My background is in Sociology, with a joint honours degree in Sociology with Gender Studies from Edinburgh University and a PhD in Sociology from James Cook University, Australia. I joined the Macaulay Institute in 2003. We became the Social, Economic and Geographic Sciences Group (SEGS) [2] when the James Hutton Institute was created in April 2011 and I am part of the Society, Institutions and Governance [3] Subgroup. I currently juggle the full-time job of raising twins with working part-time.
My research focuses on governance, particularly public and stakeholder participation in environmental policy making and implementation. I have an associated interest in the use of 'tools' as deliberative boundary objects in decision making and evaluation processes. I generally favour mixed qualitative methods such as interviews, focus groups and participant observation. Threading through my research is an interest in reconciling critical approaches to policy making and implementation with constructive engagement in knowledge exchange with policy actors. This reflects my interest in ‘studying up’ – using the politics and practices of participatory research to work with people in positions of power and authority. Currently, I am considering how systemic approaches co-exist with, conflict with or shape existing policies shaping Scottish land and water management, and moving into the study of reconciling living within planetary boundaries with social, environmental and geographical justice.
Links:
[1] https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0429-0215
[2] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/groups/social-economic-and-geographical-sciences
[3] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/groups/social-economic-and-geographical-sciences/staff
[4] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/projects/magic
[5] https://magic-nexus.eu/
[6] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/srp2016-21/wp14-integrated-and-sustainable-management-natural-assets
[7] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/srp2016-21/wp143-practical-interventions-realise-multiple-benefits-and-manage-trade-offs
[8] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/projects/analysing-how-policy-instruments-shape-soil-water-and-biodiversity
[9] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/projects/monitoring-and-evaluation-ecosystem-management-meem-comparing-theory-and-practice
[10] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/staff/jessica-maxwell
[11] https://www.researchgate.net/project/Natural-Capital-Accounting-Distribution-of-Benefits
[12] http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/people/j.martin-ortega
[13] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/projects/ecosystem-approach-review
[14] https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/environment/energy-conservation/aberdeenshire-land-use-strategy-pilot/
[15] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/reports
[16] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/projects/evaluating-crew
[17] http://www.crew.ac.uk/publication/optimising-water-framework-directive-river-basin-management-planning-using-ecosystem
[18] http://www.crew.ac.uk/publication/benefits-private-water-supply-grants
[19] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/archive/areas-of-interest/Community-basedManagementinLatinAme
[20] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/projects/Learning-Landscape-Partnerships
[21] http://www.macaulay.ac.uk/aquarius/
[22] http://www.3deevision.org:78/
[23] http://www.macaulay.ac.uk/smile/
[24] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/staff/sharon-flanigan
[25] http://www.hutton.ac.uk/staff/heather-smith
[26] http://uknea.unep-wcmc.org/