School of Sociology and Social Policy

Research Interests

My main research interests are below.

• Contemporary UK social policy under New Labour and the Coalition Government
• The nature and impact of 'globalisation' and the changing politics of welfare in developed welfare regimes;
• Citizenship in theory and practice
• Citizenship education in the UK
• New technologies, including the impact of social media on local democracy and the changing nature of urban social politics

Teaching

My teaching interests include the changing nature of social policy in the UK and other welfare democracies. 'Globalisation' is also a key aspect of my teaching – in terms of its impact on welfare and on a range of phenomena, from migration and 'terror' to urban change and popular culture.

PhD Supervision

I have supervised PhD students in the area of welfare politics, including theses on the Swedish welfare state and the changing form of the Malaysian pensions system.

Current doctoral students are undertaking work on the changing benefits system in the UK, citizenship education, evolutionary citizenship, and grassroots perceptions of citizenship. 

Key Publications

Books

Ellison, N. (forthcoming) Understanding Welfare Regimes, Bristol: The Policy Press

Ellison, N. (2006) The Transformation of Welfare States?, London: Routledge

Ellison, N. and Pierson, C. (eds.) (2003) Developments in British Social Policy 2, Basingstoke: Palgrave. 

Journal Articles and book chapters

Ellison, N. (2011) ‘The Conservative Party and the Big Society’, in C. Holden, M. Kilkey, and G. Ramia (eds.), Social Policy Review 23, Bristol: The Policy Press.

Ellison, N. (2011) ‘The Conservative Party and Public Spending’, in H. Bochel (ed.), The Conservative Party and Social Policy, Bristol: The Policy Press.

Beckett, A. E., Barrett, S., Ellison, N. and Shah, S. (2010) ‘Away With the Fairies: Disability within primary-age children's literature' Disability and Society, 25 (3): 373-86,

Dwyer, P. and Ellison, N. (2009) ‘We Nicked Stuff From All Over the Place: Policy Transfer or Muddling Through?’, Policy and Politics, 37 (3) 3: 389-407

Dwyer, P. and Ellison, N. (2009) ‘Work and Welfare: the Rights and Responsibilities of Unemployment in the UK’, in M. Giugni and P. Statham (eds), The Politics of Unemployment in Europe: Policy Issues and Collective Action, Aldershot: Ashgate.

Ellison, N. (2008) ‘Neo-liberalism’ in P. Alcock, M. May and K. Rowlingson (eds), The Student’s Companion to Social Policy, Oxford: Blackwell.

Ellison, N. and Burrows, R. (2007) ‘New Spaces of (Dis)engagement? Social Politics, Urban Technologies and the Rezoning of the City’, (with Roger Burrows), Housing Studies 22 (3): 295-312

Ellison, N. and Ellison, S. (2006) ‘Opportunity for All’?: New Labour, New Localism and the Opportunity Society’, Social Policy and Society 5 (3): 337-48.

Burrows, R. and Ellison, N. and Woods, B. (2005) Neighbourhoods on the Net: The Nature and Impact of Internet-based Neighbourhood Information Systems, Bristol, the Policy Press/Joseph Rowntree.