Professor Dr. Malcolm Fairbrother

Biography

Malcolm Fairbrother is a political sociologist primarily focused on the societal impacts of environmental issues. His research investigates the intersection between political/institutional trust and public attitudes towards environmental policies. Fairbrother has studied the origins of economic globalization, contributing widely used methods for survey data analysis. He has worked extensively across several countries, earning his Bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Victoria in Canada and completing his Master's and PhD at the University of California, Berkeley. He has held postdoctoral positions and has been integral in establishing new academic programs, including a Master’s program in Environmental Policy Management at the University of Bristol. He recently moved to Uppsala University, after serving as a researcher at the Institute for Futures Studies in Stockholm and holding an affiliate professorship at the University of Graz in Austria. His main research project is the international study “Search Decoupling,” which examines strategies for societies to effectively address environmental challenges, particularly climate change.

Research Interests