Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the School of Sociology, Politics, and International Studies (SPAIS), University of Bristol. Sam is a sociologist by training, specialising in critical analysis of the enduring impacts of the transatlantic slave trade, colonisation, imperialism, and neoliberalism. He has pursued this interest with special focus on the drivers of child and youth labour, precarious migration, sex work, forced labour, and related phenomena popularly labelled as “trafficking” or “modern slavery”. His research on these topics has been funded by the European Research Council, British Academy, UK ESRC and the Welcome Trust, among others. They have informed over 100 outputs including journal articles, book chapters, policy briefs, blogs, cartoon abstracts, and films on the persistent, deleterious effects of racial slavery and the urgent need for social and reparative justice. Sam has also provided expert advice on these issues through teaching, invited talks, consultancy and public engagement which have generated tangible positive impacts with partners ranging from grassroots organisations and civil society groups to national and regional governments and UN agencies, including UNODC, IOM, ILO, and UNICEF.


Sam is co-author of the book International Child Protection: Towards Politics and Participation and am preparing a second book that examines questions on freedom by exploring child labour interventions conceived and designed by working children and their communities versus those by policymakers.