معرفی
Professor Jo Moran-Ellis serves as Head of School for Law, Politics and Sociology with specialization in Sociology and Criminology at the University of Sussex. She joined Sussex in February 2014 after previously leading the Sociology Department at the University of Surrey from 2006-2012. With academic experience spanning over three decades since her initial lectureship at Surrey in 1992, she has established herself as a leading international scholar in childhood studies and research methodology.
Her research focuses on children as social actors within structural contexts and intergenerational relationships. She has made significant contributions to understanding children's agency, particularly in early childhood, with recent work examining children's experiences with sleep, flooding, vulnerability, and political participation. Methodologically, she specializes in mixed methods research, addressing challenges of integration and triangulation while maintaining rigorous theoretical frameworks.
Professor Moran-Ellis's extensive publication record shows evolving thematic focus from foundational childhood studies toward critical examinations of capitalism's relationship with childhood, children's political participation, and transnational childhood policy. Her work demonstrates consistent engagement with theoretical development while maintaining practical relevance to social policy and child welfare systems across European contexts.
She has played pivotal roles in building international research networks, co-founding the European Sociological Association's Sociology of Children and Childhood Research Network (RN04) in 2006 and serving as its Chair until 2012. Previously, she served as Secretary to the International Sociological Association Research Committee for Childhood Studies (2002-2006). Her leadership extends to directing research centers at Sussex, including CIRCY and C-SWIR.
Her research funding portfolio includes major ESRC grants examining social care systems for vulnerable youth, restorative justice practices, and children's flood resilience. These projects demonstrate her commitment to translating theoretical insights into practical applications, as evidenced by her evaluation studies for Surrey County Council that directly influenced local Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services development. She has also developed innovative teaching modules including the Sociology of Humans and (other) Animals and Sociology of Childhood.
