Dr Mitchell Taylor

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.