Dr Sophie Mackinder

Profile

Areas of expertise

• Social protection in developing contexts

• Social policy in fragile states

• International organisations (with a particular focus on the World Bank)

• Historical and ideational institutionalism

Academic biography

Sophie completed her PhD in 2018 at the University of York, before joining School for Business and Society as an associate lecturer. Her PhD research looked at the evolution of and potential interactions between two agendas in the World Bank – fragile states and social protection – in order to explore the relative influence and significance of ideas, interests and the institution itself in shaping development policies. Her ongoing research interests seek to bridge the gap between the social policy and international development disciplines, by exploring how ideas around social policies are conceived and developed within powerful global international development institutions and networks, and how these ideas are translated into policy and implemented within development contexts.

Her additional research interests include how transnational corporate actors seek to influence public policy; she is currently working with Dr Chris Holden and Dr Ben Hawkins (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) on a project that examines the strategies used by transnational tobacco companies to influence public health policies on standardised packaging for cigarettes.

Sophie has several years’ teaching experience on a range of courses within the School for Business and Society. She is currently lecturing on the MPA in International Development (online) course.

Publications

Hawkins, B., Holden, C. & Mackinder, S. (2018) ‘A multi-level, multi-jurisdictional strategy: Transnational companies’ attempts to obstruct tobacco packaging restrictions’, Global Public Health, DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2018.1446997.

Mackinder, S. & Hudson, J. (2017) The Current and Future State of Social Policy Teaching in the UK Higher Education Institutions: 2016, Social Policy Association.

Hudson, J., Lunt, N., Hamilton, C., Mackinder, S., Meers, J. & Swift, C. (2016a) ‘Exploring Public Attitudes to Welfare Over the Longue Durée: Re-examination of Survey Evidence from Beveridge, Beatlemania, Blair and Beyond’, Social Policy and Administration 50(6): 691–711.

Hudson, J., Lunt, N., Hamilton, C., Mackinder, S., Meers, J. & Swift, C. (2016b) ‘Nostalgia Narratives? Pejorative Attitudes to Welfare in Historical Perspective: Survey Evidence from Beveridge to the British Social Attitudes Survey’, Journal of Poverty and Social Justice 24(3): 227–243.