Making Waste History? Innovation for sustainable consumption
If you have a first degree in in Human geography, sociology, planning, anthropology, economics, psychology, development studies (the standard minimum entry requirement is 2:1). Then you might want to take the opportunity to apply for this PhD, it's an unusual opportunity for those with an real interest in waste who want to be at the forefront of taking us all to the next level of eliminating waste altogether. It would be a really valuable area of study, co-funded by Norfolk County Council - who will supervise this PhD Project to which it is envisaged you can bring your own interests to bear on the subject. It's a real chance to get your teeth into waste!
The challenge of Making Waste History will demand transformative innovation in both the systems that uphold contemporary ways of living (e.g. food, housing, transport etc.) and the related social practices that make up normal everyday life (e.g. shopping, holidaying, and employment). This PhD project will develop and test an innovative conceptual approach which recognises that innovation in systems and innovation in practices are fundamentally interconnected, and will apply it to the pressing sustainability challenge of making waste history.
This PhD is co-funded and will be co-supervised by members of the Waste Team at Norfolk County Council. This will allow the successful applicant to engage closely with real world examples and practice and thus to better understand the realities of trying to transform patterns of consumption and the waste they generate. The project will examine the scope and potential of grassroots innovations in sustainable consumption which aim to foster green lifestyles, transform consumerism, reduce waste and embrace ‘degrowth’ values. Examples include creating new platforms for sharing; revaluing material consumption; self-provisioning; craft and repair; zero-waste living; etc. These types of initiative seek to build new systems of provision for food, housing, transport, energy, etc., which meet social and environmental needs as well as economic imperatives. This is an under-researched area and one which policymakers are increasingly interested in. The work will thus deliver fresh thinking and vital solutions to academics, policymakers and practitioners eager to support transitions to sustainable systems and practices across a variety of sectors.
If you are interested then visit the website and start the process!
The closing date for applications is 24 February 2020.
