BA (Hons) Sociology
An exciting subject, sociology challenges the world in which we live, including politics, media and social inequality. Get practical experience to work in public and private sectors.
Dr Ellie Atayee-Bennett
BSc, MSc, PhD
Lecturer
Department of Social Sciences and Nursing
Room no. RM206A
Biography
Dr Ellie Atayee-Bennett graduated in 2018 with a first-class degree in BSc Sociology with Anthropology at the University of Southampton. She was then awarded a prestigious studentship with the South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership (SCDTP) who funded her MSc in Social Research Methods (Sociology) and her PhD in Sociology, both of which were also completed at the University of Southampton. Her PhD explored the intersection between veganism and Abrahamic religion and led to her coining the term ‘faith veganism’. In April 2024, Ellie passed her PhD viva without corrections.
Alongside her PhD, Ellie undertook multiple teaching positions across sociology, anthropology, human geography, and research methods, including seminar teaching, lecturing, marking, and assisting with field trips. She also held numerous leadership positions as a student representative for both Southampton University Student Union and the SCDTP. She later joined the BSA Sociology of Religion study group as a Communications Officer.
Outside of academia, Ellie is Co-Founder of Green Islam, an international non-profit seeking to advance environmentalism and sustainability within the global Muslim community. Within this organisation, she has established and chairs the Green Islam Academic Committee, which oversees various academic and research projects.
In 2025, she joined Southampton Solent University as a Lecturer in Sociology, convening the modules Researching the City, Big Data and Technology, Bodies and Identities, and Migration, Refugees, and Global Crisis.
Ellie is accepting PhD students so please reach out if you have a proposal and would like to discuss.
Research interests
Ellie is interested in veganism, everyday sustainable practices, and ethical consumption, especially in relation to religion and culture.
In addition to her doctoral research which drew on the fields of vegan studies, ethics, sociology of religion, food studies, and ethical consumption, she has more recently conducted research into the experiences of vegan, animal rights, and environmental activists in Muslim-facing contexts. She is also a member of two research groups exploring climate change and mobilities, and homes and energy in Southampton, respectively.
ORCID ID
Keywords
veganism, food, religion, culture, sustainable practice, ethical consumption, animal advocacy, qualitative methods, social media-based diary methods, ethnography
Further information
Ellie is module convenor for:
- EDS405 Researching the City
- EDS501 Big Data and Technology
- EDS504 Bodies and Identities
- EDS610 Migration, Refugees, and Global Crisis
Taught courses
