School of Social and Political Science

Research interests

Current Projects

I am a sociologist with an interest in care – as an ethical and political concern – for generating new agendas for understanding and responding to our socioecological crises. My current project, Building Sustainability on a Foundation of Care, aims to elaborate a socioecological care approach for building better people-planet relations.

Previous research has focused on relations between gender and sustainability in affluent countries, particularly at the household scale, and interactions between social science in environmental public policy processes. My research utilises qualitative methods, has often involved interdisciplinary collaborations, and has engaged a wide variety of stakeholders. Recently published work can be found in the journals of Environment and Planning E: Nature & Space, The Sociological Review, The Journal of Familes, Relationships & Societies, and forthcoming in a Handbook for Research on Sustainable Lifestyles. 

I am the Director for Sus+ The Edinburgh University Network of Social Scientists for Sustainability; Co-Lead for College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science Research Themes on Energy and Sustainability; Partner on UArctic Ocean Incubator; Co-Theme Lead (with Dr Faye Wade) on SFC Scottish Research Alliance for Energy, Homes and Livelihoods; and involved in various activities/roles delivering the MA in Sustainable Development.

Completed Projects

Sustainable Practices Research Group (2010 - 2013)

I was principal investigator for the 'Engagement, Interaction and Influence' work-package for the Sustainable Practices Research Group (SPRG), funded by ESRC, DEFRA and Scottish Government. Building on my previous research on public engagement, this project had both a research and an engagement component aiming to further our understanding of the relationship between social science and public policy. My collaborators on this project were Prof. Joseph Murphy (Co-I) and Dr Fraser Stewart (Research Fellow, 2011-2013).

Eurostemcell (2010 - 2014)

I was involved in a European consortium for communicating stem cell research. This project brought together the major EU-funded large-scale stem cell projects and aimed to create a coordinated platform for widespread dissemination of scientific knowledge spanning the research fields of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. My role was to advise on the evaluation of the communication and engagement activities generated as part of this project.

Meanings of nature (2008 - 2010)

Funded through the ESRC's Genomics Network I coordinated a network of scholars to explore the relationship between developments in genomics and our knowledge and understanding of 'nature'. I subsequently co-edited a book (with John Dupré) on the same topic which was published in 2010 (see below).

Public engagement and stem cell research (2005 - 2008)

Funded under the ESRC's programme, "Stem Cell Research: The Economic and Social Agenda", I was principal investigator on a three year project: "The Social Dynamics of Public Engagement in Stem Cell Research". The project had two aims: first, to explore the views of a wide range of publics and experts in Scotland and, second, to develop engagement methods for establishing a dialogue between different groups.

PhD Supervision

I have enjoyed supervising doctoral students from a range of backgrounds - from the natural and social sciences - and would welcome students interested in: i) Gender-environment relations, particularly in over-developed countries; ii) Gender and sustainability in households and communities; iii) Animal-human relations in the context of environmental issues; and iv) Care and sustainability. I will be glad to hear from any excellent students that have an idea that builds on any of these interests.

Find out more about the programmes that I am involved with: (opening in new windows)

• PhD in Science and Technology Studies
• MSc (R) Science and Technology Studies

Current PhD Students

Xin Zhang (2020-2026, part-time) Sustainable Clothing Practices.

Eva Gray (2022-2026) Adopting the Electric Vehicle: Racing, Culture, and the Transition to Sustainable Mobility.

Charlie Third (2024-2028) Just and Sustainable Transitions: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Understanding Behaviour Change in the Cairngorms National Park.

tbc (2024-2028) Enhancing Diversity in Scotland’s Construction Workforce: Exploring the Role of Modern Methods of Construction.