Sophie Perry – visiting PhD student from London

From April until early May, Sophie Perry is visiting us from King’s College London, where she is a PhD student. Her main focus is to investigate how environmental education organisations conceptualise and enact their role in relation to environmental and social issues.

Sophie Perry
Sophie Perry. Photo: Private.

– Sweden is an important "player" in the research community in environmental education where a lot of work has been done at the universities. That's why I wanted to come here, says Sophie Perry. I contacted Professor Cecilia Lundholm because I used a lot of her work in the development stages of my project.

– I'm particularly interested in systemic issues and socio-political contexts that constrain, or enable, the realisation of the environmental education programmes. The research I'm doing is qualitative and is based on three case study organisations. I have conducted observations and interviews at each of them and I am now in the process of inductive thematic analysis.

 

What made you interested in environmental issues?

– I grew up in rural mid Wales, so nature and the environment have always been important to me. After an Undergraduate in Biology at Oxford University I began working in science and environmental engagement; running events, facilitating workshops, working at museums and galleries and producing educational projects. 

– Working in this area was amazing, but also challenging, and I felt as an educator there were a lot of barriers that prevented programmes from reaching their potential. I did a Master’s in Science, Technology and Society in 2017 which helped me think critically about these issues, and since then I've not been able to get the idea of a PhD out of my head!

 

What is the purpose of your stay at SU and the Department of Teaching and Learning? 

– I'll be at Stockholm University for six weeks, the stay is funded by the LISS DTP (London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Programme), who offer the opportunity to research at an overseas institution to build connections with academic networks, and to discuss our research with fellow academics outside of our home institution. 

– During this time, I hope to contribute as much as possible to the research group, hear more about the exciting projects that I know are going on there, and take part in lots of discussions to get some fresh perspectives on the work that I am doing. I will also be sharing my research progress so far in a seminar during April. 

 

Do you have any special expectations for your stay in Stockholm? 

– I am really looking forward to having some time to deepen my analysis. Here in London and at King's, I teach a lot alongside my studies and seem to always be busy and somewhat distracted. 

– I'm looking forward to taking things more slowly and having fewer things competing for my attention alongside my research. But I also love cold swimming, saunas, and fika – so I'm hoping to fit that in too.

– I'm really grateful for the opportunity and excited to meet as many people as possible during my short stay.