Britton, Jo, Dr

Dr Jo Britton (she/her)

BA, PhD

Department of Sociological Studies

Senior Lecturer in Applied Sociology

Director of Postgraduate Affairs and Research

Director of One Сŷ��Ƶ

n.j.britton@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 6431

The Wave

Full contact details

Dr Jo Britton
Department of Sociological Studies
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
Sheffield
S10 2AH

Profile

Jo first joined the Department of Sociological Studies in the mid-1990s as a postgraduate research student, having completed a Sociology degree at Liverpool Сŷ��Ƶ.

After completing her PhD, Jo worked in the Sociology Department at Manchester Сŷ��Ƶ as a Research Officer and then a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellow, before returning to Sheffield as a lecturer.

Research interests

Jo's research interests incorporate a number of key areas of sociological enquiry:

Theories of race and racism;
Theories of identity;
Muslim minorities;
Multiculturalism and citizenship;
Critical whiteness and ‘mixed race’ studies;
Inter-generational relations;
Qualitative research methods.

Jo has researched and written about the meaning and role of race, racism and identity in different contexts. She has a long-standing interest in Muslim minorities, focusing on changing gender and generational relationships in Muslim families, belonging and identity, and multiculturalism, cohesion and integration.

This has included researching the impact of child sexual exploitation abuse scandals on Muslim men. Jo's current research interests also include a focus on inter-generational relations and critical whiteness studies.

She has written about motherhood, whiteness and identity in mixed race families and was co-investigator on a research project exploring young and older people’s understanding of generational positions and relationships.

Jo is co-investigator on an ESRC project exploring ethnicity and unequal ageing in Rotherham and Sheffield. The project is a unique cross-sector collaboration which includes working in partnership with Black, Minority Ethnic and Refugee communities.

Publications

Books

Britton J (2024) Understanding Muslim Family Life Changing Relationships, Personal Life and Inequality. Policy Press.

Journal articles

Britton J (2019) . Qualitative Research.
Britton NJ (2019) . Ethnic and Racial Studies, 42(5), 688-706.
Britton J (2019) . Sociology, 53(1), 36-51.
Britton J (2018) . Ethnic and Racial Studies, 41(8), 1493-1495.
Britton NJ (2015) . Children and Society, 29(5), 495-507.
Britton J (2015) . Sociological Research Online, 20(3), 207-212.
Britton J (2013) . ETHNIC AND RACIAL STUDIES, 36(8), 1311-1322.
Britton NJ (2013) Researching White Mothers of Mixed Parentage Children: The Significance of Kinship and Social Networks. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 36(8), 1311-1322.
Ateş K, Miller MA, Haan M, Wilcox H, Song S, Neal S, Ben-Rafael M, Duruji M, Yanardagoglu E, Carter B , Britton J et al (2011) . Ethnic and Racial Studies, 34(3), 509-527.
Britton NJ, Halfpenny P, Devine F & Mellor R (2004) . SOCIOLOGY, 38(4), 795-814.
Britton NJ, Devine F, Halfpenny P & Mellor R (2003) Migration, Mobility and the Middle Class. International Journal of Urban and Rural Research, 27(3), 495-509.
Devine F, Britton NJ, Mellor R & Halfpenny P (2003) Mobility and the middle classes: A case study of Manchester and the North West. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH, 27(3), 495-+.
Warren T & Britton NJ (2003) . J ETHN MIGR STUD, 29(1), 103-119.
Warren T & Britton NJ (2002) Addressing Ethnic Economic Disadvantage: The Necessity of Incorporating Income and Asset Levels. Benefits, 10(2), 118-119.
Devine F, Britton J, Mellor R & Halfpenny P (2000) . Work, Employment and Society, 14(3), 521-540.
Britton NJ, Devine F, Halfpenny P & Mellor R (2000) Economic Restructuring, Globalisation and the Professions: A Case Study of Manchester’s Business and Financial Sector. Work, Employment and Society, 14(2), 521-540.
Britton NJ (2000) . Ethnic and Racial Studies, 23(4), 692-711.
Britton NJ (2000) Race and policing - A study of police custody. BRIT J CRIMINOL, 40(4), 639-658.
Devine F, Britton J, Mellor R & Halfpenny P (2000) . Work, Employment and Society, 14(3), 521-540.
BRITTON NJ (1999) . Sociology, 33(2), 451-469.
BRITTON NJ (1999) . Sociology, 33(2), 454-456.
Britton NJ (1999) Recruiting and Retaining Black Volunteers: A Study of a Black Voluntary Organisation. Voluntary Action, 1(3), 9-24.
BRITTON J (1997) . Sociology, 31(2), 378-379.
Britton J (1995) . Immigrants & Minorities, 14(3), 308-318.
Britton J () . Ethnic and Racial Studies, 1-18.

Chapters

(2024) , Understanding Muslim Family Life (pp. 13-28). Bristol Сŷ��Ƶ Press
(2024) , Understanding Muslim Family Life (pp. 60-76). Bristol Сŷ��Ƶ Press
(2024) , Understanding Muslim Family Life (pp. 117-136). Bristol Сŷ��Ƶ Press
(2024) , Understanding Muslim Family Life (pp. 1-12). Bristol Сŷ��Ƶ Press
(2024) , Understanding Muslim Family Life (pp. 29-41). Bristol Сŷ��Ƶ Press
(2024) , Understanding Muslim Family Life (pp. 97-116). Bristol Сŷ��Ƶ Press
(2024) , Understanding Muslim Family Life (pp. 77-96). Bristol Сŷ��Ƶ Press
(2024) , Understanding Muslim Family Life (pp. 42-59). Bristol Сŷ��Ƶ Press
(2024) , Understanding Muslim Family Life (pp. vi-vi). Bristol Сŷ��Ƶ Press
Devine F, Halfpenny P, Britton NJ & Mellor R (2016) , Networked Urbanism: Social Capital in the City (pp. 197-215).
Britton J (2015) Researching White Mothers of Mixed Parentage Children: The Significance of Investigating Whiteness In Barn V & Harman V (Ed.), Mothering, Mixed Families and Racialised Boundaries (pp. 47-58). London: Routledge.
Devine F, Halfpenny P, Britton NJ & Mellor R (2012) Conserving the past of a quiet suburb: Urban politics, association networks and speaking for ‘the community’, Networked Urbanism: Social Capital in the City (pp. 197-216).
Devine F, Halfpenny P, Britton NJ & Mellor R (2008) Conserving the past of a quiet suburb: urban politics, association networks and speaking for 'the community In Blokland-Potters T & Savage M (Ed.), Networked Urbanism: Social Capital and the City (pp. 197-216). Ashgate Publishing Company
Britton NJ (2007) Categorising and Policy Making In Hodgson SM & Irving Z (Ed.), Policy Reconsidered (pp. 61-79). The Policy Press
Britton NJ (2004) Minorities, Crime and Criminal Justice In Muncie J & Wilson D (Ed.), Student Handbook of Criminal Justice and Criminology (pp. 81-92). Routledge-Cavendish
Halfpenny P, Britton NJ, Devine F & Mellor R (2004) , City matters (pp. 255-268). Policy Press
Halfpenny P, Britton NJ, Devine F & Mellor R (2004) , City matters (pp. 255-268). Policy Press
Britton NJ, Halfpenny P, Devine F & Mellor R (2004) The 'good' suburb as an urban asset in enhancing a city's competitiveness In Boddy M & Parkinson MH (Ed.), City Matters (pp. 255-268).
Britton NJ, Devine F, Halfpenny P & Mellor R (2003) Family and Community Ties in Space and Time In Allan G & Jones G (Ed.), Social Relations and the Life Course (pp. 155-172). Palgrave MacMillan
Devine F, Britton NJ, Halfpenny P & Mellor R (2003) , Social Relations and the Life Course (pp. 172-186). Palgrave Macmillan UK
Britton NJ (1999) , Practising Identities (pp. 134-154). Palgrave Macmillan UK

Book reviews

Britton J (2011) New Geographies of Race and Racism. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 35(3), 681-682.
Britton J (2011) Black Families in Britain as the Site of Struggle. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 34(3), 521-522.
Britton J (2010) . International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 34(3), 715-716.

Research group

Jo welcomes applications to study for MPhil or PhD research degrees with her, either full or part-time, in any areas linked to the following broad themes:

Race and racism (including critical whiteness and mixed race studies);
Muslim minorities;
Identity.

Topics of her current and recent postgraduates include:

The Brexit vote’s implications for dimensions of belonging among British-born white working-class residents in England
Exploring the lived experiences of South Asian Muslim lone mothers, intersectionality and the role played by South Asian organisations in their lives
A study of everyday multi-culture in North Manchester
Transracial adoption
From farms to foundries: An Arab community in industrial Britain
Risk and resilience in the lives of British Somali youths.

Find out more about our PhD programmes

Teaching interests

Jo teaches and supervise students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. All of her teaching is linked by a focus on examining patterns of social inequality and the operation of power and privilege in different social and political contexts.

Most of Jo's teaching is research-led as she believes that the theoretical foundations of her discipline are best explained using real-life, empirical examples.

Jo's aim across all of her teaching is to encourage students to develop a critical understanding of themselves as social actors who belong to a social structure and social order. In doing so, Jo also aims to provide students with the necessary tools to apply a sociological imagination to both their studies and everyday life.

Jo encourages students to engage with and evaluate a wide range of theories and evidence in order to appreciate the distinctive and far-reaching contribution of sociology.

Teaching activities

Jo currently convenes the following undergraduate modules:

SCS3021 Whiteness, Power and Privilege

Jo is also involved in the supervision of students taking extended essays and dissertations at undergraduate and postgraduate levels on the following modules:

SCS3001 Dissertation in Sociology
SCS3002 Dissertation in Social Policy
SCS3003 Extended Essay in Sociology
SCS3004 Extended Essay in Social Policy
SCS6330 Dissertation in Social Research

See our Undergraduate degree and Postgraduate taught degree pages.