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Dr Kyla Ellis-Sloan

Lecturer

contact:
Applied Social Science
Falmer
Brighton
BN1 9PH

Telephone: +44 (0)1273 644544

Email: kes13@brighton.ac.uk

Roles

  • Lecturer in Sociology

Teaching

  • Contemporary Social Inequalities
  • Sociological Imaginations
  • Social Science Research Methods
  • Human Needs and Social Problems
  • Introduction to Criminal Justice Studies
  • Sociology and the Life Course
  • Critical Analysis: Sex and Intimate Relationships
  • Sociological Analysis: Families and Parenting in Contemporary Society

Research interests

  • Teenage motherhood
  • Motherhood
  • Infant feeding
  • Teenage sexual relationships
  • Contraception /li>
  • Sex education
  • Youth
  • Inequality (particularly in relation to gender and class)
  • Qualitative methodologies

Profile

In 2012 Kyla successfully completed her doctoral thesis entitled 'Becoming a Teenage Mother in the UK'. This thesis utilised qualitative methods to explore the 'decisions' and 'choices' made by young women as they became teenage mothers. Key decisions related to areas of sexual behaviour, contraception and reproduction were examined. Sociological theories and analysis were also applied to social policies relating to teenage parenthood and the ways in which young parents experienced policy interventions. The thesis drew attention to the impact of gender in terms of power relationships with sexual partners and constructions of 'good' motherhood on these 'decisions'. Furthermore, it critiqued policies which sought to prevent teenage pregnancy and support teenage parents. Consequently, the thesis sought to problematise dominant negative representations of teenage motherhood and interrogate political responses to this social 'problem'.

Whilst studying for her doctorate Kyla worked on research projects related to 'binge drinking' and the night time economy and participatory research approaches. Kyla also presented work at the 'Mother Wars' conference at the University of Surrey and the 'Enquire' conference at Nottingham University. In 2011 Kyla and her colleague, Jayne Raisborough, received a Learning and Teaching Fellowship Award. The funding received as part of this award was used to put on a 'Human Library' for first year students in 2012. As well as writing articles drawing on her doctoral research, Kyla is currently working on a conference presentation and article based on this innovative teaching method. She has also just received ethical approval to conduct a follow-up study on her PhD work. This project aims to establish the changes made to teenage pregnancy and parenting policy since the election of the coalition government. It is concerned with the effects this has had on young parents and their families. Kyla is currently in the beginning stages of this project.