dr. HM (Hilje) van der Horst

I have a background in sociology, human geography and ethnology. My research can be characterised as seeking to understand how major societal issues are generated in, but also manifest themselves in everyday practices in a range of settings. Societal issues covered in my work include sustainability challenges, health inequalities and poverty. Consumption is an important aspect of such issues and therefore often a focus of my research. I always look at consumption as embedded in broader practices of everyday life. Increasingly, my research takes a forward-looking approach, seeking to articulate possible futures and novel interventions. 
I enjoy working in interdisciplinary teams and am fascinated by the different kinds of methods that can help unravel the everyday as well as possible future directions. My current projects are: 

Rethinking the place of meat in religious traditions through ritual intervention (NWO)

Impact of social policies on health: What works, for whom and under what circumstances? (ZonMw)

Understanding dignity of food aid receivers in Europe (WASS), exploring the way in which forms of food aid shape dignity of recipients, through ethnographic fieldwork.       

Less stress and poverty, more experienced health and participation (ZonMw), exploring the way in which stigma and shame shape experiences of people in poverty.

Societal acceptance of plant based diets and healthy food environments (NWO), exploring societal backlash against meat curtailment policies, through discourse analysis.

Transition Towards a Sustainable Food System (NWA, NWO), exploring potential transition pathways with stakeholders, through, among others, futuring methods. 

Towards a data-driven dashboard to support a socially-just transition to circular agriculture (CUCO), exploring the potential role of farm data with stakeholders in a socially just sustainability transition in agriculture.