John is an applied philosopher by training with an interest in using critical perspectives to address ethical, social and political challenges beyond the academy. He is co-director of the Centre for Public Policy Research and was founding director of the BA Social Sciences programme at King’s. John teaches across the undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in the School of Education, Communication & Society.

Research

John's research focuses on applying philosophical, political and sociological theories, critical policy studies and qualitative empirical methodologies to contemporary issues, particularly in areas relating to environmental, education and healthcare policy. Much of his research centres on exploring the relationship between ontology, epistemology and ethics, particularly as this pertains to practical questions surrounding autonomy, equity and justice. To this end, John has used a combination of critical realism and the capabilities approach to inform much of his research.

Further information

For further details please see his Research Staff Profile.

Teaching

John convenes and teaches the following modules:

• 4SSES004 Social Justice and Policy Analysis (BA Social Sciences)
• 5SSES009 Environment and Society (BA Social Sciences)
• 7SSEM039 Social Justice and Education Policy (MA Education programmes, with Dr Ayo Mansaray)

PhD supervision

John is interested in supervising doctoral research that critically engages with questions related to environmental, education and/or healthcare policy.

John is currently supervising the following doctoral students:

• Guddi Singh ("What are the implications of the social determinants of health for contemporary models of paediatric professionalism?")
• Eleonora Aiello (Italian upper-secondary students’ experiences of mental health and wellbeing. What’s school got to do with it?")
• Hannah Jull ("Beyond Parental Paternalism: Rethinking Authority and Representation in the Lives of Disabled Children")
• Neil Hart-Camus ("Building methodologies of storytelling: Exploring and developing London diasporic youth relationships with, and behaviours towards, the environment")