Bunkerology - a case study in the meanings, motives and methods of urban exploration

This is my Masters of Research (MRes) dissertation, successfully submitted to Sheffield Hallam University in May 2010. It is the origin point for my recent papers on 'bunkerology' and provides greater detail on the nature and process of my empirical study of the practices of ROC Post explorers via their on-line accounts. It also provides a discussion of the study from the point of view of research ethics, research design choices and the epistemology and ontology of the 'subject' of my study. Inevitably, the passage of time and thought throws up issues that could have been dealt with more extensively, differently, or at all. The absence of any consideration of gender was noted by my dissertation's examiners. I am addressing that separately. Other tangents left on the 'cutting room floor' in the dissertation writing process have either seen light separately (my paper 'the Bunker' looking at the interplay of the materiality and metaphor of these structures in organisational culture) or are being worked up into future outputs. Photographs and accounts extracted from 28dayslater.co.uk are used with the permission of 'Turkey' at 28dayslater but all opinions and interpretations about their content are my own. I'm interested in any feedback - and whether from urban explorers, premises owners or academics. Luke Bennett l.e.bennett@shu.ac.uk