Dr Catherine Happer

  • Senior Lecturer (Sociological & Cultural Studies)

telephone: 0141 330 6387
email: Catherine.Happer@glasgow.ac.uk

College of Social Sciences, School of Social & Political Sciences, Adam Smith Building, 1016

Import to contacts

ORCID iDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9711-8544

Biography

Dr Catherine Happer is Director of the Glasgow University Media Group. She is a sociologist who examines the role of the media in the construction of public understanding and belief with particular focus on media accounts of climate change and environmentalism. She is currently also acting co-chair of Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA) Scotland. She previously worked as an Audience Researcher and later Factual programme-maker at the BBC.

Catherine graduated with a First in Sociology from the University of Glasgow, winning the Adam Smith Prize and then a teaching scholarship within the Sociology Department at Lancaster University to study towards a PhD. In 2011, she returned to Glasgow University. Since then she has worked on three major research projects most recently collaborating with Chatham House on an international research study investigating the potential role of the public in reducing GHG emissions through dietary choices, and how the media might foster this change. More recently she has received funding from the EPSRC to explore the role of online content moderation in shaping perceptions of acceptable and unacceptable discourse and hate speech.

Catherine has given evidence at the House of Commons Select Committee on Climate, Policy and Public Understanding, presented to the Scottish Government and at national and international conferences and appeared on the BBC Radio Scotland’s GMS and Call Kay, FiveLive’s Richard Bacon show, BBC World Service’s The Inquiry and The Food Chain and Al Jazeera. She has written for a number of blogs including The Conversation, Bella Caledonia and Open Democracy. She is published in international journals and is co-author of Communicating Climate Change and Energy Security: New Methods in Understanding Audiences (Routledge) and co-editor of Trump’s Media War (Palgrave).

In 2015, Catherine launched a new Masters in Media, Communications and International Journalism and is currently Convenor of elements of the programme. She also contributes to Honours courses in Sociology.

Research interests

  • Climate change and environmental communication
  • Audience reception theory
  • Media and behaviour change
  • Digital media and public opinion
  • AI and content moderation

Research groups

  • Media, Culture & Society

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2007
Number of items: 33.

2024

Happer, C. (2024) The Construction of Public Opinion in a Digital Age. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9781526180223

Happer, C. (2024) Media influence in a digital world. Sociology Review, 34(2), pp. 18-22.

Hoff, I. and Happer, C. (2024) Crisis. European Journal of Cultural Studies, (doi: 10.1177/13675494241270411) (Early Online Publication)

Happer, C. and Åberg, A. (2024) Stranger Things on TikTok: young people, climate change and upside down political communication. HumaNetten, 52, pp. 9-26. (doi: 10.15626/hn.20245202)

2023

Happer, C. (2023) 100 years of BBC Scotland. [Film]

Happer, C. (2023) How Nicola Sturgeon mastered the art of public image and won support for a decade. Conversation, 22 Feb.

2022

Happer, C. (2022) Is Scotland’s media ready for the next independence referendum? Conversation, 3 Oct.

Happer, C. , Schlesinger, P. , Langer, A. I. , Mabweazara, H. and Hinde, D. (2022) Scotland’s Sustainable Media Future: Challenges and Opportunities: a Stakeholder Analysis. Project Report. Glasgow University Media Group and Centre for Cultural Policy Research.

Breitsohl, J. , Jiménez, N., Megicks, P., Krasonikolakis, I., Ramoglou, S., Aagerup, U. and Happer, C. (2022) Bullying in online brand communities-exploring consumers' intentions to intervene. In: Hopfgartner, F., Jaidka, K., Mayr, P., Jose, J. and Breitsohl, J. (eds.) Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science (13618). Springer International Publishing, pp. 436-443. ISBN 9783031190964 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-19097-1_30)

2021

Happer, C. (2021) Introduction to: How Long Have We Got? (1971) by Peter Ritchie Calder. In: Hooton, B., Koning, R. and Thurston, M. (eds.) With the World to Choose From: Celebrating Seven Decades of the Beatty Lecture at McGill University. McGill-Queen's University Press: Montreal ; Kingston ; London ; Chicago. ISBN 9780228008002

Happer, C. and Hoskins, A. (2021) Hacking the Archive: Media, memory, and history in the post-trust era. In: Moss, M. and Thomas, D. (eds.) Post Truth in the Archives. Oxford University Press. (Accepted for Publication)

2019

Happer, C. , McGuinness, P., McNeill, F. and Tiripelli, G. (2019) Punishment, legitimacy and taste: the role and limits of mainstream and social media in constructing attitudes towards community sanctions. Crime, Media, Culture, 15(2), pp. 301-321. (doi: 10.1177/1741659018773848)

Happer, C. and Wellesley, L. (2019) Meat consumption, behaviour and the media environment: a focus group analysis across four countries. Food Security, 11(1), pp. 123-139. (doi: 10.1007/s12571-018-0877-1)

Alkharashi, A., Storer, T. , Jose, J. , Hoskins, A. and Happer, C. (2019) Understanding Abusive Behaviour Between Online and Offline Group Discussions. In: CHI 2019: 37th Annual ACM Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, New York, NY, USA, 4-9 May 2019, CS15. ISBN 9781450359719 (doi: 10.1145/3290607.3299042)

Happer, C. (2019) Financialisation, media and social change. In: Bayliss, K., Fine, B. and Robertson, M. (eds.) Material Cultures of Financialisation. Routledge, pp. 83-95. ISBN 9781138549777

2018

Happer, C., Hoskins, A. and Merrin, W. (Eds.) (2018) Trump's Media War. Palgrave Macmillan: Cham. ISBN 9783319940687

Happer, C. , Hoskins, A. and Merrin, W. (2018) Weaponizing reality: an introduction to Trump's war on the media. In: Happer, C., Hoskins, A. and Merrin, W. (eds.) Trump's Media War. Palgrave Macmillan: Cham, pp. 3-22. ISBN 9783319390687 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-94069-4_1)

Happer, C. (2018) The mainstream media in a ‘post-truth’ world. Sociology Review, 27(4), pp. 18-21.

2017

Happer, C. (2017) Media, crime and punishment in the digital age. Sociology Review, 26(3), pp. 26-29.

Happer, C. (2017) Belief in change: the role of media and communications in driving action on climate change. In: Elliott, A., Cullis, J. and Damodaran, V. (eds.) Climate Change and the Humanities: Historical, Philosophical and Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Contemporary Environmental Crisis. Palgrave Macmillan: London, pp. 177-197. ISBN 9781137551238 (doi: 10.1057/978-1-137-55124-5_9)

Happer, C. (2017) Financialisation, media and social change. New Political Economy, 22(4), pp. 437-449. (doi: 10.1080/13563467.2017.1259301)

2016

Happer, C. (2016) Models of media analysis: a climate-change study. Sociology Review, 25(4), pp. 2-5.

Happer, C. and Philo, G. (2016) New approaches to understanding the role of the news media in the formation of public attitudes and behaviours on climate change. European Journal of Communication, 31(2), pp. 136-151. (doi: 10.1177/0267323115612213)

2015

Wellesley, L., Happer, C. , Froggatt, A., Bailey, R., Philo, G. and Shairp, R. (2015) Changing Climate, Changing Diets: Pathways to Lower Meat Consumption. Project Report. Chatham House, London.

Philo, G. , Miller, D. and Happer, C. (2015) Circuits of communication and structures of power: the sociology of the mass media. In: Holborn, M. (ed.) Contemporary Sociology. Polity Press. ISBN 9780745661827

Wellesley, L., Happer, C. and Froggatt, A. (2015) Chatham House Report: Changing Climate, Changing Diets: Pathways to Lower Meat Consumption. Project Report. Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London.

2014

Happer, C. (2014) Who benefits from media coverage of climate change? Not the audience. Conversation, 4 Apr.

2013

Happer, C. and Philo, G. (2013) The role of the media in the construction of public belief and social change. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), pp. 321-336. (doi: 10.5964/jspp.v1i1.96)

Philo, G. and Happer, C. (2013) Communicating Climate Change and Energy Security: New Methods in Understanding Audiences. Series: Routledge new developments in communication and society. Routledge: London. ISBN 9780415835091

Happer, C. (2013) Financialisation, Media and Social Change. Working Paper. FESSUD: Financialisation, Economy, Society & Sustainable Development, Leeds.

Philo, G. and Happer, C. (2013) Science and Technology Committee: Joint Written Evidence [Communicating Climate Science]. Other. House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, London.

2012

Happer, C. , Philo, G. and Froggatt, A. (2012) Climate Change and Energy Security: Assessing the Impact of Information and its Delivery on Attitudes and Behaviour. Project Report. UKERC: UK Energy Research Centre, London.

2007

Hill, M., Graham, C. , Caulfield, C., Ross, N. and Shelton, A. (2007) Inter-ethnic relations among children at school: the perspectives of young people in Scotland. European Journal of Education, 42(2), pp. 267-279. (doi: 10.1111/j.1465-3435.2007.00300.x)

This list was generated on Sat Dec 21 20:48:59 2024 GMT.
Jump to: Articles | Books | Book Sections | Edited Books | Research Reports or Papers | Conference Proceedings | Film
Number of items: 33.

Articles

Happer, C. (2024) Media influence in a digital world. Sociology Review, 34(2), pp. 18-22.

Hoff, I. and Happer, C. (2024) Crisis. European Journal of Cultural Studies, (doi: 10.1177/13675494241270411) (Early Online Publication)

Happer, C. and Åberg, A. (2024) Stranger Things on TikTok: young people, climate change and upside down political communication. HumaNetten, 52, pp. 9-26. (doi: 10.15626/hn.20245202)

Happer, C. (2023) How Nicola Sturgeon mastered the art of public image and won support for a decade. Conversation, 22 Feb.

Happer, C. (2022) Is Scotland’s media ready for the next independence referendum? Conversation, 3 Oct.

Happer, C. , McGuinness, P., McNeill, F. and Tiripelli, G. (2019) Punishment, legitimacy and taste: the role and limits of mainstream and social media in constructing attitudes towards community sanctions. Crime, Media, Culture, 15(2), pp. 301-321. (doi: 10.1177/1741659018773848)

Happer, C. and Wellesley, L. (2019) Meat consumption, behaviour and the media environment: a focus group analysis across four countries. Food Security, 11(1), pp. 123-139. (doi: 10.1007/s12571-018-0877-1)

Happer, C. (2018) The mainstream media in a ‘post-truth’ world. Sociology Review, 27(4), pp. 18-21.

Happer, C. (2017) Media, crime and punishment in the digital age. Sociology Review, 26(3), pp. 26-29.

Happer, C. (2017) Financialisation, media and social change. New Political Economy, 22(4), pp. 437-449. (doi: 10.1080/13563467.2017.1259301)

Happer, C. (2016) Models of media analysis: a climate-change study. Sociology Review, 25(4), pp. 2-5.

Happer, C. and Philo, G. (2016) New approaches to understanding the role of the news media in the formation of public attitudes and behaviours on climate change. European Journal of Communication, 31(2), pp. 136-151. (doi: 10.1177/0267323115612213)

Happer, C. (2014) Who benefits from media coverage of climate change? Not the audience. Conversation, 4 Apr.

Happer, C. and Philo, G. (2013) The role of the media in the construction of public belief and social change. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), pp. 321-336. (doi: 10.5964/jspp.v1i1.96)

Hill, M., Graham, C. , Caulfield, C., Ross, N. and Shelton, A. (2007) Inter-ethnic relations among children at school: the perspectives of young people in Scotland. European Journal of Education, 42(2), pp. 267-279. (doi: 10.1111/j.1465-3435.2007.00300.x)

Books

Happer, C. (2024) The Construction of Public Opinion in a Digital Age. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9781526180223

Philo, G. and Happer, C. (2013) Communicating Climate Change and Energy Security: New Methods in Understanding Audiences. Series: Routledge new developments in communication and society. Routledge: London. ISBN 9780415835091

Book Sections

Breitsohl, J. , Jiménez, N., Megicks, P., Krasonikolakis, I., Ramoglou, S., Aagerup, U. and Happer, C. (2022) Bullying in online brand communities-exploring consumers' intentions to intervene. In: Hopfgartner, F., Jaidka, K., Mayr, P., Jose, J. and Breitsohl, J. (eds.) Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science (13618). Springer International Publishing, pp. 436-443. ISBN 9783031190964 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-19097-1_30)

Happer, C. (2021) Introduction to: How Long Have We Got? (1971) by Peter Ritchie Calder. In: Hooton, B., Koning, R. and Thurston, M. (eds.) With the World to Choose From: Celebrating Seven Decades of the Beatty Lecture at McGill University. McGill-Queen's University Press: Montreal ; Kingston ; London ; Chicago. ISBN 9780228008002

Happer, C. and Hoskins, A. (2021) Hacking the Archive: Media, memory, and history in the post-trust era. In: Moss, M. and Thomas, D. (eds.) Post Truth in the Archives. Oxford University Press. (Accepted for Publication)

Happer, C. (2019) Financialisation, media and social change. In: Bayliss, K., Fine, B. and Robertson, M. (eds.) Material Cultures of Financialisation. Routledge, pp. 83-95. ISBN 9781138549777

Happer, C. , Hoskins, A. and Merrin, W. (2018) Weaponizing reality: an introduction to Trump's war on the media. In: Happer, C., Hoskins, A. and Merrin, W. (eds.) Trump's Media War. Palgrave Macmillan: Cham, pp. 3-22. ISBN 9783319390687 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-94069-4_1)

Happer, C. (2017) Belief in change: the role of media and communications in driving action on climate change. In: Elliott, A., Cullis, J. and Damodaran, V. (eds.) Climate Change and the Humanities: Historical, Philosophical and Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Contemporary Environmental Crisis. Palgrave Macmillan: London, pp. 177-197. ISBN 9781137551238 (doi: 10.1057/978-1-137-55124-5_9)

Philo, G. , Miller, D. and Happer, C. (2015) Circuits of communication and structures of power: the sociology of the mass media. In: Holborn, M. (ed.) Contemporary Sociology. Polity Press. ISBN 9780745661827

Edited Books

Happer, C., Hoskins, A. and Merrin, W. (Eds.) (2018) Trump's Media War. Palgrave Macmillan: Cham. ISBN 9783319940687

Research Reports or Papers

Happer, C. , Schlesinger, P. , Langer, A. I. , Mabweazara, H. and Hinde, D. (2022) Scotland’s Sustainable Media Future: Challenges and Opportunities: a Stakeholder Analysis. Project Report. Glasgow University Media Group and Centre for Cultural Policy Research.

Wellesley, L., Happer, C. , Froggatt, A., Bailey, R., Philo, G. and Shairp, R. (2015) Changing Climate, Changing Diets: Pathways to Lower Meat Consumption. Project Report. Chatham House, London.

Wellesley, L., Happer, C. and Froggatt, A. (2015) Chatham House Report: Changing Climate, Changing Diets: Pathways to Lower Meat Consumption. Project Report. Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London.

Happer, C. (2013) Financialisation, Media and Social Change. Working Paper. FESSUD: Financialisation, Economy, Society & Sustainable Development, Leeds.

Philo, G. and Happer, C. (2013) Science and Technology Committee: Joint Written Evidence [Communicating Climate Science]. Other. House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, London.

Happer, C. , Philo, G. and Froggatt, A. (2012) Climate Change and Energy Security: Assessing the Impact of Information and its Delivery on Attitudes and Behaviour. Project Report. UKERC: UK Energy Research Centre, London.

Conference Proceedings

Alkharashi, A., Storer, T. , Jose, J. , Hoskins, A. and Happer, C. (2019) Understanding Abusive Behaviour Between Online and Offline Group Discussions. In: CHI 2019: 37th Annual ACM Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, New York, NY, USA, 4-9 May 2019, CS15. ISBN 9781450359719 (doi: 10.1145/3290607.3299042)

Film

Happer, C. (2023) 100 years of BBC Scotland. [Film]

This list was generated on Sat Dec 21 20:48:59 2024 GMT.

Grants

Principal Investigator: Human Data Interaction Network: EPSRC Network Plus
Public trust and understanding of online content moderation, and its impacts on public discourse (£7,257.00) July 2019

Co-Investigator: Avatar Alliance Foundation International Research
Public Understanding and Behaviour, and the Impact of Diet for Climate Change and Food Security Policies: Case studies in Brazil, China, UK and US (£155,289.56). Principal Investigator: Professor Greg Philo. August 2014

Co- Investigator: TSB/Future City, Glasgow City Council
Public attitudes, beliefs and behaviours and the role of social media in relation to energy efficiency (£90,975.80). Principal Investigator: Professor Greg Philo. October 2013

Principal Investigator: Knowledge Exchange Fund, University of Glasgow
Public engagEment with energy efficiency: extending the Future City work (£21,044.77). November 2013

Named Researcher/co-bid-writer: British Academy Small Research Grants
Probation, media representations and public understanding of justice (£9,859.68). Principal Investigator: Professor Fergus McNeill, Co-Investigator: Professor Greg Philo. March 2013

Supervision

I am interested in supervising projects in any of the following areas:

  • Climate change and environmental communications
  • Audience reception theory
  • Media and behaviour change
  • Digital media and public opinion
  • AI and content moderation

I am currently supervising doctoral projects in:

  • Re-integration of former prisoners 
  • Cyber commemorations and public support for warfare
  • Government policy, media coverage and public understanding of climate change in China
  • Media coverage of deaths in custody
  • China Daily’s coverage of climate change and environmentalism

I have supervised to completion PhDs in:

  • Western media framing of events in Venezuela
  • Vegetarianism in China
  • Clapp, Robb
    Media consumption and Environmentalist identity
  • Jiyajiya, Peter Mayeso
    Extending The Listening Zones: Towards A Radical Ecolinguistic Approach In African Localities
  • Smith, Cassidy
    Erasure, Dehumanisation and the Creation of Victimhood in Contemporary True Crime

Teaching

Undergraduate

Postgraduate

Research datasets

Jump to: 2021
Number of items: 1.

2021

Happer, C. , Storer, T. , Hoskins, A. and Alkharashi, A. (2021) Public trust and understanding of online content moderation, and its impacts on public discourse. [Data Collection]

This list was generated on Sat Dec 21 20:49:01 2024 GMT.

Dr Catherine Happer, University of Glasgow Media Group

Dr Catherine Happer on Twitter