Ryan Hartfield

BA, MA

School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations

PhD Student

r.hartfield@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 2XX XXXX

The Wave

Full contact details

Ryan Hartfield
School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
Sheffield
S10 2AH

Profile: My research is interdisciplinary, focusing on the sociology of climate change and the governance of large-scale socio-technical systems. I investigate the complex relationship between climate policy, corporate communication, and local economic development in post-industrial regions. My work draws on political theory, sociology, and communications studies to examine:

- Carbon Governance and Climate Technologies: The institutional frameworks and policy instruments driving the deployment of novel, large-scale climate technologies, such as Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS).

- Discursive Strategies and Public Engagement: The communications processes through which these technologies are framed, debated, and integrated into society, with a focus on their interaction with communities and local stakeholders.

- Scalability and Regional Transition: The socio-economic and governance challenges of scaling up new climate infrastructure, specifically within contexts of experimental regional policy (e.g., Freeports and industrial clusters).

Qualifications

BA English Literature - The University of Sheffield

MA Social Anthropology - The University of Manchester

MA Social Research - The University of Sheffield

Research interests: PhD Title: Zones of Promise: Carbon Capture, Fossil Fuel Futures and Exceptional Governance

My PhD project is an in-depth sociological analysis of the integration of large- scale Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) infrastructure into post-industrial landscapes. It investigates how this critical technology is being framed and deployed, and the resulting governance challenges it poses.

The research addresses three key areas:

1. The discursive strategies used by corporations and policy-makers to legitimise CCUS.
2. The societal impacts and community dynamics that emerge from novel climate technologies
3. The scalability and democratic implications of using special governance zones to accelerate the net-zero transition.

Methodologically, the study combines Critical Discourse Analysis(CDA) with community and expert interviews.

Teaching activities: Graduate Teaching Assistant on GPL119 - Analysing Global Challenges