of young people in environmental training programs. He now applies a lifetime of practical experience with academic rigour. Jai specialises in research methodology with expertise in qualitative and quantitative data analysis and managing social and environmental impacts in regional communities.

Jai’s published works address the fields of mobility, environmental sociology, Australian history, and economic development. His works include the development of innovative online educational and social media content. 

Jai convenes the Environment and Society thematic group of The Australian Sociological Association and is a member of the International Sociological Association.

Jai's current projects are diverse including social impact assessments for health infrastructure projects, analysis of the Institute's 'Regions Matter' and other quantitative regional research data, Truth Telling in Indigenous Education in the NSW education system, and qualitative research into business attraction to regional areas undergoing energy and economic diversification.  

Don Quixote, the Hysteresis effect and the occasional wine tour

Communities, industries and individuals can embrace different blends of tradition and innovation, ultimately helping them to adapt to changing social, economic and environmental conditions.  We all need a sense of purpose, however, when times change we have to adjust. Cervantes' tale of Don Quixote reminds us that it is absurd to be attached to ideals and there is also merit in retaining some traditions. However, change is something to be embraced. This condition known as 'hysteresis' is the social process which render some practices (and people) successful and others obsolete. This 'Don Quixote Effect' is central to my work.

From beginnings among family businesses in the Melbourne rag trade, raised in the factories of Footscray, Victoria (some may remember 'EastCoast Clothing') I witnessed first hand the impacts of legislative and policy change on industry. While the Hunter Valley of New South Wales wrestled with the closure of BHP, we witnessed similar changes in our family business. Ironically, it was one of my own family, EJ Cooper (author of Customs and Excise Law: 1983), who personally inked the future for many of Australia's manufacturing industries, ouch! Multi-culturalism grew and it was fantastic to watch Footscray housing the diaspora of many. Yet, simultaneously, globalisation also grew and brought cheap imported clothing and its impacts on local manufacturing. Success came to those who pivoted to embrace change while retaining the useful lessons of the past. We didn't have the words for it, but these changes exemplified 'hysteresis'. 

Adapting to changing circumstances is a hallmark of our times. With change comes both challenges and opportunities. 

Since then, I've spent decades working across a range of sectors with a focus on community environment work and young people. This work has led to wide experience with private and public landowners and managers, Aboriginal communities, international tourists, government, community groups and corporations. It's been a privilege to encounter the many ways in which people understand, appreciate and utilise the natural world to invest in our collective future. Due to major injuries, I've had to adapt what I do, too: stomping around the bush with environmental youth programs was not a long term option for me. 

In 2022, I completed my doctoral research into Australian 'environmental workfare' programs such as Green Army, National Green Jobs Corps, Green Corps and LEAP (the Landcare Environment Action Program). I hope that these lessons can help avoid repeating mistakes or engaging in futile struggles.  

As a professional who has bridged the gap with sessional academic work for many years, I have ranged across areas of sociological interest including: the environment, youth, work, housing, mobilities and more, teaching into various courses across the University of Newcastle. This has included social sciences, business and enabling programs.  My honours thesis explored bicycle advocacy in regional/rural communities of NSW. In 2022-23, alongside Associate Professor Kathy Mee and Dr Julia Cook, our research into the 'Grow A Star' program found how a small grants program for young people helped to break cycles of disadvantage.

I like to keep a practical connection to the local community. As a sideline, I occasionally work in the Hunter region’s hospitality sector - taking wine tours, hens and bucks nights, picking up VIPs in the 24-seat bus and sometimes the stretch limousine. A good social scientist never forgets to keep it real. 

Since late 2023, I've been working as a consultant for the Institute for Regional Futures with projects ranging widely from enhancing the business environment of Lake Macquarie, to social impact assessment, regional economic analysis, tourism development and more. 

Working with industry and community as a consultant feels like I'm back to my roots, helping with adaptation to change, and with keeping the dream alive.

There are challenges that come with change. It's no good to just stick our heads in the sand or throw our hands in the air. While they laughed at Don Quixote for being a dreamer, his reply exposed the insanity of their rationality: 'to abandon dreams, this may be madness.' It's up to us to find the dreams and make them into realities.