Our People and Structure

The SEGS department is organised into two groups: ‘Environmental governance and land management’ led by Kerry Waylen [1] and ‘People and places’ led by Liz Dinnie [2].

Environmental Governance and Land Management

Our research explores the complexities – and consequences – of how different actors, policies, and institutions are intertwined in decision making and activities affecting the natural environment and land management. Much of our work is applied and aims to inform decision-making and practices in Scotland, the UK and beyond.  Examples of research topics and interests are shown in the table on the right.

Our group comprises social scientists from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds, including sociology, institutional, ecological and environmental economics, anthropology and geography. Research conducted accordingly draws on a variety of theoretical approaches and concepts.

We often use qualitative approaches, working both inductively and deductively. Between us we use a range of data collection methods ranging from semi-structured interviews, focus groups or workshops, ethnographic methods and observational data, to video and other visual methods such as digital story-telling. We also use mixed methods and quantitative methods such as surveys, choice experiments and modelling approaches.  Increasingly the group explores how virtual methods e.g. Delphi, webinars, virtual reality, can complement face-to-face interactions for data collection.

Staff involved in this work: Adam Calo [3], Alba Juarez Bourke [4], Annie McKee [5], Carla Barlagne, [6] Carol Kyle [7], Christina Noble [8], Claire Hardy [9], Dominic Duckett [10], Katrina Brown [11], Keith Marshall [12],  Kerry Waylen [1], Kirsty Blackstock [13], Laure Kuhfuss [14], Leanne Townsend [15], Lee-Ann Sutherland [16], Maria Nijnik [17], Orla Shortall [18], Paola Ovando Pol, [19] Rowan Ellis [20], Sharon Flanigan [21], Vanessa Burns [22]

PhD students: Kirsty Holstead [23], Oliver Zwirner

People and Places

Much of the research within the people and places group is focused on understanding the dynamic relationships between people and their socio-physical environments. The broad disciplinary mix and mixed-methods approach within this group are a key strength. Research within this group includes the following topics:

• Demographic and socio-economic change in sparsely populated areas
• Place-based policy and community resilience
• Sustainability transitions (including energy infrastructure)
• Everyday environmental behaviour (including energy, transport, and food)
• Representing people-environment interactions in computational models
• Valuation of public goods
• The relationship between greenspace and wellbeing
• Sustainable food systems and socio-technical change

The group comprises social scientists from a wide range of disciplines using a diverse array of methodologies to understand relationships between people and place, and how these change over time. There is a strong emphasis on qualitative methods to understand beliefs, perceptions and culture underlying people-environment relations, as well as quantitative methods to measure, for example, the ways in which people value different environments,demographic change and patterns of socio-economic development. A small but growing number of the group are increasingly using digital technologies to explore understandings of people-environment relationships, including the touch table and video recordings.

Staff involved in this work: Tony Craig [24], Mags Currie [25], Simone Piras [26], Kathryn Colley [27], Nazli Koseoglu [28], Jon Hopkins [29], Alice Hague [30], Ruth Wilson [31], Kate Irvine [32], Scott Herrett [33], Dan Fisher, [34] Liz Dinnie [2], Anna Conniff [35], Annabel Pinker [36], Michaela Roberts [37]

PhD students:Irma Arts [38], Rachel Creaney [39], Rod Lovie, Stacey Marko