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Claire is a lecturer in social policy at the School of Applied Social Studies, UCC. She holds a Bachelor in Social Science (UCC, 2001) and is a registered nurse (Ealing Health Authority, London 1988). She has practiced in both the area of nursing and social care prior to taking up her position as lecturer in social policy at UCC.  Claire is also the academic director of the Diploma in Developmental and Global Human Rights Studies, UCC.

Claire's teaching and research interests include the marginalisation of asylum seekers; the political representation of minorities; the social and cultural exclusion of minorities; institutional racism; displacement and re-settlement; and the politics of multiculturalism.  In her work, she is particularly interested in exploring issues relating to borderlands and boundary formation; integration and re-settlement; ethnocentric and hegemonic constructions of identity; and the framing of migration policy within EU states.  
Claire also teaches in the area of social policy and healthcare, with a focus on issues relating to social exclusion and inequality; access to healthcare; mental health and stigma, and social justice and rights.

Claire contributes to teaching at both undergraduate and post graduate level on BSc Nursing Programmes, Higher Diploma in Midwifery Practice; The Higher Diploma in Public Health; the Bachelor of Social Work and the Masters in Migration Studies.  She also teaches on Adult and Continuing Education Programmes, where she contributes to the Diploma in Social Studies and the Diploma in Developmental and Global Human Rights Studies.

In addition to her role as lecturer, Claire is also the Nursing Studies Coordinator in the School of Applied Social Studies. She is also a research associate with the Institute of Social Science in the 21st Century, UCC (ISS21) and is a member of the Migration and Integration Research Cluster, The Mental Health and Disability Research Cluster and the New Poverties Social Justice and Human Rights Research Cluster. She is also a member of the Critical Social Thinking Research Committee in the School of Applied Studies. She is a member of a number of national and international associations including International Sociological Association (RC19), Irish Council for Social Housing, Irish Refugee Council, Akidwa, and Nasc, the Irish Immigrant Support Centre. She is also the Vice Chair on the Board of Management at Cobh Community Care. Claire is also an activist on asylum issues and a member of Anti-Deportation Ireland, and UCC Solidarity with Asylum Seekers.  

Claire's PhD research topic explores the role of migrant NGOs in Ireland in politically representing asylum seekers.  This study focuses on the role of non-governmental actors in affecting political change, their role in giving voice to asylum seekers and to what extent engagement with state institutions enhances the visibility and representation of asylum seekers.  In particular. the research addresses the unequal power relations that exist between state institutions and migrant NGOs and the challenges this poses for the promotion of deliberative processes of engagement that are inclusive of asylum seekers.  

Claire is also coordinator of a university wide module UW0011, Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Inequality, Social Justice, Diversity and Health.  This module has been jointly developed between the School of Applied Social Studies and the School of Nursing and Midwifery, UCC.  

Claire has jointly edited two books Migration: Global processes caught in national answers And Social Professional Activity: The search for a minimum common denominator in difference.

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Research Interests

Research interests:

Claire's research interests focus on the marginalisation of asylum seekers; the social and cultural exclusion of ethnic minorities; institutional racism and discrimination; displacement and translocation; integration and settlement; and boundary formation and ethnocentric and hegemonic constructions of identity.  Within this context Claire is interested in exploring how discourses of representation contribute to the marginalisation of asylum seekers, migrants, and ethnic minorities and creates unequal power relations through the legitimisation of essentialist stereotypical representations of minorities which directly contribute to instituional forms of racism and new forms of poverty and exclusion. 

PhD Research:
Claire is currently undertaking her PhD through the School of Applied Social Studies in UCC.  Her research focuses on the representation of asylum seekers within the NGO sector looking specifically at how engagement and consultation is facilitated.  Focusing on how representation is constructed within the Migrant NGO Sector, the research highlights how immigration is currently framed in exclusionary aspects of dominance and control that embeds the notion of 'segregated citizenship' and white privilege as binary oppositions shaping existing power dynamics in the immigration/integration process.  Such a restrictive approach fails to address the exclusionary aspects of border control and marginality experienced by asylum seekers.  Equally embedded in such processes of exclusion are the rigid  and complex bureaucratic structures in which asylum seekers are forced to immerse themselves in order to be recognised as citizens of the state.  Exploring alternatives to state practices, the research seeks to examine the significance and effectiveness of NGO's in engaging with political institutions and political mobilisation, what factors shape this engagement and what factors contribute to effective representation within the NGO sector, while also giving creedence to the creation of more robust deliberation, participation and consultative practices of inclusion.  The theoretical content of the research draws on discourses of representation, using key theorists in the field to examine the factors influencing models of representation in the Irish context. 

Community Research:
Claire is also currently working on a research study that specifically examines the impact of change on a small rural community making the transition to a more expansive and multicultural urban town.  The research is being carried out in conjunction with the local family resource centre who are particularly interested in optimising the capacity of the centre and their service provision in assisting the community to come to terms with change. Of equal importance to the research study are both the perspectives of long term residents and the arrival of newcomers in the area.  The research has been on going for the last three years and it is hoped will be completed in August of this year.   

Collaboration with Doras Luimni, the School of Applied Social Studies, and the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the Teaching Learning Centre in UCC (April 2014)

“Promoting Intercultural Communication and Diversity in Teaching and Work Practice”

This seminar explored the benefits of intercultural training and how this can enhance and build on staff and students’ working relationships through developing new areas of training within teaching and practice settings. It aimed to provide essential learning points and interactive resources to enable participants to work competently in intercultural settings. The primary aim of the seminar was to respond to the growing need of students and staff in developing their knowledge and capacity to appropriately deal with and accommodate diversity in their practice settings. The seminar also aimed to equip participants with knowledge and understanding to help contribute to better practice in intercultural relations both in teaching and practice settings. It provided participants a participants to examine personal and professional values, attitudes and behavioural practices in relation to diversity, difference and equality.

This collaborative initiative between Doras Luimni, The School of Applied Social Studies and The School of Nursing and Midwifery will be part of an on-going initiative with the aim of developing modules both at undergraduate and post graduate level. 

Research Grants

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Edited Books

	Year	Publication
	(2009)	Social Professional Activity: The Lowest Common Denominator in Difference Herrmann, P. and Dorrity, C (Ed.). (2009) Social Professional Activity: The Lowest Common Denominator in Difference New York: Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated. [Details]
	(2013)	Migration: Global Processes Caught in National Answers Mehmet Okyayuz/Peter Herrmann/Claire Dorrity (eds.) (Ed.). (2013) Migration: Global Processes Caught in National Answers Vienna: WVFS. [Details]

Book Chapters

Conference Publications

Peer Reviewed Journals

	Year	Publication
	(2012)	'Diversity and Expansion: Charting the Needs of a Community in Change' Dorrity, Claire and Ó hAdhmaill, Féilim (2012) 'Diversity and Expansion: Charting the Needs of a Community in Change'. Working for Change: The Irish Journal of Community Work, a, (3):108-123 [DOI] [CORA Link] [Details]
	(2010)	'Access to third level education: challenges for equality of opportunity in post celtic tiger Ireland' Dorrity, C. and Maxwell, N (2010) 'Access to third level education: challenges for equality of opportunity in post celtic tiger Ireland'. Irish Journal of Public Policy, 2 (1) [Details]

Other Journals

Published Reports

Articles

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Honours and Awards

Professional Associations

Conference Contributions

Employment

Committees

Education

Consultancy

Outreach Activities

Other Activities

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Teaching Interests

Teaching Interests:

The Marginalisation of Asylum Seekers; Anti- Racism and Multiculturalism; The Social and Cultural Exclusion of Ethnic Minorities; Cultural Competence in Professional Practice;  Health Inequalities; Educational Inequality; Models of Community Work; Social Policy and Midwifery Practice; The Personal Social Services / Community Services; Introductory Social Policy. 

Current Taught Modules:

SS1851 Social Policy I (Diploma in Social Studies)

SS2815 Social Policy II (Diploma in Social Studies)

AD1886 Human Rights based Approaches to Development (Diploma in Human Development)

SS2811 Models of Community Work (Diploma in Community Development)SS1008 Social Inclusion and health Policy

SS1008 Social Inclusion and Health Policy 

SS2028 Social Justice and Mental Health: Combating Discrimination, Labelling and Stigma

SS2214 Social Work Practice Context

SS3044 Contemporary Social Issues in Midwifery Practice 

SS5806 Social Policy and Midwifery Practice

SS6000 Public Health Social Services and Community

SS6016 Health and Personal Social Services

NU1058 Promoting Health Supporting Inclusion – The Potential Contribution of Nurses to the care and Support of People with Disabilities

NU3078 Health Promotion and Primary Healthcare in a General Health Context 

GG6403 Case Studies and Current Issues in Migration and Diaspora Studies 

UW0011 Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Social Justice, Equality, Diversity and Health

In developing her teaching interests Claire has recently become involved in a collaborative project between the School of Applied Social Studies, The School of Nursing and Midwifery and Doras Luimni (Limrick based migrant organisation).  This project aims to enhance the teaching and learning skills of students, lecturers and practitioners through enhancing cultural competence in professional practice.  This is part of the UCC Support for Teaching and Learning Seminar Series and The National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning Seminar Series.   The title of this initiative is “Promoting Intercultural Communication and Diversity in Teaching and Work Practice” and has received funding from the National Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning to undertake a one day seminar open to students and staff across the university.  Seminars aim to provide practitioners  with a clearer understanding of intercultural issues which arise in the practice of teaching and learning, while also providing a forum for shared learning from the perspective of educator and student into the experience of cross-cultural learning and skill aquisition.  The initiative is on going and aims to embed intercultural practices within the university while also helping participants to examine personal and professional values, attitudes and behavioural practices in relation to diversity, difference and equality.   The overall aim is to encourage a reflection on what types of behaviour or practices undermine equality and dignity at work and look at how these situations might change through individual and collective action within institutions.              
 

Modules Taught