Associate Professor of Sociology, Dublin City University
Biography: I am an Associate Professor of Sociology in the School of Human Development at Dublin City University, where I teach courses across the range of programme offerings on the Humanities (Human Development) and Education programmes. My primary teaching responsibilities are in the sociology of childhood, the sociology of education and advanced research methods. My current research examines the effects of the figure of the “21st century child” being articulated by educational policy actors and the ways this is (re)shaping understandings of childhood, schooling, society and humanity. The sociology of climate change, and other forms of "difficult knowledge" is another major focus of my current work, particularly as it relates to the affective and aesthetic dimensions of climate change education.
Dissertation Title: A place called home: An analysis of discourses on nationalism, supranationalism and multiculturalism in the formal and informal curriculum in the Republic of Ireland
Advisors: Frances Vavurs and Aaron Pallas
Geographic focus: Ireland; Europe
Research interests: International Education Policy; Parenting and the "21st century Child"; Global Citizenship Education; Climate Change Education; the affective turn in Education
What do you currently enjoy at work? I love figuring out how to make complex theories/concepts/ideas accessible to students using film, imagery, music, poetry and other art forms.
Something Special About Your TC Experience: The PhD program in Comparative International Education was an amazing experience! It provided me with a fantastic and substantive grounding in both the discipline of Sociology as well as Comparative Education and provided me with all the tools I needed to pursue a career in academia. I have such fond memories of my Professors and my courses and of my time at TC. I wish I could do it all over again! The depth and breadth of thematic and research-based course offerings, combined with research opportunities at TC, enabled my research interests to develop organically. The IED/CIE program structure, with its combined emphasis on core courses in the field, and substantive coursework in an academic specialization, provides a solid foundation for the development of robust, yet not overly prescriptive, intellectual identities.
Advice for current and prospective students: The program at TC provides access to the top scholars in our field and offers incredible opportunities to learn from the best. Make the most of these opportunities as you will miss it, even as you carry it with you.