Dr Mitchell Taylor

Dr Mitchell Taylor

Lecturer

School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci

Career Summary

Biography

Dr Mitchell Taylor received his PhD in 2020 from the University of Melbourne. He joined the University of Newcastle in 2019, and has been employed as a lecturer in sociology since 2023.

Mitchell is a specialist in sociological theory, with a broad knowledge of both classical and contemporary thinkers. His research focuses on challenges in theory construction, addressing the underlying assumptions, methods, and concepts we use to make sense of social life. In his academic work, he attempts to clear up sources of conceptual confusion, and to provide more appropriate, consistent, and coherent frameworks for sociological analysis.   

Mitchell’s current research centers on theories of institutional differentiation: the process by which different institutional spheres (such as religion, politics, law, economy, education, media, or art) become increasingly autonomous from one another. Mitchell is interested in the nature of differentiation in modern societies, the forces which drive the differentiation process, and the consequences of these developments for the way we think about society and culture. While his recent work has focused on conceptual issues in differentiation thinking, he has also applied the insights of this approach in a range of more specific studies on art and aesthetics, romantic love, personal identity, and political pluralism.   

As a teaching intensive academic, Mitchell is a dedicated educator, and passionate about quality teaching. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Advance HE), and a strong advocate of pedagogically informed practice. His abiding interest in the history and diversity of social thought informs his efforts as an educator, and he attempts to help students become active participants in ongoing conversations about the structure of our societies, the nature of human action, and the ends which we pursue through social change.


Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy -Arts, University of Melbourne
  • Bachelor of Arts (Honours), University of Melbourne
  • Master of Arts in Social Theory, University of Melbourne

Keywords

  • Aesthetics and the sociology of art
  • Classical and contemporary social theory
  • History of social thought
  • Metatheory
  • Philosophical anthropology
  • Philosophy of the social sciences
  • Political philosophy
  • Romantic love and intimacy
  • Social differentiation
  • Sociological functionalism

Languages

  • English (Mother)

Fields of Research

Code Description Percentage
441005 Social theory 60
500206 History and philosophy of the social sciences 40

Professional Experience

UON Appointment

Title Organisation / Department
Lecturer University of Newcastle
School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci
Australia

Academic appointment

Dates Title Organisation / Department
1/1/2023 - 30/6/2024 Lecturer School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences | University of Newcastle
Australia

Teaching appointment

Dates Title Organisation / Department
1/1/2019 - 31/12/2022 Sessional Academic School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences | University of Newcastle
Australia
1/1/2014 - 31/12/2018 Sessional Academic The University of Melbourne
School of Social and Political Sciences
Australia

Awards

Professional

Year Award
2023 AdvanceHE Fellowship
Advance HE (UK) Higher Education Academy
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Publications

For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.


Journal article (3 outputs)

Year Citation Altmetrics Link
2025 Taylor MJ, 'Spencer and Parsons on functional differentiation: Some illustrative parallels', History of the Human Sciences
DOI 10.1177/09526951251345651
2025 Taylor MJ, 'Terminological confusion in theories of social, structural, or functional differentiation: some notes and some suggestions', Theory and Society, 54, 399-421 (2025) [C1]

Though the concept of differentiation has long been central to sociological theory, efforts to build a cumulative body of knowledge about differentiation dynamics are currently hi... [more]

Though the concept of differentiation has long been central to sociological theory, efforts to build a cumulative body of knowledge about differentiation dynamics are currently hindered by a lack of consensus about the way we should refer to certain processes and states. Addressing this issue, the following article provides an analysis of terminological issues in differentiation theory, highlighting points of weakness in our current conceptual palette. By charting the varied meanings which scholars have attached to notions of "social," "structural," and "functional" differentiation, I show that theorists readily use these terms, or make distinctions between different types of differentiation, in ways which are ambiguous, idiosyncratic, or incompatible with existing theory. Ultimately, the piece argues that a more consistent terminology, and a greater use of more specific and targeted terms, will help us avoid some common points of confusion, and will allow us to theorize differentiation processes in a more coherent and communicable manner.

DOI 10.1007/s11186-025-09621-7
2025 Taylor MJ, 'Metatheoretical Distinctions in Theories of Functional Differentiation: Delineating Alternative Traditions', PHILOSOPHY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES [C1]
DOI 10.1177/00483931241297421

Thesis / Dissertation (2 outputs)

Year Citation Altmetrics Link
2020 Taylor M, The Concept of Functional Differentiation and the Logic of Comparative Functionalism: A Study in Sociological Theory, University of Melbourne (2020)
2014 Taylor M, Love in the Luhmannian World: Differentiation and Dissonance in the Semantics of Modern Intimacy, University of Melbourne (2014)
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Dr Mitchell Taylor

Position

Lecturer
School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci
College of Human and Social Futures

Contact Details

Email mitchell.taylor@newcastle.edu.au

Office

Room SR-134
Building Social Science (SR Building)
Location Callaghan
University Drive
Callaghan, NSW 2308
Australia
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