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Dr Darren Ellis

Senior Lecturer Programme Leader of Psychosocial Studies and Psychosocial Theory and Practice

University of East London

  • EB 1.30, Docklands Campus
    University of East London
    Department of Social Sciences and Social Work
    Docklands Campus
    London
    E16 2RD
  • d.ellis@uel.ac.uk +442082232935

    Darren obtained his PhD in Psychology in 2007 at Loughborough University. Before working for UEL he lectured at Coventry University and then Nottingham University. He is now programme leader of Psychosocial Studies and Psychosocial Theory and Practice. Darren has extensively researched emotion and affect in a variety of contexts. He co-authored the Sage book Social Psychology of emotion. Darren is a member of the British Psychological Society as a charted Psychologist (CPsychol). He is a fellow of HEA (FHEA).



    Darren is interested in emotion and affect studies, everyday experiences of surveillance, social media and emotional disclosure.

    PhD, CPsychol, FHEA

    Overview

    My research is mainly concerned with emotion. I have looked at it in a number of contexts, for example, through police stop and search practices, self disclosure, narratives, psychophysiology, everyday surveillance practices, and in the context of social media. Generally I use qualitative methods to understand emotion and affective practices in everyday life. I am also very interested in historical and diverse portrayals of emotion and affect. I am interested in supervising PhD students in these and related areas. 


    Collaborators

    • Dr Ian Tucker, Dr Tony Sampson, Dr John Cromby, Dr Jacob Johanssen, Professor Candida Yates, Professor Stephen Maddison (and others)

    Research

    Ellis, D. and Tucker, I. (Due for Completion, Dec 2018). Emotion in the Digital Age. Routledge Studies in Science, Technology and Society series 

    ..

    Ellis, D. (In Print). Technosecurity and Cultures of Apatheia. Science as Culture (special issue on Technosecurity). 

    In Print.

    Sampson, T., Ellis, D., and Maddison, S. (Published July 2018). Affect and Social Media. Rowman and Littlefield’s Radical Cultural Studies

    Ellis, D. (Published July 2018). Social Media and Process. In Affect and Social Media. Rowman and Littlefield’s Radical Cultural Studies.

    Ellis, D., Harper, D. & Tucker I. (2016) Experiencing the Surveillance Society. The Psychologist, 29, 9.


    Ellis, D., and Tucker, I. (2015). Social Psychology of Emotion. Sage Publications.


    Harper, D., Ellis, D. & Tucker, I. M. (2014) Surveillance. Encyclopaedia of Critical Psychology. New York: Springer. (pp. 1887-1892)


    Ellis, D., Tucker, I., & Harper, D. (2013). The Affective Atmospheres of Surveillance. Theory and Psychology, 22 (6), 771-785.


    Ellis, D., Harper. D., & Tucker. I. (2013). The Dynamics of Impersonal Trust and Distrust in Surveillance Systems. Sociological Research Online, 18 (3) 8.


    Harper, D., Tucker, I., & Ellis, D. (2013). Surveillance and Subjectivity: Everyday experiences of surveillance practices'. In K.S. Ball and L. Snider (Eds.). The Surveillance-Industrial Complex: A political economy of surveillance. Routledge.


    Tucker, I., Ellis, D., & Harper, D. (2012). Transformative Processes of Agency: Information Technologies and the Production of Digitally Mediated Selves. Culture and Society: Journal of Social Research, (3), 1, 9-24


    Ellis, D. & Cromby, J. (2012). Emotional inhibition: A discourse analysis of disclosure. Psychology and Health, (5), 27, 315-532 

    Ellis, D. & Tucker, I. (2011). Virtuality and Ernst Bloch: Hope and Subjectivity. Journal of Subjectivity,(4), 434–450.


    Ellis, D. & Cromby, J. (2009). Inhibition and reappraisal with emotional disclosure. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 22: 3, 319-333.

    Publications

    ESRC Bid – In preparation for submission:

    Empathy Offline and Online in Post-Brexit Britain: New Perspectives from Psychosocial Group Analysis

    Description:

    Against the current backdrop of social, cultural and political division in the UK and elsewhere, new research into the study of empathy and its communication in groups is timely. The project team will use the academic and practice-based expertise of its members to develop a new psychosocial method influenced by the principles of Group Analysis to examine when and how the communication of empathy may arise in face to face and online group contexts. Using the outcome of the UK EU Referendum as a case study, equal amounts of people (groups of 8 people) who either voted to leave or remain in the EU, will discuss their thoughts and feelings about Brexit with each other. The research team will work closely with the Institute of Group Analysis (IGA) as a project partner. The IGA will offer a space where the data and impressions from the group sessions can be discussed by the research team and a Group Analyst. The research team will also work with the Artistic Directors of the award-winning Faction theatre to adapt the group transcripts into film scripts for the creation of two short animated films produced by the National Centre for Computer Animation at Bournemouth University about the experience of empathy in face to face and online groups. These films will be screened online and disseminated to communities and organisations online and via a national programme of theatre screenings and workshops; the films and accompanying workshop material will contribute to an ‘Empathy Pack’ for dissemination across the UK.

    Funding

    Science Fiction, Philosophy, Music, Art and Travel



    Interests

    Portfolio




    I am the module leader for the following modules:

    PS4002 Psychosocial Perspectives of Psychology
    PS6016 Emotion Studies
    PS6020 Cybercultures and Life Online
    PS7005 Psychosocial Research Methods
    Professional Membership
    Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society
    Member of the Psychosocial Network

    Teaching