One of Britain’s leading sociologists in the field of social theories of practice and consumption has been made a Fellow of The British Academy, the voice for the humanities and social sciences.

Professor Elizabeth Shove, a member of the University’s Sociology Department, is among 76 distinguished scholars to be elected to the prestigious fellowship in recognition of her globally acclaimed work in this field.

She has an excellent international reputation deriving from many keynote lectures, extensive overseas visits and collaborations, and research leadership.

Professor Shove has written, often controversial, articles for inter-disciplinary audiences making strong arguments for unorthodox positions.

And she has mentored dozens of young scholars and supervised PhD students who are ambassadors for the approaches that she has popularised.

Professor Shove joins The British Academy, a community of more than 1400 of the leading minds that make up the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences.

Current Fellows include the classicist Dame Mary Beard, the historian Sir Simon Schama and philosopher Baroness Onora O’Neill.

Historic Fellows include Dame Frances Yates, Sir Winston Churchill, Baroness Mary Warnock, C.S Lewis, Seamus Heaney and Beatrice Webb.

As well as a fellowship, the British Academy is a funding body for research, nationally and internationally, and a forum for debate and engagement.

President of the British Academy Professor Sir David Cannadine said: “The British Academy has always recognised pioneering research in the humanities and social sciences, and 2019 is no exception. This year we have elected a particularly multi-skilled and versatile cohort of Fellows whose research crosses conventional academic boundaries.

“Whether it is climate conservation or the ageing society, the rise of artificial intelligence or social cohesion, our new Fellows’ wealth of expertise means the Academy is exceptionally well-placed to provide new knowledge and insights on the challenges of today. Their work has opened rich new seams of understanding and discovery, offering new perspectives on long-standing and emerging challenges alike.

“I extend my warmest welcome and heartiest congratulations to all our new Fellows, Corresponding Fellows and Honorary Fellows. I look forward to working with these outstanding scholars to build on the Academy’s excellent and ever-expanding record of achievement.”

Professor Shove came to Lancaster in 1995 as Deputy Director of the Centre for the Study of Environmental Change and was Director of the Centre for Science Studies for a couple of years before joining the Sociology Department in 2000. For the last six years she has been Principal Investigator of the Dynamics of Energy, Mobility and Demand Centre based at Lancaster University.