Liz Dinnie
I am a sociologist working as a qualitative social researcher in the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Group (SEGS) within the theme of society, institutions and governance. I joined the Institute in 2009 after a short post-doc position at the University of Sussex, on the project Queer Spiritual Spaces, an investigation into the spirituality of LGBTI people in non-mainstream religions. My undergraduate and postgraduate degrees were taken at the University of Aberdeen. My PhD looked at the relationship between beliefs and social order in a spiritual community. I live in Aberdeenshire.
Current research interests
My work focuses on the social and cultural meanings/contestations of concepts including community, nature, sustainability, and the processes through which dominant meanings come to be widely accepted and enforced. I am interested in how different ideas, points of view, beliefs and perceptions become institutionalised or ‘taken for granted’ in everyday life, and the role of knowledge and authority in supporting different forms of resistance and control.
My research interests include rural communities (and what makes them vibrant); conflict management between different land users; the relationship between the natural environment and human health; and the cultural/institutional aspects of hunting in Scotland, including cultural traditions but also property rights. I am also starting to look at behaviour changes relating to adapting to climate change. In all these areas I use qualitative methods to understand how people construct meanings about (and hence make sense of) the world around them from their everyday experiences, and how these meanings create the cultural patterns which come to form societies. I work mostly in the science theme Nurturing Vibrant and Low Carbon Communities within the James Hutton Institute.
Ongoing and recent projects
- Greenhealth: the Contribution of Green and Open Space in Public Health and Well-being, funded by Scottish Government
- HUNTing for Sustainability, funded by European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)
- Governance and decision-making for community empowerment in rural communities, and
- Understanding the linkages and interdependencies between rural and urban areas, both funded under the Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) Division set up by the Scottish Government.
- ClimateXChange (Scotland’s Centre of Expertise on Climate Change), funded by Scottish Government
Bibliography
Liz's highlighted publications
- Hybridity of representation: insights from River Basin Management Planning in Scotland., Blackstock, K.L.; Waylen, K.A.; Marshall, K.M.; Dunglinson, J., (In press) Environment and Planning C: Government and Society.
- Co-researching the Cairngorms: supporting the aims of, not just researching in, the Cairngorms National Park., Blackstock, K.L.; Dinnie, E.; Trench, H.; Miles, G., (2011) Scottish Geographical Journal, 127, 40-60.
- Landscapes of challenge and change: contested notions of the Cairngorms National Park., Dinnie, E.; Blackstock, K.L., (2010) Royal Geographical Society Annual Conference, London, 1-3 September 2010.
Liz's most recent publications
- Using Nvivo for handling large data sets: a case study., Galan-Diaz, C.; Conniff, A.; Craig, T., (In press) In: Digital Tools for Qualitative Research (eds. T. Paulus, J. Lester and P. Dempster).Sage, London.
- The impact of wind farms on Scottish tourism., Dinnie, E., (2013) Climate X Change, Scotland's Centre of Expertise Connecting Climate Change Research and Policy.
- Community, cooperation and conflict: negotiating the social wellbeing benefits of urban greenspace experience., Dinnie, E.; Brown, K.M.; Morris, S., (2013) Landscape and Urban Planning, 112, 1-9.
- Landscapes of challenge and change: contested views of the Cairngorms National Park, Dinnie, E.; Blackstock, K.L.; Dilley, R., (2012) Landscape Research, 37, 451-466.
- Creating a sexual self in heteronormative space: Integrations and imperatives amongst spirituial seekers at the Findhorn Community., Dinnie, E.; Browne, K., (2011) Sociological Research Online, 16(1), Article 7
- Developing a new vision for deer management: From species management to ecosystem approach - policy implications of current thinking., McKee, A.J.; Irvine, R.J.; Dinnie, E., (2011) HUNT Project and National Stakeholder Group, The James Hutton Institute, June 2011.
- Contribution of green and open space in public health and well-being., Miller, D.R.; Morrice, J.; Aspinall, P.; Brown, K.; Cummins, R.; Dinnie, E.; Gilbert, A.; Hester, A.; Horne, P.; Mitchell, R.; Morris, S.; Roe, J.; Ward Thompson, C., (2011) RERAD, Scottish Government, Progress Report 2010/11. Project no. MLU/ECA/UGW/847/08.
- GreenHealth., Miller, D.R.; Morrice, J.; Aspinall, P.; Brown, K.; Cummins, R.; Dinnie, E.; Gilbert, A.; Hester, A.J.; Horne, P.L.; Mitchell, R.; Morris, S.; Roe, J.; Ward Thompson, C., (2011) RERAD, Scottish Government, Progress Report, 2010/11.
- Evaluating the Cairngorms National Park Planning Process - Report to CNPA Board., Blackstock, K.L.; Dilley, R.; Dinnie, E., (2009) Paper appended to meeting papers for Cairngorms National Park Authority Informal Board Meeting, 27 November 2009.
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