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Aresty Research Assistant
Castles, Communities, and Sustainability: Lessons from Scotland for the 21st Century
This research project parallels a Rutgers Faculty-led Study Abroad program of the same name running in Summer 2025 and Summer 2026. Some undergraduates who participated in the Summer 2025 program identified research topics and collected data for their senior projects. This research project uses a comparative, cross-cultural perspective that highlights the multiculturalism and gender equity of Scotland.
Students will research contemporary issues such as community buyouts, community energy projects, food systems and food sheds (“Scotland’s Natural Larder”), evolving practices and understandings of UK government devolution and its impact on Scottish sustainability, governance in the remote Highlands and Islands regions, the land ethic, marine resources, and the connections between community sustainability and resilience with institutional, legal, and policy frameworks. These issues all address a broad set of interconnected climate, biodiversity, energy, economic, employment, food, housing, land, marine, and tourism topics, which highlight the interdisciplinary and interconnected nature of sustainability for undergraduate researchers. Scotland also allows us to explore the intersection of gender and sustainability in-depth. The Scottish Highlands have a long tradition of female leadership across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Some regions have a number of women-owned business related to tourism and natural resources which could be an additional line of research for interested students.
Undergraduate researchers will choose one specific topic area to work on using Historical and Social Science research methods to explore community, primary, and secondary research sources. Undergraduate researchers will support the development of policy briefs and white papers for Scottish community partners and organizations as well as manuscript development for publication.
Scotland is a leader in sustainability practices and provides a unique, bounded case study through which to explore sustainability practices and policies rooted in culture, identity, institutions, and history. Since 1999 Scottish law and policy (independent of United Kingdom laws and policies) have focused on empowering people and communities to engage in sustainable activities that increase economic and social well-being at neighborhood, community, and regional levels. Three Acts of Scottish Parliament: the Land Reform (Scotland) Act of 2003, The Community Empowerment (Scotland Act) of 2015 and the Islands (Scotland) Act of 2015 foster community agency which in turn drives hyperlocal efforts to increase sustainability and wellbeing through community-based approaches to energy, housing, and sustainable food systems.
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