Jim Fraser
Job Title
PhD Researcher
Research interests
Research interests
Place, Social Memory, Oilscapes, Imagined Futures, Just Transition, North East of Scotland.
Background
Jim Fraser is a first-year PhD researcher working within Social Anthropology. His PhD project, currently titled "Past, Present, and Uncertain Future in Scotland’s Oilscape: Investigating the Entanglements of Oil and Cultural Life in Aberdeen", investigates the affect that North Sea oil has had on cultural life in his home town, Aberdeen.
He is co-supervised by Dr John Harries and Dr Zeynep Oguz; and is funded by an ESRC scholarship provided through the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science's open competition.
Project Summary
His research focuses on the relationship that has developed between Aberdeen and oil since the emergence of the North Sea oil industry over fifty years ago. A relationship that took Aberdeen from a small city known for granite and fishing, to the 'Oil Capital of Europe'.
Today, Aberdeen is faced with another major transformation. The need for a global transition away from fossil fuels means the winding down of the industry that has been at its core for more than half a century. During this period the oil industry has reshaped Aberdeen; be it in the offices of glass and steel that rise above the old granite streets, or the distinctive temporal experiences - of booms and busts - that are characteristic of places tied to the price of Brent Crude.
The aim of this project is to investigate how oil has become woven into contemporary Aberdonian cultural life, and of how it affects local perception of past, present, and orientation towards the future. Understanding this relationship - between oil and place - is an essential precursory step if we want to motivate a green transition strategy for Aberdeen that is considerate of its particular context and the needs of its constituent communities.
Fieldwork
The project will involve a years fieldwork in Aberdeen - beginning 2026.
Tutoring
2025/26 Semester Two: 'South Asia in the World'
Qualifications
MSc(R) Social and Political Science; Social Anthropology. (Edinburgh 2024)
MA(Hons) Social Anthropology and Politics (Edinburgh 2023).
Contact
Always happy to chat about anything even vaguely related. Drop an email to jim.fraser@ed.ac.uk