Professor Philomena De Lima
Professor of Applied Sociology and Rural Studies
Philomena de Lima is a Professor of Applied Sociology and Rural Studies and was the Director for Centre for Remote and Rural Studies until 2019. She works part-time as a Senior Researcher at the Centre for Living Sustainability. Her research focus over the last 35 years is on developing an understanding of the ways in which places/spaces (in particular rural) intersect with diverse communities of interests with a particular emphasis on social and spatial justice. She established the UHI Centre for Remote and Rural Communities in 2004 and was its director between 2008-2019. ‘Rural’ provides a lens through which she has framed a range of topics (e.g. social exclusion/poverty, racism, migration, mental health, well-being) in relation to diverse groups (e.g. low-income groups, minorities, young people/carers, women, migrants, etc.), and on which she has published extensively.
Her current and recent publication activities include: The Rural-Migration Nexus: Global Problems, Rural Issues. (in print co-editor) Palgrave Macmillan; editor for a new Palgrave Macmillan book series ‘Rethinking Rural’; guest editor for a cross journal special issue on ‘Race and Racism in Scotland’ (EUP); co-editor guest editor for a special issue on ‘The Well-being of International Migrants in Rural Areas published by Frontiers in Sociology.
She has also pursued her commitment to social justice through collaborative research nationally and internationally, supporting individuals at a local level, as well as serving on expert committees. Her current commitments include membership of the Expert Advisory Group on Population and Migration and the Strategic Review of Funding for Violence Against Women and Girls Services.