ProfJo Moran-Ellis
Head of School LPS (Politics)
School of Law, Politics and Sociology
- Head of School LPS (Politics)School of Law, Politics and Sociology
- +44 (0)1273 678532 Ext.8532 (Work)
BIO
I joined the Department of Sociology at Sussex in 2014 as Professor of Sociology and Head of Department having previously been at the University of Surrey. After serving as HoD of Sociology for 3 years, I was appointed as Head of School for Law, Politics and Sociology in May 2020, and will step down from that role in July 2026. During that time I have continued to publish in the field of the Sociology of Childhood, and have also continued supervising PhD students connected to this topic.
I was first appointed to a lectureship in sociology at Surrey in 1992 after working for 6 years as both a contract and freelance researcher on a variety of projects followed by 2 years as a Senior Researcher with Hampshire Social Services Department. As my academic career unfolded, my research developed along two main tracks: the (then newly emergent) sociology of childhood and, separately, questions of research methodology with an emphasis on mixed methods. I have an abiding fascination with questions of theorising agency and social actorship in childhood, along with reflecting on how we invent ourselves as a species.
My teaching has spanned delivering modules in research methods, particularly using mixed and multiple methods, the sociology of childhood, a sociological perspective on children and violence, and more latterly, a sociology of humans and (other) animals.
Selected publications
Moran-Ellis, J. (2026): Agency and Social Competence in (Early) Childhood, in: K.Rösen and H. Suenker, (Eds) Kindheitspädagogik und Kindheitsforschung, Weinheim: BeltzJuventa, pp40-60.
Braches-Chyrek, R; C. Roehner; J. Moran-Ellis; H. Suenker, (Eds): Handbuch Kindheit, Ökologie und Nachhaltigkeit. Opladen: Barbara Budrich,
Moran-Ellis, J and Suenker, H (2024) ‘Kinder, intergenerationelle Bündnisse und emanzipatorische politische Perspektiven’ (Children, Inter-generational Alliances and Emancipatory Political Perspectives), in: Rita Braches-Chyrek, C. Roehner; J. Moran-Ellis; H. Suenker, (Eds): Handbuch Kindheit, Ökologie und Nachhaltigkeit. Opladen: Barbara Budrich, pp147-158
Moran-Ellis, J. (2023) ‘The limits of a market? Social Reproduction, Care and Capitalism’. In S. Rapic (Ed) Wege aus dem Kapitalismus? Autorengespraeche mit Colin Crouch, Nancy Fraser, Claus Offe, Wolfgang Streeck und Joseph Vogl (Roads out of Capitalism? Talks with Authors). pp 86-95. Baden-Baden: Nomos/Karl Alber. (with commentary on chapter by Nancy Fraser, ‘System Pressures, Normative Hopes, and Capitalist Crisis: a reply to my critics, pp108-120 ).
Moran-Ellis, J. (2021) ‘Future-proofing childhood studies? If We Can’t Predict the Future, Can We At Least Prepare for it?’ in R. Braches-Chyrek (Ed) The Future of Childhood Studies pp 7-22. Opladen/Toronto: Barbara Budrich Verlag.
Moran-Ellis, J. and Suenker, H. (2020) ‘Social Work and Childhood in Europe: children’s agency, state relations and realising possibilities through the sociology of childhood’ in F. Kessl; W. Lorenz; H-U. Otto, and S. White (Eds.), European Social Work – A Compendium. Pp319-340. Leverkusen/Farmington Hills: Budrich Publisher
Moran-Ellis, J. and Tisdall, E. K. M. (2019) ‘The relevance of ‘competence’ for enhancing or limiting children’s participation: unpicking conceptual confusion or conceptual pluralism?’ Global Studies of Childhood 9(3): 212-223
Moran-Ellis, J. and Suenker, H. (2018) ‘Childhood Studies, Children’s Politics and Participation – Perspectives for Processes of Democratisation’ International Review of Sociology 28:2, 277-297, DOI: 10.1080/03906701.2018.1477106
Moran-Ellis, J.; Bandt, A. and Suenker, H. (2014) Children’s Wellbeing and Politics in A. Ben-Arieh; I. Frones; F. Casa and J. Korbin (eds) Handbook of Child Well-Being Springer. DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-9063-8_147, p415-436
Moran-Ellis, J. and Suenker, H. (2013) ‘Adult Trust and Children’s Democratic Participation’ in H. Warming (Ed) Participation, Citizenship and Trust in Children’s Lives. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp32-51.
Moran-Ellis, J. (2012) ‘Sexting, intimacy and criminal acts: translating teenage sextualities’ in P. Johnson and D. Dalton (eds) Policing Sex. Routledge, pp115-131.
Walker, M; Whittle, R; Medd, W; Burningham, K; Moran-Ellis, J. And Tapsell, S. (2012) 'It came up to here': Learning from Children's Flood Narratives, Children’s Geographies 10(2):135-150
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
- Professor of SociologyUniversity of Sussex, Sociology, Brighton, United Kingdom1 Feb 2014
- Head of DepartmentUniversity of Surrey, Sociology, Guildford, United Kingdom1 Aug 2006 - 31 Jul 2012
- Lecturer & then Senior LecturerUniversity of Surrey, Sociology, Guildford, United Kingdom4 Apr 1992 - 31 Jan 2014
- Head of DepartmentUniversity of Sussex, Sociology, Brighton, United Kingdom1 Feb 2014 - 31 Aug 2018
- Research OfficerUniversity of Surrey, Sociology, Guildford, United Kingdom1 Mar 1989 - 30 Jun 1990
NON-ACADEMIC POSITIONS
- Senior ResearcherHampshire County Council, Hampshire Social Services, Winchester, United Kingdom1 Oct 1990 - 31 Mar 1992