Profile

Biography

John’s work could be described as 'anthropology of science': his work is related to all aspects of human engagement with the science behind environmental issues.

His research focuses on how different stakeholders such as citizens, policy actors, and experts perceive environmental social and ecological research science, and how it is communicated between them. His research interests lie in spanning the branch of learning that have been differentiated by the broad terms 'sociology of science' and science communication.

His interest in individual actor and social group engagement with social-ecological research is central to SEI’s mission to provide ‘integrative knowledge that bridges science and policy in the field of environment and development’ and has led to John working on, and leading, a number of cross-centre, cross programme, and inter-institutional ‘action research’ projects as well as more theoretical work in his areas of interest.

Career

Before working for SEI, John worked as a Researcher Fellow at the Sociology Department, University of Ulster; Department of Sociology and Social Policy, The Queen’s University of Belfast and School of Health Care Studies, University of Leeds and as an Associate Lecturer at the Centre for Science Education, The Open University.

• PhD in Social Anthropology (on tourism development and cultural change) from the Queen’s University of Belfast 1996
• MA in Qualitative Research Methods from the University of York, 1998 
• Hons BA from Queen’s Belfast in Social Anthropology with History & Philosophy of Science, 1989
• HNC in Electronic Engineering, from the Limerick School of Engineering, 1981

Departmental roles

• Senior Research Fellow

Research

Current projects

Whole decision network analysis for coastal ecosystems (WD-NACE) – part of the UK Ecosystems Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) programme.
Webpage at http://www.esi.ac.uk/espa/files/espa/Framework%20I002448%20Raffaelli.pdf

Sustainable Cultivation of Productive Environments (SCoPE) – part of the UK Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) programme.
Webpage at http://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/david.harvey/SCOPE/scope.html

Managing Borderlands – part of the UK Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) programme.
Webpage at http://www.tweedforum.com/borderlands/content/borderlands_pdf

Publications

Full publications list

• Forrester, J. and Å. Gerger Swartling (eds.) (2010). Overcoming the Challenges of 'Doing Participation' in Environment and Development: Workshop Summary of Lessons Learned and Ways Forward. SEI. Working paper. 53 pp. web available at: http://www.sei-international.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Sustainable-livelihoods/participation%20workshop%20wp%20100308.pdf
• Forrester, J., M. Nilsson, C. Lee, H. Moora, L. Persson, Å. Persson, K. Peterson, J. Simon and H. Tuhkanen (2009). Getting to policy impact: lessons from 20 years of bridging science and policy with sustainability knowledge. Stockholm: SEI. SEI research report. ISBN 9789186125134. web available at: http://www.sei-international.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-ResearchReport-Forrester-GettingToPolicyImpactLessonsFrom20Years-2009.pdf
• Forrester, J. (2009). Improved partnership working for local authority transport planning. European Journal of Transport Infrastructure Research, 9 (3): 314-330. web available at: http://www.ejtir.tbm.tudelft.nl/issues/2009_03/index.asp
• Forrester, J., Å. Gerger Swartling and K. Lonsdale (2008). Stakeholder engagement and the work of SEI: an empirical study. Stockholm: SEI. SEI working paper. web available at: http://www.sei-international.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Policy-institutions/stakeholder_engagement_workof_sei.pdf
• Forrester, J. (2008). The DISTILLATE Guide to Cross-sectoral and Intra-organisational Partnership Working for Sustainable Transport Decision Making. York: SEI. web available at http://www.distillate.ac.uk/outputs/D1%20guide%20to%20partnership%20working%20%2814-04-08%29.pdf

For further publications visit: www.sei-international.org/publications