Anthony Elliott writes about identity, society, globalisation and the digital revolution. His research has had a lasting impact upon social theory and sociology worldwide.
About
Anthony Elliott is Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the University of South Australia, where he is Dean of External Engagement and Executive Director of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence and Network at the University of South Australia. Professor Elliott was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to education, social science policy and research in 2023, and awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Melbourne in 2024.
Anthony Elliott was born in Australia and holds a BA Honours degree from the University of Melbourne and a PhD from Cambridge University, where he was supervised by Lord Anthony Giddens, architect of Third Way progressive politics. Professor Elliott was formerly Director of the Hawke Research Institute at UniSA (2012-2016), and Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Head of the Department of Sociology at Flinders University (2006-2012).
Professor Elliott contributes to media worldwide: among others, he has recently been interviewed by the BBC World Service, The Sunday Times, ABC Radio National, The Australian, BBC Radio 4, GMTV Sunday, as well as European and North American radio and television networks.
Publications
Professor Elliott is a prominent social theorist, sociologist and public intellectual. He is the author and editor of some 40 books, which have been translated or are forthcoming in 17 languages. His books include Social Theory and Psychoanalysis in Transition, Psychoanalytic Theory: An Introduction, Subject To Ourselves, The Mourning of John Lennon, Critical Visions, Social Theory Since Freud, The New Individualism (with Charles Lemert), Making The Cut: How Cosmetic Surgery is Transforming Our Lives, Mobile Lives (with John Urry), On Society (with Bryan S. Turner), Contemporary Social Theory: An Introduction, Reinvention and The Culture of AI. He is best known for Concepts of the Self, which has been in continuous print for over 20 years and across three editions.
Current Research
In 2016, Professor Elliott was awarded an Australian Research Council Major Grant for research on robotics, artificial intelligence and the future of employment. This project is conducted with colleagues at the Institute for Social Futures, Lancaster University; the Australian National University and Wollongong University. In 2017 Professor Elliott was awarded a Toyota Foundation Research Programme Grant to research socially assistive robotics in aged care along with Japanese and Australian colleagues, an Australian Research Council Major Grant for research on Industry 4.0 with a German partner investigator, and an EU Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Project for research on robotics and digital skills with colleagues from Germany, Poland, Finland, New Zealand and Australia. In 2018 Professor Elliott was awarded an EU Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence and an EU Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Network for research on driverless vehicles with colleagues from Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.
Consultancy
Anthony Elliott has developed fundamental research that impacts industry as well as private companies and public organisations. Professor Elliott has in recent years worked as a consultant for, amongst others:
Nokia
Fazer
Mittmedia
Main Dialog
Norra Västerbotten
In 2009, the Finnish management consultancy LearningMiles engaged Professor Elliott as its European Research Director. Professor Elliott has been sought out for such industry consultation because his work directly addresses the social and personal ramifications of organizational change. In 2014, Professor Elliott contributed to the management change program “FutureWorks” (working with colleagues at LearningMiles and MittMedia), which was awarded the prestigious Global Innovation Award (Best in Europe) by the International News Media Association (INMA). The Australian Financial Review selected The New Individualism as one of the best management books of 2006.