On 6th November around 60 people attended the first “Getting Going with Health Impact Assessment” knowledge translation event across the island of Ireland.

Last week, a seminar titled Global & Comparative Perspectives on Gender-Based Violence took place in the Dora Allman Room in The Hub at UCC.

Seminar hosted by the ISS21 Disability and Mental Health Cluster in which Sinead Pierce (Peer Support Worker, HSE & Lived Experience Informed Educator) explored the use of experiential knowledge in third level teaching and practice.

Hosted by the ISS21 SHAPE Research Cluster and the School of Public Health, this seminar critically examined the theory and reality of decision-making with Health Impact Assessment evidence. 

On Friday 19 September the ISS21 Disability and Mental Health Research Cluster hosted a meet and greet event at which colleagues from across UCC shared their research/research interests in this field. 

Co-hosted by the ISS21 Ageing Research Cluster & UCC Futures - Ageing and Brain Science, this symposium explored the shift towards greater public engagement in research, and the implications of sharing scientific methods and tools. In the keynote address, Regius Prof. Rose Anne Kenny (Trinity College Dublin) shared findings from the longitudinal TILDA study. 

Congratulations to Dr Julius- Cezar Macarie, Department of Sociology & Criminology, Collective Social Futures and ISS21, one of six early stage researchers at UCC  to receive a Research Ireland Pathway Programme award announced last week by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD.

• MITIME is an interdisciplinary PhD Programme focusing on mobility, migration, and societal transformation.
• University College Cork is one of seven UNIC universities and ten civil society partners brought together in this programme consortium.
• Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks Call, the programme will recruit 15 PhD students across the consortium, two of whom will be registered at UCC.

The ISS21 Migration and Integration Research Cluster hosted a two-day conference on the themes of migration, place/making and belonging on 5-6 June 2025.

Seminar hosted by the ISS21 Crime and Social Harm Research Cluster.

On Friday 4th April the ISS21 SHAPE and CARE21 research clusters hosted a seminar on the marketisation of care and emerging approaches to care.

ISS21 was delighted to host a one-day symposium with invited keynote speakers and round table discussions with colleagues from UCC. 

A well-attended panel discussion on Populism and the Rise of the Far Right was held on 27^th March, as part of Refugee Week at UCC 2025.

We were delighted to welcome Dr Sharron FitzGerald (University of Paris 8) to UCC on 26 March, for a seminar hosted by the ISS21 Genders, Sexualities and Families Research Cluster and UCC Futures - Collective Social Futures.

Keynote talk by Professor Iris van der Tuin, Utrecht University

On 26 February Dr. Eoin McNamara (Department of Children Equality Disability Integration and Youth) presented a workshop on the Growing Up In Ireland (GUI) study methodology and data set. 

This panel discussion event addressed critical questions about current trends and historical legacies in contemporary migration scholarship and research.  

A call for papers for the Social Pathologies of Contemporary Civilization conference “Enduring the Social Pathologies of (Late) Modernity: From Diagnosis towards Metanoia” is underway. The conference will take place in December 2025 at UCC. 

On 10 January an event was held to mark the launch of the final report of the Enabling Diverse Student Voice research project, a joint project of Access UCC and ISS21. The event showcased UCC’s unique Access Student Ambassador Advisory Group initiative as an example of good practice in enabling diverse student voices to be heard in university structures.

In this workshop Dr Rebecca Close explored the entanglements between images and imaginations of the so-called fertility crisis as constitutive of the epistemic, affective and political investments that determine how societies manage reproductive capacities and practices.

The first Dementia Lifeworlds Symposium took place on Wednesday 29th November at UCC and was an occasion for the research project team to bring ideas on the table, to explore and establish common ground, and to share interests and ideas.

At a seminar held on 28 November, Dr. Michelle Bergin presented a paper on the “Making Space for Play in Irish Schoolyards” project, which aims to evaluate existing provision for children’s right to play in diverse schoolyards and to inform how we can support schools to create conditions for all children to play. The seminar was hosted by the ISS21 Children and Young People Research Cluster & UCC Futures – Children.

On 19^th November, ISS21 Genders, Sexualities & Families research cluster and MA Women’s Studies in association with UCC Futures – Collective Social Futures presented a talk by Pat O’Connor, emeritus Professor of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Limerick, and Visiting Professor, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.

The EUROBRODERWALKS project was officially launched with a series of events, including  a keynote talk by Prof Mimi Sheller. 

On 18 November Professor Mimi Sheller presented a paper on migration, mobility justice and borders as part of the launch of EUROBORDERWALKS project. This three-year project is led by Professor Maggie O'Neill and funded through the IRC Advanced Laureate Awards programme. 

The 16^th Annual Critical Perspectives in Mental Health Conference took place on 8^th and 9^th November at Brookfield Health Sciences Complex.

The first symposium, hosted by the ISS21 research cluster Crime and Social Harm (CSH) in association with the Department of Sociology and Criminology, UCC, took place on Tuesday, November 5th.

On 16 October a webinar was held to launch Teaching and Learning in Ecosocial Work: Concepts, Methods and Practice. This groundbreaking book redefines how we approach education, the environment and sustainability in social work and the social professions. This book addresses the urgent need for an ecosocial and ecocentric approach in teaching, learning and practice, addressing the complexities of an ever-changing global landscape.

Mycelial an Open Clasp Theatre Company Film written by Catrina McHugh and directed by Laura Lindlow, co-created with sex worker activists in Ireland, the UK and New Zealand was screened in The Shtepps on Thursday 24^th October. 

UCC Futures – Collective Social Futures and ISS21 were pleased to hold a seminar yesterday on Volunteering Research and Practice in Ireland.

We were delighted to welcome Romarilyn Ralston, Senior Director of the Justice Education Center at Claremont Colleges, to present this seminar.

Join us  for an ISS21 Lunchtime Research Seminar, jointly hosted by ISS21 Migration & Integration and ISS21 Genders, Sexualities and Families Research Clusters. 

The 2024 Festival of Social Science (CSF) will launch on 25th November with an evening of music, spoken word and performance in The Shtepps, followed by a full-day CSF conference on 26th November in the Aula Maxima. 

A seminar hosted by the ISS21 Disability & Mental Health Cluster, UCC Futures - Collective Social Futures and the School of Applied Social Studies took place this week at UCC.

Professor Diane Reay, University of Cambridge gave the keynote address at the launch of an important new book by the ISS21 REACT Cluster and UCC – Collective Social Futures on Thursday 12th September. 

A PhD Studentship focusing on care and care relations in contemporary society is available at UCC from January 2025. The studentship will be hosted by ISS21 (Institute for Social Science in the 21^st Century), in conjunction with the School of Applied Social Studies. Deadline for applications is Friday 8^th November 2024.

Dr Ben Harris-Roxas, expert in Health Impact Assessment (HIA) and project collaborator on the HRB-funded HIA-IM project, will present on twenty years of HIA development in Australia. 

The Feminist Walk of Cork explores rich contributions of women and women led organisations. Members of the public are invited to take a winding walk across Cork city. There are no monuments to women in Cork city; the walk writes women into the spaces and topography of the city.

This seminar reported on the findings of the project Pathways towards Stable Housing for Parents & Children Exiting Residential Services.

Congratulations to Dr Katharina Swirak, Department of Sociology and Criminology, Joint Winner of the Engaged Research of the Year Award at the recent UCC Research and Innovation Awards 2023.

Please join us for any or all of the following research seminars:

Perinatal loss: challenging the norms in the Czech context 

Institutions of Ageing Men: Relations of Power, Care, and Lack of Them 

Intersectionality - Beyond gender relations in researching men as men 

Visiting research fellow, Dr Wajeehah Aayeshah (University of Melbourne), ran a workshop on 'Designing Kind Educational Practices on 29th May. 

On Friday 23^rd May, the UCC Futures: Children Cluster, in collaboration with the ISS21 Children and Young People Research Cluster and the P4Play Joint Doctoral Network Programme, welcomed Theresa Casey and Marguerite Hunter Blair to discuss the background of General Comment No. 17 and a Scottish perspective on incorporating the right to play in Scottish law in 2024.

Professor Andrew Cottey, Department of Government & Politics recently gave his inaugural lecture in the Dora Allman room at UCC. 

The ISS21 Children and Young People Research Cluster in collaboration with UCC Futures: Children Cluster, hosted a seminar with Dr Noel O’Connell, to present on the CODA (Children of Deaf Adults) Project. 

In this webinar Dr Maria Lotty presented the findings of  Phase 1 of the TARA project, a study that  evaluated the effects of a UCC graduate level trauma-informed care program developed for child welfare professionals.

A PhD Studentship focusing on care and care relations in contemporary society is available at UCC from October 2024.

The focus of this seminar was on the experience of Wales over more than 20 years in institutionalising HIA across local and national policy development, with examples of HIAs on city development planning, climate change, and Brexit.

On 22 March 2024 the Centre for Co-operative Studies and ISS21 hosted a launch for the report: Supporting Older People to Age Well at Home: Assessing the Potential of Care Co-operatives in Ireland, by Dr Carol Power and Dr Caroline Crowley.

On 5 March 2024 the ISS21 Migration and Integration Cluster and the Department of Italian UCC hosted a seminar with guest speakers Angela Caponnetto and Prof. Nando Sigona.

The seminar was followed by a reception to launch two books: 

Invisible Migrant Nightworkers in 24/7 London (JC Macarie)

Migration and Home: IMISCOE Short Reader (M. Fathi & C. Ní Laoire)

A public event on the 8 March referendum to change the Irish Constitution was hosted by the Centre for Children’s Rights & Family Law and CareVisions research project, ISS21, University College, Cork. 

ISS21 was proud to be associated with a number of events as part of UCC Refugee Week 2024 (Feb 19-24).

On 14 February the Sexual Violence Centre Cork Community Hub in collaboration with UCC Futures: Collective Social Futures   ISS21  and the Violence, Conflict and Gender research cluster screened Rattle Snake  followed by a Q&A with Mary Crilly and Prof. Maggie O’Neill UCC to honour ‘V-day’  which is “a global activist movement to end violence against all women (cisgender, transgender, and those who hold fluid identities that are subject to gender-based violence), girls and the Earth”.

Three projects recently received seed-funding under the UCC Futures - Collective Social Futures Interdisciplinary Research Funding Scheme. 

Three ISS21-affiliated projects have been awarded funding under the Irish Research Council's Advanced Laureate and New Foundations Programmes. 

Launch of CareVisions: Re-Envisioning a Care-Centred Society in Ireland Beyond COVID-19 

On 20-21 November 2023 UCC Futures: Collective Social Futures hosted a Festival of Social Science, including a book launch; an evening of music and performance; and a full-day symposium showcasing social science research across UCC.

On 20-21 November 2023 UCC Futures: Collective Social Futures hosted a Festival of Social Science, including the launch of Professor Louise Ryan's new book, Social Networks and Migration: Relocations, Relationships and Resources; an evening of music and performance (see below); and a full-day symposium showcasing social science research across UCC.

On 20-21 November 2023 UCC Futures: Collective Social Futures hosted a Festival of Social Science, including a book launch (see below); an evening of music and performance; and a full-day symposium showcasing social science research across UCC.

On 20-21 November UCC Futures: Collective Social Futures hosted a Festival of Social Science, including a book launch, an evening of music and performance, and a full-day symposium showcasing social science research across UCC.

Informal care and the precariousness of migration experience: An ethnographic study on welfare and migrants' care, help and support within and because of the migration process

Speakers: Marcus Herz (Associate Professor in Social Work, University of Gothenburg, Sweden); Frida Andréasson (Senior Lecturer in Social Work, Linnaeus University, Sweden); Jesper Andreasson (Professor in Sport Science, Linnaeus University, Sweden).

Hosted by the CareVisions research project & Institute for Social Science in the 21^st Century, UCC.

Online Seminar

Dr Susan Bazyk and colleagues will present on their innovative work in school inclusion models in the USA, integrating therapy and education. The online seminar aims to present an overview of a multitiered school-based model of practice that underpins the Every Moment Counts programme and aligns with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) model of school inclusion initiative in development in Ireland. 

This half day symposium, hosted by the Department of Sociology and Criminology in collaboration with ISS21, featured keynote presentations from Professor Nira Yuval-Davis (University of East London) and Professor Molly Andrews (University College London).

This conference presented the findings from the Irish component of the four-year Horizon 2020 project: IMMERSE (Integration Mapping of Refugee and Migrant Children in Schools and other Experiential Environments in Europe).  The keynote address on the integration of migrant children in Ireland was delivered by Emma Quin (Economic and Social Research Institute).  

ISL HEALTH: Supporting the effective implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 in public healthcare settings

The ISL HEALTH project, funded by the Irish Research Council, was carried out by researchers from the School of Applied Social Studies & ISS21 in University College Cork, in partnership with the Cork Deaf Association and Kerry Deaf Resource Centre.  

On 31st August an online seminar was held to launch the report Addressing Masculinities to Tackle Violence Against Women in Ireland: Findings from the PositivMasc Study. The report sets out the Irish findings and recommendations of the EU GENDER-NET funded study PositivMasc - Positive Masculinities: Masculinities and violence against women among young people: Identifying discourses and developing strategies for change.

The main findings were presented by two members of the research team (Dr Claire Edwards and Dr Robert Bolton), followed by a panel discussion with key stakeholders. The seminar was chaired by Dr Fiachra Ó Suilleabháin. 

A recording of the launch is available here

We are delighted to announce that Professor Maggie O'Neill, incoming Director of ISS21 and Director of UCC Futures – Collective Social Futures, has been elected to the Royal Irish Academy (RIA).

Leaving No One Behind: Health Inequalities on the Island of Ireland

Online seminar hosted by the CareVisions research project in affiliation with ISS21:

Valuing Care in Feminist and Disability Politics   

Speaker: Prof. Janice McLaughlin, Sociology, Newcastle University

Seminar jointly hosted by ISS21, PRECNIGHTS and the Doctor of Social Science Programme

In this half-day event, visiting speakers and researchers from UCC shared their research on Housing First and other initiatives to tackle homelessness in Canada and Ireland. 

Qualitative Research in Cross-cultural and Non-Western Settings: Ethical and Methodological Approaches and Challenges

Unleashing the voice within: Challenging Current Responses of Mental Health Systems to Young People in Distress

UCC announces new research drive for Collective Social Futures

Looking Back, Looking Forward: Celebrating 25 Years of Early Years and Childhood Studies in UCC

The Looking Back, Looking Forward conference was hosted by the Early Years and Childhood Studies Programme, UCC, in conjunction with the ISS21 Children and Young People Research Cluster.

Sharing the Caring: Young carers' experiences and access to supports in Ireland

The final report of the YOUNGCARERS research project was launched in Dublin on Tuesday 7 March. The project is a collaboration between Family Carers Ireland, ISS21, UCC, the University of Limerick, and the Irish Second-Level Students’ (ISSU). It was funded by the Irish Research Council under the New Foundations programme.

Hosted by: UNIC & the ISS21 Migration & Integration Research Cluster

Refugee Week Online Research Seminar:

Border Securitisation and the Criminalization of Migration Inside Schengen: The case of the Franco-Spanish border in the Basque Country

Speaker: Dr. Gustavo de la Orden Bosch

 24 Feb. 2023, 3-4pm 

'Last night I was shot, you were shot too’: 

Ethical, political and methodological dilemmas in doing survivor research in mental health 

In this seminar, adopting an autoethnographic approach and drawing on personal experiences as a service user researcher in English Universities, Dr Konstantina (Dina) Poursanidou explored the identity and other (ethical, political and methodological) struggles implicated in the task of constructing and negotiating her double/liminal identity as an academic researcher and a mental health service user. In discussion with the audience, she interrogated crucial concerns that have dominated her conversations with other service user/survivor researchers in academia over the years through some hard questions such as: 

New Foundations Awards

We are delighted to announce that the following ISS21-affiliated projects have been awarded funding under the Irish Research Council's 2022 New Foundations Programme:

On 26th January 2023 the Granary Theatre hosted a first reading of the play At Your Age?!, followed by a lively Q&A discussion with audience members. 

In this seminar, hosted by the ISS21 Migration and Integration Research Cluster, Dr Julius-Cezar Macarie  presented the findings from his research with London’s manual night workers, a group which is often overlooked in public debates, political agendas, and academic research. As part of this ethnographic study, he worked the ‘graveyard shift’ at the New Spitalfields market alongside migrants whose precarious working and living conditions he experienced first-hand. His research provides valuable insights into the mental and physical impacts of night working, as well as innovative research methods for use in future research.  

A symposium bringing together experts, practitioners and activists interested in the topic of embedding gender equality in higher education institutions took place on Monday 14^th November 2022 in UCC. The symposium was hosted by the GendeResearchIreland project, funded by the European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action mobility fellowship programme. The event marks the conclusion of the project, finishing December 2022. The project was carried out by Dr Monica O’Mullane, ISS21.

The Good Life

In this seminar, Dr Tiina Sihto and Dr Paula Vasara discussed themes from their forthcoming book which explores the dark side of care in the Finnish context. The edited collection contains 12 chapters that deal with 1) the gaps in care; 2) the breaking of norms related to care; 3) the limits of professionalism; and 4) distortions in the service system.

The ISS21 Ageing Research Cluster was delighted to collaborate with Cork County Council and the School of Applied Psychology in the organisation of a webinar on the SDGs, as part of Sustainable Development Goals Promotion 2022.

On 14 October, the CareVisions research project and ISS21 hosted a workshop to showcase care-related research in UCC, discuss ideas for future research, and develop networks in care research, including through the ISS21’s CARE21 Research Cluster.

Webinar hosted by: 

ISS21 Migration and Integration Research Cluster  

23rd Sept, 11.30–4pm

To join this online seminar please click HERE

On 2nd September 2022, ISS21 and the National Learning Network hosted an event to launch the report Learning Disrupted: Young People with Disabilities’ Access to and Experiences of Learning and Workplace-based Training during COVID-19.

The report is based on research that explored the challenges that faced young people and service providers in transitioning to online learning and training during lockdown, and the potential of virtual technologies to enable greater flexibility in how people with disabilities participate in education and employment beyond the pandemic.

Hosted by: The ISS21 Witch Hauntings Youghal (WHY) Research Project, UCC in collaboration with Youghal community organisations (Youghal Celebrates History, Youghal4All Community Group, Youghaloween Spooktacular and Youghal Active Retirement Association) with the support of Cork County Council.  

This event was held in the Mall Arts Centre, Youghal, Co. Cork as part of National Heritage Week 2022.

Enacting Superdiversity: Towards Critical Change in Higher Education

A three-day Superdiversity School organised by ISS21, the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Unit and Access UCC, University College Cork.

Hosted by: CareVisions in partnership with ISS21

Presenter: Dr Lizzie Ward, Principal Research Fellow in the School of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Brighton (UK)

Recording available: here

Hosted by: the ISS21 Disability & Mental Health Research Cluster & Critical Voices Network Ireland

Speaker: Jacqui Dillon (author and activist)

Details & registration: here

As part of the UNIC European University initiative, ISS21, in conjunction with the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Unit and Access UCC, is hosting a seminar series focused on the theme of superdiversity. The third seminar in this series was presented by Professor of Migration and Superdiversity, Jenny Phillimore, from the University of Birmingham. The seminar focused on the theme of 'exploring welfare bricolage in Europe's superdiverse neighbourhoods'.  

The report Agency and Ageing in Place in Rural Ireland was launched on 6 April and is available to download here The report presents the findings of an IRC-funded project that was carried out by researchers in the School of Applied Social Studies, in partnership with Age Action. Further details and project outputs are available on the project website (AAPRI).

The report launch included opening comments from Celine Clarke (Age Action) followed by presentations from Dr Siobhan O'Sullivan (Project PI), Annie Curbelo Lang (Participatory Research Group & Research Advisory Group), Gabrielle O'Keeffe (HSE) and Inspector Miriam McGuire (Garda Bureau of Community Engagement). Dr Margaret Buckley chaired the event. A recording of the launch is available here

On 30 March ISS21 hosted an event to launch the report Inclusive Volunteering: Exploring Migrant Participation in Volunteering. The report is based on the findings of a small-scale study which explored migrants’ experiences of volunteering in Cork city and county, including their motivations and pathways into volunteering, the benefits and challenges of volunteering, and the factors which facilitate or inhibit volunteering. The findings highlight the contribution which migrants make to local communities and the wide range of skills and experience which they bring to their volunteering roles. In line with international research, the study also indicates that volunteering can be an important aspect of two-way processes of integration. The research was carried out in partnership with Cork Volunteer Centre and was funded under the Irish Research Council's New Foundations programme.

As part of the UNIC European University initiative, ISS21, in conjunction with the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Unit and Access UCC, is hosting a seminar series focused on the theme of superdiversity. The second seminar in this series was held on 28 March, and explored the role of the university as a space for diversity and inclusion.  

As part of the UNIC European University initiative, UCC’s Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century (ISS21), in conjunction with the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Unit and Access UCC is hosting a seminar series focused on theme of superdiversity. The term superdiversity underlines the growing complexity of diversity, reflecting the increasing prominence of complex mixtures and intersectionalities of ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality, culture, religion, (dis)ability, economic status, legal status and many other aspects. Part of the aim of UNIC is to explore what superdiversity means for the higher education space as well as our wider city and communities.

The seminar series aims to begin a series of conversations on the concept and will feature a range of speakers and panellists from UCC and outside, including academics and NGO representatives. We welcome all UCC staff and students to attend and join the discussions. Sessions will take place via MS Teams and further details for each seminar will follow in due course.

Hosted by: the ISS21 Children and Young People Research Cluster in partnership with the PPI Ignite Network and the ISS21-affiliated P4PLAY project.

Presenters: Dr. Deirdre Horgan & Dr. Shirley Martin, School of Applied Social Studies, U.C.C.

Speaker: Dr Konstantina (Dina) Poursanidou Co-Director of the Survivor Researcher Network, UK

Hosted by: the ISS21 Disability & Mental Health Cluster, CVNI, the Survivor Researcher Network & Asylum Magazine

Abstract

Current mental health politics in the UK- and the Global North at large – is characterised by an acute polarisation when it comes to issues that are particularly contested in the area of mental health, including the nature of ‘mental illness’, psychiatric diagnosis, the effectiveness of drug treatments in comparison to psychotherapy, the problems associated with the use of psychiatric medication, ECT, and involuntary hospitalisation. Social media, Twitter in particular, constitute a pertinent example of the acrimony prevailing more often than not in discussions of these issues among mental health professionals and service users alike – acrimony that at times translates into vicious and abusive personal attacks replacing respectful discussion and debate. 

Over the next few months, the ISS21 Disability and Mental Health Research Cluster will host a series of four seminars on critical mental health matters, in partnership with Critical Voices Network Ireland (CVNI). Seminar titles and dates are provided below, with further details and registration to follow. 

Hosted by: the ISS21 Ageing Research Cluster

Presenter: Dr Siobhan O'Sullivan, School of Applied Social Studies, UCC

Children's daily lives during the COVID-19 pandemic: 

A qualitative participative online study with 7-to-9-year-olds from Germany

Iris Würbel , Freie Universität, Berlin

Hosted by: the ISS21 Disability & Mental Health Cluster, Critical Voices Network Ireland (CVNI), the Survivor Researcher Network & Asylum Magazine

Presenter: Konstantina (Dina) Poursanidou Co-Director of the Survivor Researcher Network, UK.

As part of the UNIC European University initiative, UCC’s Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century (ISS21), in conjunction with the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Unit and Access UCC, is hosting a seminar series focused on the theme of superdiversity. One of the aims of UNIC is to explore what superdiversity means for the higher education space as well as our wider city and communities. This first seminar explored the concept of superdiversity, examined its potential and limitations, and considered some of its implications for practice within the university. 

Hosted by: The ISS21 SHAPE Research Cluster and chaired by Dr Eluska Fernandez, cluster convenor.

Presenter: Dr Felicity Daly (Postdoctoral Researcher, CARE-VISIONS project, ISS21)

Abstract

Drawing on the feminist ethics of care-inspired Trace methodology, this paper analyses governmental discourses about care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores whether and how a rapid parliamentary investigation frames care as a value and practice; reveals interdependence of care givers and receivers; reflects on how ‘vulnerable’ identities were ascribed to older people, people with disabilities, and asylum seekers; and applies a feminist perspective to Ireland’s response to COVID-19. 

In this seminar Sonia Thompson (Co-Director of the Survivor Researcher Network, UK) critically explored constructions of race and racism; looked at the ways in which racialised people are 'othered'; and at how racism impacts on mental health. The links between race and physical/mental health and life-expectancy were also highlighted. It was noted that the UK government response (or lack thereof) to the over representation of BME people in the COVID morbidity and mortality statistics is seen by many as a wider indication of systemic racism in action and may have helped to reinforce a lack of trust between BME communities and government bodies. The seminar considered the role of peer-based approaches to wellbeing and mental health as one way in which to address some of the historical and current trauma in BME communities.

On 23 February the ISS21 Research for Civil Society and Social Action (REACT) Cluster, in partnership with colleagues in the School of Applied Social Studies (MSW Programme), hosted an online seminar with Margaret Alston, Professor of Social Work at Newcastle University, Australia.

As part of Refugee Week 2022, the ISS21 Migration and Integration Research Cluster and University of Sanctuary UCC hosted a seminar on return migration, with presenter Aranzazu González Hernández.  

On 15 February, ISS21 hosted a seminar on integrating gender into research with Professor Carol Linehan (School of Applied Psychology & ISS21),  Dr Caitríona Ní Laoire (School of Applied Social Studies & ISS21) and Dr Christine Gaffney (ISS21).

In this seminar, Silke Staab and Laura Turquet drew on the UN Women report Beyond COVID-19: A Feminist Plan for Sustainability and Social Justice (2021), to propose the idea of a feminist social contract that centers women’s access to decent work, investments in the care economy and gender-just transitions to environmental sustainability within a broader politics for economic recovery and transformation. They looked at the different ways in which the pandemic has revealed current social contracts to be fractured. The idea of a feminist social contract was also explored, tracing some of the history of how feminists have engaged with social contract theory, and how this can be applied to new framings of a renewed social contract with care at its core. The role of the state in reimagining and re-engineering fractured social contracts was explored, both in terms of the what (provision of collective goods and services) and the how (redefinition of state-society relations, including a shift in gender power relations, and greater global solidarity). Discussant, Ailbhe Smyth responded to the issues raised in the two presentations.

A recording of the seminar is available here

In this timely seminar, Dr. Olive McCarthy (Centre for Co-operative Studies, UCC) and Gwen Harris (North Dublin Money Advice and Budgeting Service - MABS) reported on the initial findings from the IRC-funded ENERGISE project, which explores energy poverty and the barriers/enablers to energy efficiency in low-income homes.

In this seminar Professor Mary Daly (University of Oxford) reflected on what the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed about long-term care, and care in general. She considered the priorities and assumptions that were embedded in policy responses, both those about the giving and receiving of care. 

In this online seminar, Kathleen Lynch (Professor Emerita of Equality Studies, UCD) discussed a number themes from her recently published book Care and Capitalism (Polity Press, 2021). One of the central arguements is that while the logics and ethics of neoliberal capitalism currently dominate public discourses and politics, capitalism is neither invincible nor inevitable. Affective relations are potential sites for a counter-movement to neoliberalism. While people are self-interested, they are not purely self-interested: they are bound affectively and morally to others, even to unknown others. The cares, loves and solidarity relationships within which people are engaged give them direction and purpose in their daily lives. They constitute cultural residuals of hope that stand ready to move humanity beyond a narrow capitalism-centric set of values. 

We are delighted to announce that nine ISS21-affiliated projects have been awarded funding under the Irish Research Council's New Foundations programme. Research projects funded under Strand 1 ('Enhancing Civil Society') will address a range of important social issues in the fields of ageing, health and well-being, care-giving, Deaf studies, early childhood education, welfare reform, and social justice. We are also pleased to note that departments/schools from across the university are represented in the New Foundations project teams, including Applied Social Studies, Co-operative Studies, Cork University Hospital, Management and Marketing, Nursing and Midwifery, Sociology and Criminology, Speech and Hearing Sciences, and Theatre.

In line with the collaborative nature of the New Foundations programme, researchers in UCC will work in partnership with civil society organisations. Details on individual projects can be accessed by clicking on the links in the table below. 

Congratulations to all the successful applicants, we look forward to working with you over the coming year.

On 3 December the PPI Ignite Network @ UCC and ISS21 hosted a seminar which explored how family carers are integrated and involved in the co-production of carer research, policy and supports. Representatives from Family Carers Ireland (FCI) described the lessons learnt from establishing a PPI panel of family carers, as well as future plans. In addition, two Irish Research Council New Foundations funded projects on family carers were presented, the CARERENGAGE and INTERFACE projects. Family carers, researchers and partner organisations (Care Alliance Ireland and FCI) from both projects reflected on the experience.

On 12 January 2022 the ISS21 Children and Young People Research Cluster was delighted to host a seminar with Cormac Harris and Alan O’Sullivan, winners of the BT Young Scientists 2020 and the European Union Contest for Young Scientist 2021.

On 15th November the ISS21 CareVisions research project hosted a seminar on care provision with Professor Nancy Folbre (University of Massachusetts) and Professor Mary Murphy (Maynooth University). 

On 16 November the ISS21 Poverties, Social Justice & Inequalities Research Cluster hosted a seminar on the issue of homelessness in Ireland with researchers from the School of Applied Social Studies and guest speaker Fr Peter McVerry.

On 4^th November the ISS21 Migration and Integration Research Cluster hosted a seminar with Dr. Egle Gusciute (Department of Sociology and Criminology, UCC) on the theme of ethnic discrimination in the Irish rental housing market.

There is consistent evidence of ethnic/racial discrimination against ethnic minorities in the housing market across Europe.  In addition to greater challenges in securing accommodation, discrimination in the housing market has significant social and economic consequences for individuals and society.

As part of UCC Community Week 2021, the ISS21 Research for Civil Society and Social Action (REACT) Cluster was delighted to host a seminar on the role of the university in the era of climate change with speaker Professor Keri Facer (University of Bristol) and discussant Professor John O’Halloran (President, UCC).

On 23 September the ISS21-affiliated IMMERSE project hosted a seminar which showcased best practice in the integration of migrant children in education.

As part of the CARERENGAGE project, Care Alliance Ireland and ISS21 have published a new report entitled 'A Review of the National Carers Strategy (2012): How Relevant are the Actions in 2021 and For The Future?'

On 22 September, Care Alliance Ireland and ISS21 hosted the third and final in a series of online round table events as part of the CARERENGAGE project. This series of workshops was designed to address the project goals of centering and embedding family carers in the co-production of carer research, supports and policy.  

This event, hosted by the ISS21 Ageing Research Cluster, explored climate activism and attitudes to environmental issues across different generations.

Dr Tracey Skillington opened the event with a paper on the experience of ecological grief and climate anxiety, and how these can be a stimulus for action on climate change. She outlined some of the legal challenges that have been mounted by citizens against their governments' inaction on environmental issues. These included, for example, a case lodged in 2020 by the Senior Women for Climate Protection with the European Court of Human Rights against the Swiss Government for its failure to keep emissions levels within sustainable targets and, in doing so, violating their rights to health and life. 

Cork is a designated World Health Organisation (WHO) Healthy City since January 2012. With this designation is a requirement of the local authority to commit to health and a process and structure to achieve it. In this seminar Denise Cahill (Healthy Cities Co-coordinator) described initiatives that are underway in Cork city to increase the number of green spaces and open up different spaces (including streets and the river) for recreation, play and exercise. Initiatives/groups linked to Cork Healthy Cities include Green Spaces for Health, the Playful Paradigm Project, and the Cork Age Friendly City Programme. 

Dr Vanessa Lacey (Transgender Equality Network Ireland) shared insights from her research on the experiences of adult trans women, and the families of adult trans women, concerning grief and loss.

On 10 March 2021 the ISS21 Research for Civil Society and Social Action (REACT) Cluster hosted a well-attended webinar on environmental education and practice in the social professions. This was the second in a series of webinars that seeks to:

• share knowledge and ideas on the connections between climate change and the social professions,
• build the awareness and capacity of educators in the social professions to envisage and develop innovative environmental education practices through disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration,
• facilitate co-operation in this area between academic and practitioner colleagues across the social professions in Ireland and internationally.

We are delighted to announce that three ISS21-affiliated projects have been awarded funding under the Irish Research Council's New Foundations Programme. The projects will address important social issues in relation to housing needs on the West Cork Islands; enhancing energy efficiency in low-income homes; and young people with disabilities' learning/training experiences during the Covid 19 pandemic.

In line with the collaborative nature of the New Foundations scheme, researchers in UCC will work with partner organisations, including the Bere Island Projects Group, West Cork Development Partnership, Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann, the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) and the National Learning Network.

On 23 March, ISS21 and Care Alliance Ireland hosted a workshop at which Dr. Maria Pierce presented the results of recent research with family carers, service providers and policy makers on their views of the National Carers Strategy (NCS). The NCS is the principal guiding Strategy relating to family carers in Ireland and has been in place since 2012. For a recording of Dr. Pierce's presentation, click here. The presentation slides are available at the following link: CarerEngage Presentation of Findings.

During 2020, a team of experimental economists from the CEAR Lab (Atlanta, Cape Town, Utrecht) conducted 6 waves of online experiments, in the US and South Africa, to estimate relationships among people's risk preferences, their preferences over distributions of rewards over time, their beliefs about the future course of the COVID-19 pandemic, their sources of information about the virus, and their behaviour with respect to health and safety. In this seminar Professor Ross presented results on how well the US subjects' beliefs about COVID-19 matched the publicly available forecasts of epidemiologists over the course of the year. In relation to beliefs about the future course of the pandemic, young people's predictions were found to be broadly accurate. The research also suggests that young people generally became more risk averse during the pandemic.

As part of Refugee Week 2021,  the ISS21 Migration and Integration Research Cluster and the University of Sanctuary Working Group (USWG) co-hosted this webinar on migration narratives, with speaker Kilian Kleinschmidt.   

This seminar showcased the work of two ISS21 Genders, Sexualities and Families Research Cluster members, Charlotte Waltz, PhD candidate and Dr Robert Bolton, ISS21 Post-Doctoral Researcher on the Horizon 2020 PositivMasc Project. Drawing on their respective projects, both researchers highlighted the significance of applying a gender lens in research.

On Monday 22 February the ISS21 Children and Young People Research Cluster hosted a seminar on the Barnahus model of service provision to children in sexual abuse cases, with presentations from Aoife O’Malley, Manager of Barnahus OneHouse Galway, and Fiona Geraghty, Principal Social Worker at the Family Centre in Cork.

On Friday 29 January Senator Mark Daly, Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, officially launched the guidance document Providing Access for Deaf Irish Sign Language Users: Guidance for Public Bodies. The key note address - “It’s Time to Act to Ensure the ISL Act is Successfully Implemented” - was delivered by Dr John Bosco Conama, Centre for Deaf Studies, Trinity College Dublin. The remarks made by Senator Daly and Dr Conama highlighted the need for continuing efforts to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017, following its commencement in December 2020. 

The guidance on access for ISL users is based on research conducted by Dr. Gill Harold, working in partnership with Cork Deaf Association and Kerry Deaf Resource Centre. Funded by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, the project was hosted by UCC's School of Applied Social Studies and ISS21. Further details on the project can be accessed here

On the 15 December 2020, Dr. Dario Sansone presented a webinar on the under-representation of sexual minorities in STEM fields, based on research he conducted with Christopher S. Carpenter, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee. The findings were published in Turing’s children: Representation of sexual minorities in STEM (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241596).  

Pressing global issues like environmental change and migration are increasingly covered in the Social Work, Youth Work and Community Development and Nursing literatures. Much of the literature discusses the need for greater awareness of environmental, climate and associated issues amongst these professional groups and the need to integrate these topics into professional education and training. 

On 31 January, ISS21 and the Study of Religions Department hosted a seminar with visiting speaker Dr Farrah Sheikh on South Korean women's experience of conversion to Islam and their struggle for belonging.

In July 2019, Professor Conor O’Mahony was appointed as Special Rapporteur for Child Protection for a three-year term by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone. The Rapporteur is accountable to the Oireachtas and is entitled to consult with government departments and the Ombudsman for Children about legislative initiatives designed to enhance child protection.

Ethnographic and biographical  methods were explored in the third seminar in the ISS21 Creative Methodologies seminar series 2020. Presentations were made available to watch on the ISS21 website in advance of an online discussion with the three presenters on 2nd September. In a lively discussion, presenters and attendees addressed a range of issues, including the challenges of accessing historical sources; the use of object-based interviews in researching migrant home-making; ethical issues in bibliographical and ethnographic research; and the archiving of interviews, images and other research data. The seminar was chaired by Dr Claire Edwards, ISS21 Director.

The second seminar in the ISS21 Creative Research Methodologies Seminar Series 2020 explored the use of walking methodologies across a range of different research topics - from dog walking and young people's experiences of their neighbourhood, to migrant home-making and revisiting sites of feminist resistance. Papers were made available to watch on the ISS21 website in advance of an online discussion with the presenters which was hosted live on Wednesday 17 June. The seminar was chaired by Dr Claire Edwards, ISS21 Director.

The final seminar in the ISS21 Creative Research Methodologies Seminar Series 2020 explored the use of participative and reflective research methods. Papers were made available to watch on the ISS21 website in advance of an online discussion with the presenters, Rebecca Dennehy, Monica O’Mullane, Siobhan O’Sullivan and Katie Power, on Monday 9 November. The seminar was chaired by Dr Margaret Scanlon, ISS21 Research Coordinator.

As part of an ongoing PPI collaboration, Care Alliance Ireland and ISS21  launched their joint initiative entitled CARERENGAGE: Centering and Embedding Family Carers in the Co-Production of Carer Research, Supports and Policy, funded by the Irish Research Council New Foundations Programme, on 13 October 2020.

On 15 November ISS21, with EC funded project GendeResearchIreland, hosted a seminar with Professor Uduak Archibong on the theme of institutionalising gender equality in higher education.  

In this seminar Dr Ailbhe Kenny, lecturer and coordinator of Music Education at Mary Immaculate College, presented the findings from participatory music projects about how children living within asylum seeking accommodation make and learn music individually and collaboratively. Dr Kenny also considered the social and cultural uses of music, children’s musical interactions and identities, as well as the social impact of music making within such centres. Insights were drawn from across two country case studies, Ireland and Germany.

We are delighted to announce that six ISS21-affiliated projects have been awarded funding under the Irish Research Council's New Foundations Programme. Research projects funded under Strand 1 of the programme ('Engaging Civil Society') will address important social issues in the fields of ageing, migration and integration, care-giving, and volunteerism. In line with the collaborative nature of the call, researchers in UCC will work in partnership with civil society organisations, including Care Alliance Ireland, Cork Volunteer Centre and Age Action.

A further two projects were funded under Strand 2 'Knowledge Exchange for Impact' and will build international collaborations with partner universities in Belgium and Mexico around the themes of participatory governance, and migration and border securitisation.

Congratulations to all successful applicants, we look forward to working with you in the coming year!

This two-hour seminar featured lectures by Tom Western (University of Oslo/University of Oxford) and Áine Mangaoang (University of Oslo) on the significance of music for those in carceral spaces, including prisons and refugee camps.

As part of our involvement in UCC's membership of the UNIC universities initiative, and our membership of IMISCOE, ISS21 is participating in the recently launched UNIC online lecture series, 'Migration and Corona'. 

The first seminar in the ISS21 Creative Social Science Research Methods Seminar series 2020 was held on 9 March, with two papers exploring the use of visual methodologies.

On the 24 & 25 October the ISS21 Children and Young People Research Cluster, in conjunction with the Children's Research Network, hosted a masterclass on creative research methodologies with children and young people.

Seeing Society Differently

ISS21 was delighted to participate in Cork Discovers again in September 2019. Our theme for this year’s event was ‘Seeing Society Differently’, focusing on how social science research can provide new insights into our everyday lives and the things that matter to us, such as: How do we envisage and create just, inclusive and liveable societies? How can we understand the lived experience of difference and identity in contemporary society?

On the 11 June 2019 the ISS21 Children and Young People Research cluster hosted a seminar on interfaith childhoods with Anna Hickey-Moody, Professor of Media and Communication at RMIT University, Australia.

On 6th September the Migration and Integration research cluster hosted a symposium on ‘asylum’ and contested spaces of belonging, centering on current research exploring issues relating to integration, belonging/not-belonging and place for asylum-seekers and refugees.

On 4 November 2019, UCC President, Professor Patrick O'Shea, formally launched the ISS21 Strategic Plan 2019-2024, which sets out a vision for the Institute’s role as a leading centre for imaginative, interdisciplinary and impactful social science research.

Researchers based in twelve different countries converged on UCC Tuesday, September 2^nd, to map some of the key ways that economic, social and political crises in Europe have changed people’s migration patterns and life chances. The conference, titled ‘Crisis, Mobility and New Forms of Migration’ will run until lunchtime on September 4th.

Road to the Irish Gerontology Society Meeting 2019: Challenges in Current Ageing Research

The 67^th Annual Irish Gerontological Society Meeting will be held on September 26-28th 2019 in Cork. In advance of the meeting, the ISS21 Ageing Research Cluster organised a half-day workshop to discuss current themes in ageing research in Ireland, showcase UCC research, and foster networking and participation in the IGS from researchers interested in different aspects of ageing.

Key note speeches were delivered by Seán Moynihan (CEO, ALONE) and Cathal McCrory (The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, TILDA). This was followed by a series of short presentations from researchers and PhD students from a range of disciplinary backgrounds, including psychology, biochemistry, public health and music. 

Abstracts for IGS close on 1^st May. Information can be found at https://www.irishgerontology.com/events/67th-annual-scientific-meeting-irish-gerontological-society 

Anyone interested in joining ISS21 UCC Ageing Cluster can contact Annalisa Setti a.setti@ucc.ie or Edel Walsh e.walsh@ucc.ie

On 10 May the Society, Health and Political Economy (SHAPE) research cluster hosted a full-day workshop on evidence amalgamation, with Irish and international presenters. The event was organised by Eluska Fernandez (School of Applied Social Studies) and Katherine Furman (Department of Philosophy) and funded by the CACSSS interdisciplinary award.

Context for Workshop

Criticisms against randomised controlled trials as the most important source of evidence for policy are now well-established. But now that it is permissible to make use of many different types of evidence, how do we combine them to make policy? This was one of the key issues addressed in the course of the workshop.

In this showcase event, members of the Children and Young People Research Cluster presented short papers on their on-going or completed research. A range of research topics were presented by colleagues from different disciplinary backgrounds (Law, Sociology, Occupational Therapy, Applied Social Science) including: the use of animation in children's research, the political socialisation of school children, the integrations of migrant children in schools, and the use of voluntary care arrangements in Ireland (full list below).  

The ISS21 Children and Young People (CYP) Research Cluster brings together researchers from a wide range of disciplines in order to collaborate, promote awareness and disseminate research with and for children and young people. For further information on the cluster, please click on the following link: Children and Youth 

Those wishing to join the CYP cluster should contact Margaret Scanlon (m.scanlon@ucc.ie).

Background

The Irish health system has often been criticised as being a ‘two-tier’ system, which favours privately insured patients over public patients. Although this description does not capture all the nuances of the system, it is reasonable to suggest that the Irish health system contains a number of inequities, partly arising from a combination – and interaction – of different funding mechanisms.

This half-day seminar explores the concept of vulnerability in the contexts of mental health and disability-related research.

On 24 April 2018, the ISS21 Migration and Integration Research Cluster hosted a seminar with visiting academic, Dr. Roy Huijsmans of the International Institute for Social Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Dr Huijsmans presented the findings of his research with child and youth migrants in the majority world.

ISS21 is delighted to welcome our new Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research Fellow, Dr. Monica O'Mullane, who has recently joined the Institute to conduct research on gender equality in higher education.

Minister of State for Research and Innovation Sean Sherlock TD visited ISS21 on 10th February 2014.

Play Matters – exploring children’s play worlds 

A one-day conference to mark the 30^th anniversary of Wallaroo Playschool, Cork 

In collaboration with the Institute for Social Sciences in the 21^st Century – Children and Young People Research Cluster  

13 November 2015 @ UCC

The ISS21 Migration and Integration Research Cluster will host a major international conference exploring the theme of Crisis, Mobility and New Forms of Migration on 2-4th September 2014.

ISS21 is very pleased to welcome Dr Nollaig Frost as Visiting Scholar at the Institute during Autumn 2013.

We look forward to welcoming Professor Allison James and Professor Penny Curtis (Directors of the Centre for the Study of Childhood and Youth at Sheffield University) who will visit the ISS21 Children and Young People Research Cluster on the 3rd and 4th October 2013. Their visit is supported by the UCC Strategic Research Fund. During their visit they will participate in a number of research activities including the events below:

Videos of presentations from the Irish Research Council-funded event 'Anti-Racist Social Justice Praxis across Education Sites in Ireland' are now available online:

Click on: http://www.ucc.ie/en/education/res/researchevents/antiracisteducationireland/

The ISS21 cluster on Mental Health and Disability is pleased to announce a one-day seminar entitled: Mad Activism in Academia: Challenging Traditions

The ISS21 Civil Society cluster hosted ‘New Perspectives on Young People’s Political Participation’ on Friday 23^rd February 2018.

Professor Peadar Kirby (Professor Emeritus, University of Limerick) provides some reflections on 'What We Leave in Our Wake' in advance of the screening on March 20th.

The ISS21 Migration and Integration Research Cluster has a great line-up of speakers from among cluster members for this term's internal cluster seminar series. All are welcome.

On Friday 23rd September 2016 a forum was held on 'Muslim Immigration in Europe: Masculinity, Politics and Law' organised by Study of Religions  in collaboration with ISS21 Migration/Integration Cluster, Centre for Criminal Justice and Human Rights (CCJHR) and Women’s Studies.

Deirdre Horgan (School of Applied Social Studies) and Helen Lynch (Department of Occupational Therapy) recently visited the Centre for Study of Childhood and Youth (Sheffield University) on behalf of the ISS21 Children and Young People Research Cluster.

On 5^th May, the ISS21 Children and Young People Cluster, and ISS21 Disability and Mental Health Cluster, in conjunction with the School of Applied Social Studies, hosted a half day seminar exploring the relationship between neuroscientific and social scientific knowledges in the context of early intervention with children, and autism. 

On the 29th November 2018, the ISS21 Civil Society Cluster hosted a seminar on the practice and policy of community participation in local governance in Ireland. Speakers at the event included: Dr Mary Murphy, Department of Sociology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth; Dr Aodh Quinlivan, Department of Government, University College Cork; Aiden Lloyd, Chair of the Rights Platform and member of South Dublin PPN Secretariat and LCDC; and Dr Catherine Forde, School of Applied Social Studies, University College Cork.

ISS21 Seminar and Book Launch on Thursday 11th September, 3-5pm, CACSSS Seminar Room, O'Rahilly Building

A recent seminar on 'Licensees in the Private Rented Sector: A Forgotten Sub sector?' was hosted by the School of Applied Social Studies, Threshold and ISS21.

A forthcoming ISS21 seminar will present new research data and perspectives on the experience of working in the public sector in Ireland.

CACSSS Seminar Room, G27 O’Rahilly Building, 1.30-3.00PM, Wednesday 13th November 2013

On 6 November 2017 the ISS21 Caring Research Working Group hosted a seminar on family caring in Ireland, at which reports from two IRC New Foundations projects were officially launched.

The new faces of community, voluntary and cooperative organisations in England: Are contracts and markets transforming their character and what are the implications for Ireland?

The EU and the southern Mediterranean

A two-panel workshop, 3-4 July 2014

Panel 1: ‘Disposable People’ - The Crisis in the Mediterranean

Panel 2: EU Cultural Policies and the Southern Mediterranean

The ISS21 Disability and Mental Health Research Cluster held a seminar, supported by ISS21 and the CACSSS Research Fund, on the theme of dance and acquired brain injury on 25th February 2016. The key contributors were Inma Pavon (UCC), Paula Larkin (Headway) and contributing dancers on the Connections project.

ISS21 Research Findings Showcase Day:

Towards a Better Understanding of Children’s and Young People’s Lives in Ireland

Monday 29^th June 2015 (11.00am - 5.00pm)

Thursday 14th May 2015, 9.30am-4.30pm

CACSSS Seminar Room, O’Rahilly Building, UCC

ISS21’s Family, Gender, Sexualities Research Cluster is pleased to host a public symposium that will explore some of the key legal, social and political implications of the recently passed Children and Family Relationships Bill (2015) and the soon to be held referendum on same sex marriage (which will be held on May 22nd 2015).

Applications are invited from candidates who wish to carry out original social science research for the degree of PhD (or PhD Track or MPhil as a pathway to a PhD) in Applied Social Studies at University College Cork.

The 2024 CSF Festival of Social Science was built on last year’s inaugural event showcasing social science research undertaken at UCC. An evening at The Shtepps celebrated local artists, musicians and poets demonstrating how social science research can collaborate with the arts to conduct, connect, and communicate research on key local and global challenges. A full day symposium followed in the Aula Maxima with oral and poster presentations, panel discussions, a keynote speech by Professor Linda Connolly and the launch of the UCC Futures website.

Learn more about the research and activities of ISS21 by reading our 2025 Newsletter

We have a wonderful line-up of contributors and events taking place over the week Monday 24 November - Friday 28 November.

In late October, Professor Elizabeth Bernstein, Chair of Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies and Professor of Sociology at Barnard College, Columbia University (USA) visited UCC for a talk titled: Biopolitics, Geopolitics and Ideals of Recovery in the Second Trump Regime.