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Professor Karen Wells

Positions held:
  • Professor of International Development & Childhood Studies, School of Social Sciences
Email
  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    Professor Wells has over twenty years of experience in research on the intersection between international political economy and socio-cultural fields in the formation of childhood. She has published widely on this research including in her monographs Childhood in a Global Perspective (Policy, 3rd edition, 2021) and Childhood Studies: making young subjects (Polity, 2017) and Visual Cultures of Childhood (Rowman and Little 2020). She is book reviews editor of the journal Children鈥檚 Geographies, and a board member of the journal Global Studies of Childhood.聽 She is currently involved in two significant book projects, as co-editor of the forthcoming Routledge Handbook of Childhood Studies and Global Development and Bloomsbury鈥檚 forthcoming Handbook of Theory in Childhood Studies. She holds adjunct membership in the graduate faculty of the Graduate School at Rutgers University-Camden of the Childhood Studies department at Rutgers University, Camden, New Jersey. She is PI of two global challenges research projects with British Academy, one on translanguaging in Amhara region, Ethiopia and one on community approaches to early learning in rural villages in West Africa.

    Office hours

    I do not keep regular office hours. If you wish to arrange a tutorial with me please email me at k.wells@bbk.ac.uk

  • Research

    Research

    Research interests

    • How international political economy (e.g. war, international law, global capitalism) impacts on children/childhood
    • visual research methods
    • visual cultures of childhood

    Research overview

    My research is focused on childhood subjectivity. It aims to address the question of how broad structural forces at different scales from the global to the local enter into everyday life and make children into different kinds of gendered, racialised and classed persons. My research has shown not only that racism, sexism, class discrimination and other forms of inequality are critical to the formation of young subjects, but also that childhood itself has been deployed to elide the deep roots of these inequalities in modern liberal capitalism and its globalisation through international development.

    I am interested in pursuing questions on how the dialectic between local and global forces enter into the everyday life of children and structure childhood in ways that both perpetuate and ameliorate conditons of inequality in children's lives.

    I am PI of two current research projects. One on how children learn knowledge through exchanges with people (family, peers and community) and everyday activities in rural villages in West Africa. You can find out more about that research here:

    And, a project on translanguaging in Amhara schools in Ethiopia with Partners in Education Ethiopia.

    I am also on the steering group of Plan International's longitudinal research project Real Choices - Real Lives (




  • Supervision and teaching

    Supervision and teaching

    Supervision

    Supervisions within 糖心logo入口:
    5

    I am currently supervising the following theses:

    Ali, Nelly. 聽The Influence of resilience, shame and gender on the day to day life and decision making of street children in Cairo, Egypt.

    Foster, Jahan Transnational Latin American families in London.

    Forde, Haroon Learning to be an Arab.

    McAlister, Dani Emotional geographies of displaced Syrian children in Lebanon.

    O鈥橠wyer, Pauline. Juvenille Justice in Sierra Leone (passed with minor corrections)


    Teaching

    Teaching modules

    • International Development and Social Justice
    • Rebels, Riots and Revolutions in International Development
  • Publications

    Publications

    Article

    • Wells, Karen (2024) . Children's Geographies ISSN 1473-3285.
    • Wells, Karen (2023) . Sociology Lens ISSN 2832-5796.
    • Wells, Karen and Bailey, Ain (2020) . Social and Cultural Geography 21 (8), pp. 1083-1102. ISSN 14701197.
    • Wells, Karen (2019) . Child Abuse Review 28 (4), pp. 273-286. ISSN 0952-9136.
    • Wells, Karen (2014) . Children's Geographies 12 (3), pp. 263-267. ISSN 1473-3285.
    • Wells, Karen (2014) . Children's Geographies 12 (3), pp. 339-353. ISSN 1473-3285.
    • Wells, Karen (2013) . Visual Communication 12 (3), pp. 277-293. ISSN 1470-3572.
    • Wells, Karen (2012) . Oxford Bibliographies: Childhood Studies
    • Wells, Karen (2011) . Children's Geographies 9 (3/4), pp. 319-329. ISSN 1473-3285.
    • Wells, Karen (2011) . Global Studies of Childhood 1 (1), pp. 15-25. ISSN 2043-6106.
    • Wasiuzzaman, S. and Wells, Karen (2010) . Children & Society 24 (4), pp. 282-292. ISSN 1099-0860.
    • Wells, Karen (2010) . Journal of Children and Media 2 (3), pp. 235-250. ISSN 1748-2798.
    • Wells, Karen (2007) . Visual Studies 22 (3), pp. 270-282. ISSN 1472-586X.
    • Wells, Karen (2007) . Space and Culture 10 (2), pp. 136-144. ISSN 1206-3312.
    • Wells, Karen (2007) . Space and Culture 10 (2), pp. 195-206. ISSN 1206-3312.
    • Wells, Karen (2007) . Visual Communication 6 (1), pp. 55-71. ISSN 1470-3572.
    • Wells, Karen and Watson, S. (2005) . Ethnic and Racial Studies 28 (2), pp. 261-277. ISSN 0141-9870.
    • Wells, Karen (2005) . Childhood 12 (4), pp. 495-506. ISSN 0907-5682.
    • Watson, S. and Wells, Karen (2005) . Social & Cultural Geography 6 (1), pp. 17-30. ISSN 1464-9365.
    • Wells, Karen (2002) . Journal of Consumer Culture 2 (3), pp. 291-315. ISSN 1469-5405.

    Book

    • Wells, Karen (2026) . Routledge Spaces of Childhood and Youth Series. Routledge. ISBN 9781032788715. (In Press)
    • Abebe, T. and Dar, A. and Wells, Karen, eds. (2024) . London, UK & New York, U.S.: Routledge. ISBN 9780367740436.
    • (2021) . Cambridge: Polity. ISBN 9781509541713.
    • Wells, Karen (2020) . Rowman and Littlefield. ISBN 9781786611048.
    • Wells, Karen, ed. (2019) . Santa Barbara, Calafornia, USA: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781440852442.
    • Wells, Karen (2017) . Short Introductions. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. ISBN 9780745670249.
    • Wells, Karen (2014) . Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. ISBN 9780745684949.
    • Wells, Karen and Burman, E. and Montgomery, H. and Watson, A., eds. (2014) . Studies in Childhood and Youth. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137322593.
    • Wells, Karen Wells, Karen, ed. (2009) . Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. ISBN 9780745638362.

    Book review

    • Wells, Karen (2009) .
    • Wells, Karen (2008) .
    • Wells, Karen (2008) .
    • Wells, Karen (2007) .
    • Wells, Karen (2007) .
    • Wells, Karen (2005) .

    Book section

    • Wells, Karen and Muluneh, G. (2024) . In: Abebe, T. and Dar, A. and Wells, Karen (eds.) Routledge Handbook of Childhood Studies and Global Development. London, UK & New York, U.S.: Routledge. ISBN 9780367740436.
    • Wells, Karen (2023) . In: Balagopalan, S. and Wall, J. and Wells, Karen (eds.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Theories in Childhood Studies. London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781350263840.
    • Balagopalan, S. and Wall, J. and Wells, Karen (2023) . In: Balagopalan, S. and Wall, J. and Wells, Karen (eds.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Theories in Childhood Studies. London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781350263840.
    • Balagopalan, S. and Wall, J. and Wells, Karen (2023) . In: Balagopalan, S. and Wall, J. and Wells, Karen (eds.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Theories in Childhood Studies. Bloomsbury Handbooks. London, UK: Bloomsbury. pp. 1-15. ISBN 9781350263840.
    • Wells, Karen (2023) . In: Balagopalan, S. and Wall, J. and Wells, Karen (eds.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Theories in Childhood Studies. Bloomsbury Handbooks. London, UK: Bloomsbury. pp. 309-321. ISBN 9781350263840.
    • Wells, Karen (2017) . In: Harker, C. and Horschelmann, K. (eds.) Conflict, Violence, and Peace. Geographies of Children and Young People. Berlin, Germany: Springer. pp. 19-34. ISBN 9789812870377.
    • Wells, Karen (2017) . In: Worth, N. and Dwyer, C. and Skelton, T. (eds.) Identities and Subjectivities. Geographies of Children and Young People. Singapore: Springer Singapore. pp. 215-230. ISBN 9789812870223.
    • Wells, Karen (2017) . In: Horton, J. and Pyer, M. (eds.) Children, Young People and Care. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 218-233. ISBN 9781138920880.
    • Wells, Karen (2016) . In: Ansell, N. and Klocker, N. and Skelton, T. (eds.) Geographies of Global Issues: Change and Threat. Geographies of Children and Young People. Berlin, Germany: Springer. ISBN 9789814585538.
    • Wells, Karen (2015) . In: Parkes, J. (ed.) Gender Violence in Poverty Contexts: the Educational Challenge. Education, Poverty and International Development. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 168-182. ISBN 9780415712491.
    • Wells, Karen and Burman, E. and Montgomery, H. and Watson, A. (2014) . In: Wells, Karen and Burman, E. and Montgomery, H. and Watson, A. (eds.) Childhood, Youth and Violence in Global Contexts. Studies in Childhood and Youth. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 1-15. ISBN 9781137322593.
    • Wells, Karen (2013) . In: O鈥橰iordan, J. and Horgan, D. and Martin, S. (eds.) Early Childhoods in the Global South: Local and International Contexts. Oxford, UK: Peter Lang. pp. 11-26. ISBN 9783034308793.
    • Wells, Karen (2012) . In: Roseneil, Sasha and Frosh, Stephen (eds.) Social Research after the Cultural Turn. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 110-123. ISBN 9780230241589.
    • Wells, Karen (2012) . In: Imoh Twum-Danso, A. and Ame, R. (eds.) Childhoods at the Intersection of the Local and the Global. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave. ISBN 9780230342323.
    • Wells, Karen (2012) . In: Rose, G. and Tolia-Kelly, D.P. (eds.) Visuality/Materiality: Images, Objects and Practices. Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate Press. pp. 153-170. ISBN 9781409412229.
    • Wells, Karen (2012) . In: Twum-Danso Imoh, A. and Ame, R. (eds.) Childhoods at the Intersection of the Local and the Global. Studies in Childhood and Youth. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 143-159. ISBN 9780230342323.
    • Wells, Karen (2012) . In: Tolia-Kelly, D.P. and Rose, G. (eds.) Visuality/Materiality: Images, Objects and Practices. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9781409412229.
    • Wells, Karen (2009) . In: Montgomery, H. and Keller, M. (eds.) Children and Young People's Worlds: Developing Frameworks for Integrated Practice. Bristol, UK: The Policy Press. ISBN 9781847423887.
    • Wells, Karen (2009) . In: Carrol, R. and Helyer, R. (eds.) Adaptation in Contemporary Culture: Textual Infidelities. London, UK: Continuum. ISBN 9780826424648.
    • Wells, Karen (2009) . In: Horschelman, K. and Colls, R. (eds.) Contested Bodies of Childhood and Youth. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 53-67. ISBN 9780230201385.

    Conference item

    • Wells, Karen (2012) . I-D The Boundaries of Identity, 2012, 糖心logo入口, University of London
    • Wells, Karen (2011) . The political economy of social reproduction across the lifecourse: global perspectives, 2011, 糖心logo入口, University of London
    • Wells, Karen (2011) . The Importance of Being Human, 2011, 糖心logo入口, University of London

    Monograph

    • Wells, Karen (2002) . Milton Keynes, UK: The Open University.