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Théodore Tallent

PhD Candidate


Théodore Tallent is a PhD student at the Center for European Studies and Comparative Politics (CEE) at Sciences Po since September 2022 and a teacher in political science. He previously studied at Sciences Po, as both an undergraduate and postgraduate student at the School of Public Affairs (MA in European Affairs). He also studied a year at the New York University and completed a second master's degree (MPhil in Environmental Policy) at the University. of Cambridge. Théodore is also an affiliated researcher at the Cambridge Center for Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Governance (C-EENRG), a research center within the University of Cambridge specializing in the governance of environmental transitions. From January to March 2024, he was a visiting researcher at the London School of Economics (LSE).

Théodore is also a member of Social-Ecological Transitions (SET), a research initiative, supported by Sciences Po, on the interaction between social and ecological issues in the context of the just transition. He also co-created and co-leads a doctoral network on the study of rural worlds in the social sciences.

He regularly appears in the media to discuss ecological issues, their place in the political debate, and the way they are perceived by citizens.

Research work

After a Master's dissertation on the governance of Nature-based Solutions (under the supervision of Aiora Zabala (MPhil in Environmental Policy, University of Cambridge), Theodore Tallent is working on his PhD thesis under the supervision of Florence Faucher (CEE, Sciences Po / CNRS) and the co-supervision of Davide Luca (University of Cambridge). He studies citizens' attitudes towards climate policies in Europe, based in particular on an analysis of territorial divides between rural and urban areas and the reasons behind citizens’ dissatisfaction with the ecological transition. Combining quantitative and qualitative methods, including fieldwork in rural areas, his thesis aims to understand the obstacles to the "acceptability" of climate policies in certain territories (particularly outside large urban centers) and to contribute to reflections around the “just transition” in Europe. 

Teaching

  • 2023-2024 - “Comparative Politics”, seminars’ teacher (2nd year undergrads.), Sciences Po (2 x 24h)
  • 2023-2024 - Tutor of two students in apprenticeship (2nd year master’s), School of Public Affairs, Sciences Po
  • 2022-2024 - “Ecological Literacy”, Teaching assistant, core bachelor’s course (1st year undegrads), Sciences Po (16h)
  • 2022-2023 -“Introduction to political science”, seminars’ teacher (1st year undergrads), Sciences Po (2 x 24h)

Conferences and seminars

conferences

2023-2024

  • Tallent T, ECPR Joint Sessions of Workshops, Lünenburg – Communication: “The roots of green discontent in peripheral areas: making sense of citizens’ perceptions of climate policies”, March 2024
  • Co-organisation of an international PhD workshop, « A Space for ‘Place’ in social sciences », CEE & Young Scholars Initiative, Sciences Po. Paris, 13 and 14 December 2023.
  • Tallent T., “Urban-rural divide in climate policy attitudes in Europe”, 2023, Conference ‘Research on urban-rural divides’. Frankfurt, November 2023.
  • Tallent T., « The politics of climate change: a difficult path towards decarbonisation », 2023, Cambridge Climate & Sustainability Forum. Cambridge, October 2023.

2022-2023

  • Tallent T., « The Role of Place in the Expression of Climate Political Discontent in Europe », 2023, European Society for Rural Sociology Congress. Rennes, July 2023.
  • Tallent T., « The urban-rural divide in climate policy attitudes in Europe: towards a geography of climate political discontent? », 2023, Regional Studies Association. Ljubljana, June 2023.
  • Tallent T., « Spatial divides and the perceptions of climate policies: towards a new geography of (climate) political discontent? », 2023, Political Studies Association. Liverpool, April 2023.

2021-2022

  • Tallent T., « Nature by the People: Incorporating Pluralism in the Governance of Nature-Based Solutions », 2022, Cambridge Zero Postgraduate Academy Student Symposium. Cambridge, June 2022.

Seminars participations

2024

CEENRG seminars, Cambridge Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Governance, Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge (March 2024)– Presentation: “Green Discontent in the Periphery: Exploring the Multifaceted Resistance to Climate Policies”

Environment and Public Policy seminar,King’s College London (March 2024) –Presentation: “Unveiling green discontent: the (non)material roots of citizens’ perceptions of climate policies in peripheral areas” 

publications

Scientific articles

Théodore Tallent. Green discontent along the urban-rural divide: understanding the geography of climate policy attitudes in Europe. Under review

Theodore Tallent, Aiora Zabala. Social equity and pluralism in Nature-based Solutions: Practitioners' perspectives on implementation. Environmental Science & Policy, 151, 2023

Original datasets

Éric Pautard; Nicolas Sauger; Luc Rouban; Maël Ginsburger; Emiliano Grossman; Malo Jan; Luis Sattelmayer; Théodore Tallent; Lucien Thabourey; Simon Audebert, 2024, "Baromètre Écologie Environnement (ELIPSS 2023)", https://doi.org/10.21410/7E4/ OH0RKI, data.sciencespo, V1. 

Policy works 

"Backlash écologique : quel discours pour rassembler autour de la transition ?", note for Fondation Jean Jaurès, 23 June 2024.

Work in progress

  • “The online geography of discontent: Internet, polarization and elections in French cities”, with G. Risi and A. Musso.
  • “Do symbolic policies affect support for costly policies? A survey experiment”, with M. Jan and L. Sattelmayer. 
  • “The roots of green discontent in peripheral areas: making sense of citizens’ perceptions of climate policies”, only author.   
  • “The challenges of the green transition for the rural youth in France: addressing discontent, building a just transition”, chapter in the Youth Knowledge Book, Youth and Democracy in Crisis. European Commission and Council of Europe.


Media and research blogs

Research Topics

Environmental Policy, Comparative politics, Political geography, Political sociology, Climate policies, Individual perceptions, Territorial cleavages, Just transition

Thesis

Spatial cleavages and citizens' perceptions of climate policies: An impediment to the success and acceptability of the low-carbon transition in Europe? under the supervision of Florence Faucher and Davide Luca
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