INTRODUCTION

The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute is an international centre for research and consultancy on the environmental and social consequences of rural land uses. It has a strong emphasis on bringing scientists from different disciplines together to carry out interdisciplinary research. The Socio Economics Research Group is headed by Professor Bill Slee who leads a team of over 20 social scientists. Members of the team come from a range of disciplinary backgrounds including economics, sociology, applied philosophy, social psychology, geography and anthropology. In our research, we adopt approaches from these and several other disciplines by working with natural scientists and others.

The socio-economic group within the Institute can be described under three broad themes: Society institutions and governance; Rural and regional economics; and Values, choices and behaviour. The activities of members of the group frequently unite around a particular project and many people work under more than one theme.

RESEARCH THEMES

Society, institutions and governance

Research conducted under this theme utilizes a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches from disciplines such as sociology, geography and anthropology. The aim is to examine how people negotiate access to and control over rural resources. One strand examines governance structures and practices that enable and constrain co-ordination of management activities. Another focuses on social and institutional adaptation in response to processes such as climate change and extreme events such as flooding. Particular attention is given to how stakeholder engagement with complex environmental decision making can be enhanced. These ideas are currently being applied to Scottish national parks, recreation and tourism, water management, deer management and biodiversity initiatives. View staff working under this theme.

Rural and regional economics

This theme examines the sustainability of traditional resource-based industries such as agriculture and forestry and their response to post-productivist demands. It addresses connections between the traditional rural economy and emerging markets and industries such as tourism and small enterprises. The research aims to understand and articulate the implications of both generic and specifically rural policy on the wellbeing of different groups in rural areas. Current research projects include analysis of labour market performance specific to rural areas, examining rural development policy in the context of broader regional development, and highlighting social exclusion problems related to changes in the age composition of the rural population. View staff working under this theme.

Values, choices and behaviour

The aim of this theme is to 1) improve our understanding of the ways people make sense of and value natural resources and their environment generally, and 2) examine people’s decision-making and behaviour related to the natural world. Research under this theme draws mainly on psychological and economic theories and approaches and employs both qualitative and quantitative methods. Our work explores values, choices and behaviour of individuals in their social and institutional context.

Research is currently being conducted on preferences for CO2 sequestration in soils, mental constructs (including values) associated with species, habitats and biodiversity, attitudes and preferences for different approaches to the management of water resources, and expert and public views of flood risk management techniques. View staff working under this theme.

APPROACHES

Our research is essentially interdisciplinary: we interweave research techniques drawn from a number of scientific, economic and social disciplines. Rather than being topic-focused, SERG’s strength lies in developing research tools and methods that can be applied to environmental and rural problems in all the Institute’s science programmes. By using and developing a variety of quantitative and qualitative research tools, we provide new insights into complex problems.

We focus on the following themes and approaches:

• Participation and governance (institutional)
• Valuation and preferences
• Social justice and equity
• Policy evaluation
• Interdisciplinarity
• Economics of land-based industries.

Our work encompasses forthcoming legislation, policy initiatives, and institutions and agencies operating at different levels:

• Local & Regional (Estate Management, River Basin Management, Biodiversity Action Plans).
• National (SEERAD, SNH, DEFRA, Forestry Commission).
• European (Common Agricultural Policy Reform, Water Framework Directive, Habitats Directive, Floods Directive).
• International (United Nations Framework on Climate Change, Convention on Biodiversity).

SHORT HISTORY

The research programme was headed by Dr Bob Crabtree until 2000 and Dr Deb Roberts was acting head from 2000-2001. The programme was latterly entitled Rural Economic Modelling and Environmental Economics. In 2001 Professor Clive Spash took over as head of the programme which was renamed Socio-Economic Research Programme. Professor Bill Slee has been Science Leader of the Socio-Economic Research Group since 2006.