Sophie Haines

Sophie Haines is a Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on environmental anthropology, knowledge practices, and political ecology, with fieldwork in Belize, Kenya, and the UK.

• PhD in Anthropology, University College London (2011)
• ESRC Future Research Leaders grant (2017-18)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Sophie’s research examines the intersection of environmental change, knowledge production, and policy. Key areas include infrastructure and anticipation, environmental citizenship, and politics of knowledge. Her work has addressed highway planning in Belize, climate forecasting in agriculture, and water security in Turkana, Kenya. Recent publications and teaching (e.g., Social Life and Climate Change, Energy in the Global South) emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, incorporating environmental humanities, Indigenous scholarship, and technopolitical analysis.

Scientific Awards

• ESRC Future Research Leaders grant (2017-18)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Grants and Collaborations: Projects funded by NERC, DfID, and the Oxford Martin School. Current supervision includes PhD students on topics like shipping sustainability, microbial conservation, and fire politics in India. She co-convenes the Network for Anthropologies of Forecasting Weather and Climate (AnthFOR) and serves on the Royal Anthropological Institute Environment Committee.