Biography

Margaret Buckley is a Lecturer in Social Policy and First Year Co-ordinator of the Bachelor of Social Science degree. 

She teaches a diverse range of topics which include Irish social policy, politics, education, early intervention, and social research methods.

Her doctoral research examined life expectancy and mortality rates in relation to changing social policy measures, in particular the Old Age Pension. She has an interest in the areas of: the development of social policy; Politics; Demographics and population; Education and Poverty.

Her research includes; ‘Going the Distance’, an evaluation of Cloyne Diocesan Youth Services Mobile Garda Youth Diversion ProjectSystems Accelerant? an evaluation of Simon Communities, Local Authorities and HSE Social Inclusion in ensuring that those experiencing homelessness were kept safe during the Covid-19 crisis; an examination of intergenerational service use with Good Shepherd Cork and Agency and Ageing in Place, which examined the views of older people living in rural areas in Ireland about ageing in place.

Her recent research, funded by the Housing Agency, was with Childhood Matters and is titled  Pathways towards Stable Housing for Parents and Children Exiting Residential Services. It documents the current housing policy position, at a local and national level, for parents and infants exiting residential services for families. It also hopes to identify a viable and practical model for successful transition from residential services to living in the community.

Research Interests

My main research interests lie in the changing political and social landscape of Ireland and tracing the routes through which change occurs. This interest stems from my research as part of my PhD which was based on information gleaned from in-depth quantitative analysis examining life expectancy, and then progressed to an exploration of the emerging welfare state and social policy initiatives, with the evolving recognition of old age and older people as a welfare category providing the contextual framing. It specifically examines the impact of the Old Age Pension (1908) on the lives of older people.
Outside of this, my research interests include: housing and homelessness; education; pension policy; equality; and the shifting nature of politics and popular thought.
I am, and will continue to be, very interested in the use of both quantitative and qualitative data and methods to produce evidence-based conclusions on social issues and evaluations of programmes and initiatives.

Research Grants

  Project Funding
Body
Start Date End Date Award
Housing Agency Research Support Programme: Pathways towards Stable Housing for Parents & Children Exiting Residential Services Irish Funded Research 13-DEC-21 29-FEB-24 €42,850.00
An evaluation of innovative and e-volving approaches to student learning outcomes. University College Cork 17-OCT-24 01-JUN-25 €1,700.00
An exploration of the development of a dedicated public health nurse service for children Other: Not Listed 01-DEC-23 20-DEC-24 €6,500.00
Briefing Document on the Development of a Public Model of Childcare. Irish Funded Research Non Exchequer 12-MAY-23 31-DEC-23 €4,065.00
Producing Strategic Plan for Cloyne Diocesan Youth Service. Irish Funded Research 24-APR-23 31-MAY-24 €9,756.00

Book Chapters

  Year Publication
(2020) 'Human rights-based approaches to social policy development'
Buckley, M. & Dukelow, F. (2020) 'Human rights-based approaches to social policy development' In: International Human Rights, Social Policy and Global Development. Bristol, UK: Policy Press. [Details]

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
(2023) 'The ethics of engagement and representation in community-based participatory research'
O’Sullivan, S., Desmond, E., and Buckley, M. (2023) 'The ethics of engagement and representation in community-based participatory research'. Ethics and Social Welfare, 17 (2):159-174 [ Publisher's Version] [DOI] [Details]

Published Reports

  Year Publication
(2024) Pathways Towards Stable Housing for Parents and Children Exiting Residential Services.
Buckley, M & Busteed, E. (2024) Pathways Towards Stable Housing for Parents and Children Exiting Residential Services. The Housing Agency, Dublin. [Details]
(2024) A Place to Heal - Design Philosophy.
Buckley, M, Moloney, M, Cogan Williamson, S, Lynch, E., McGuinness, S. (2024) (2024) A Place to Heal - Design Philosophy. Arup Charitable Trust, Cork. [Details]
(2024) Cloyne Diocesan Youth Service Strategic Plan, 2023-2028.
Buckley, M. (2024) Cloyne Diocesan Youth Service Strategic Plan, 2023-2028. Cloyne Diocesan Youth Service, Cork. [Details]
(2023) Briefing Document on Early Interventions and Public Childcare Approaches.
Cashman, C., Buckley, M. & Mulcahy, G. (2023) Briefing Document on Early Interventions and Public Childcare Approaches. Children's Right Alliance, Dublin. [Details]
(2023) Intergenerational use of homeless services and Educational Interventions in Good Shepherd Cork.
O’Connell, C., Buckley, M. & Frewen, P. (2023) Intergenerational use of homeless services and Educational Interventions in Good Shepherd Cork. Good Shepherd Cork, Cork. [Details]
(2022) Agency and Ageing in Place in Rural Ireland.
O’Sullivan, S., Buckley, M., Desmond, E., Bantry-White, E., Cassarino, M. (2022) Agency and Ageing in Place in Rural Ireland. University College Cork and Age Action, Cork. [Full Text] [Details]
(2021) ‘Sustaining the Accelerant?: The Responses of Simon Communities to Four Waves of Covid-19’.
Finnerty, J., Cullinane, M. & Buckley, M. (2021) ‘Sustaining the Accelerant?: The Responses of Simon Communities to Four Waves of Covid-19’. Simon Communities of Ireland, Dublin. [Details]
(2021) ‘Systems Accelerant?: The Responses of Simon Communities to ‘First Wave’ Covid-19’.
Finnerty, J. & Buckley, M. (2021) ‘Systems Accelerant?: The Responses of Simon Communities to ‘First Wave’ Covid-19’. Simon Communities of Ireland, Dublin. [Details]
(2021) ‘The Experiences of Simon Community Service Users During the Covid-19 Pandemic’.
Finnerty, J., Cullinane, M. & Buckley, M. (2021) ‘The Experiences of Simon Community Service Users During the Covid-19 Pandemic’. Simon Communities of Ireland, Dublin. [Details]
(2020) ‘Going the Distance’: An Evaluation of Cloyne Diocesan Youth Services Mobile Garda Youth Diversion Project.
Leahy, P. & Buckley, M. (2020) ‘Going the Distance’: An Evaluation of Cloyne Diocesan Youth Services Mobile Garda Youth Diversion Project. Cloyne Diocesan Youth Services, Ltd, Cork. [Full Text] [Details]

Honours and Awards

  Year Title Awarding Body
2020 Teaching Hero Award National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and the Union of Students in Ireland
2014 Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholar Irish Research Council
2013 Excellence Scholarship College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, University College Cork

Professional Associations

  Association Function From / To
Focus Ireland Research Sub-Committee Member /
COST - Participatory Approaches with Older Adults (PAAR-net) Member /

Conference Contributions

  Year Publication
(2024) Housing Agency's Housing Research Seminar 2024,
Buckley, M. (2024) Pathways Towards Stable Housing for Parents and Children Exiting Residential Services. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Housing Agency's Housing Research Seminar 2024, Dublin . [Details]
(2024) Social Welfare Summer School,
Buckley, M. (2024) The Ethics of Engagement and Representation in Community-Based Participatory Research. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Social Welfare Summer School, Dublin City University . [Details]
(2022) Sociological Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
Buckley, M. (2022) Pathways towards Stable Housing for Parents and Children Exiting Residential Services. [Oral Presentation], Sociological Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Technological University of the Shannon , 13-MAY-22 - 14-MAY-22. [Details]
(2021) Not Just a Number!,
Finnerty, J. & Buckley, M. (2021) ‘Systems Accelerant?’, Homeless Services across Europe's reaction to Covid 19. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Not Just a Number!, Public Health Scotland . [Details]
(2021) Involving Older People in Community Research,
O’Sullivan, S., Buckley, M., Desmond, E., Lang, A.C., Burke, T., and Clarke, C. (2021) UCC Community Week. [Oral Presentation], Involving Older People in Community Research, UCC (online) . [Details]
(2021) Research network event: What is participatory research in the context of older people?,
O'Sullivan, S. and Buckley, M. (2021) Rural Ageing in Place. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Research network event: What is participatory research in the context of older people?, Oxford Brookes University, UK , 04-FEB-21. [Details]
(2021) The 3rd Annual Public Housing Conference,
Finnerty, J. & Buckley, M. (2021) ‘Systems Accelerant?’. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], The 3rd Annual Public Housing Conference, National University of Ireland Maynooth . [Details]
(2021) The views of older people living in rural areas in Ireland about ageing in place,
O'Sullivan, S., Clarke, C., Buckley, M. and Desmond, E. (2021) 15th Global Conference on Ageing. [Oral Presentation], The views of older people living in rural areas in Ireland about ageing in place, Toronto, Canada (online) . [Details]
(2021) ISS21 Poverties, Social Justice & Inequalities Research Cluster,
Finnerty, J., Cullinane, M. & Buckley, M. (2021) Researching and Responding to Homelessness. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], ISS21 Poverties, Social Justice & Inequalities Research Cluster, University College Cork . [Details]
(2017) The History of Science, Technology and Medicine Network of Ireland,
Buckley, M. (2017) ‘The Old Age Pension and Mortality’. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], The History of Science, Technology and Medicine Network of Ireland, Royal Dublin Society . [Details]
(2017) International Network for the History of Hospitals Conference – Beauty and the Hospital in History,
Buckley, M. (2017) ‘Environments of Care and Social Status’. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], International Network for the History of Hospitals Conference – Beauty and the Hospital in History, University of Malta . [Details]
(2016) The History of Science, Technology and Medicine Network of Ireland,
Buckley, M. (2016) ‘Childhood Epidemics in Limerick City, 1880 – 1890’. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], The History of Science, Technology and Medicine Network of Ireland, Dublin City University . [Details]

Committees

  Committee Function From / To
School of Applied Social Studies Staff-Student Liaison Committee Chair 2023 /
School of Applied Social Studies Graduate Studies Committee Member 2022 /
School of Applied Social Studies Teaching and Learning Committee Member 2021 /

Employment

  Employer Position From / To
University College Cork Assistant Lecturer 01-SEP-16 / 01-SEP-19
University College Cork Lecturer 01-SEP-19 /

Education

  Year Institution Qualification Subject
2020 University College Cork Ph.D. Social Policy
2016 University College Cork Postgraduate Certificate Third Level Teaching and Learning
2013 University College Cork B.Soc.Sc. Social Science

Teaching Interests

I currently teach on the following modules:

SS1017 Politics and Social Policy (Part 1)
SS1020 Social Policy and Society
SS2012 Research Methods
SS3031 Social Research Report
SS3045 Critical Perspectives on Age and Ageing
SS3049 Politics and Social Policy IV
SS5102 Contemporary Social Policy Analysis
SS5104 Social Research Report online
SS5106 Housing and Homelessness



I currently supervise:

Edith Busteed (PhD in Applied Social Studies) (co-supervised with Dr Fiona Dukelow (Applied Social Studies and Dr Tracey Skillington (Sociology))

Jean Stout (MPhil in Applied Social Studies) (co-supervised with Dr Fiona Dukelow (Applied Social Studies)