Research Profile

Biography

Tom Boland is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, UCC. His main research interests are in critique, culture unemployment and welfare. His work draws on multiple disciplines, from anthropology through to philosophy, and in particular, historical genealogies of the present - particularly the governmentality of welfare and the discourse of critique. Also, he is a cultural sociologist, with interests in literary theory and cultural studies.

He is the co-director of the Economy + Society Summer School with Dr. Ray Griffin (WIT), and similarly the WUERC group.

Publications

Books

 YearPublication
(2021)The Reformation of Welfare: The New Faith of the Labour Market.
Boland, T. & Griffin, R. (2021) The Reformation of Welfare: The New Faith of the Labour Market. Bristol: Policy Press. [Details]
(2015)The Sociology of Unemployment.
Boland, T & Griffin, R. (2015) The Sociology of Unemployment. Manchester: Manchester University Press. [Details]
(2018)The Spectacle of Critique: From Philosophy to Cacophony.
Boland, T (2018) The Spectacle of Critique: From Philosophy to Cacophony. London: Routledge. [Details]
(2013)Critique as a modern social phenomenon: The Critical Society.
Boland, T (2013) Critique as a modern social phenomenon: The Critical Society. New York: Edwin Mellen. [Details]

Book Chapters

 YearPublication
(2021)'‘Parasites of the Social'
Boland, T. (2021) '‘Parasites of the Social' In: Benta, M., O'Connor, P (eds). Technologisations of the Social. London: Routledge.   [Details]
(2020)'Purgatory'
Boland, T. & Griffin, R. (2020) 'Purgatory' In: Routledge Handbook of Economic Theology. Ed. Swarzkopf, S. London: Routledge. [Details]
(2019)'Electric dreams of welfare in the 4th industrial revolution: An actor-network investigation and genealogy of an Algorithm'
Griffin, R., Boland, T. Henessey, A. & Tuite, A. (2019) 'Electric dreams of welfare in the 4th industrial revolution: An actor-network investigation and genealogy of an Algorithm' In: Digitisation and Precariatisation. Wiesbaden: Springer. [Details]
(2018)'The Cacophony of Critique: New Model Army’s protest against neo-liberal critique'
Boland, T. (2018) 'The Cacophony of Critique: New Model Army’s protest against neo-liberal critique' In: Songs of Social Protest. Lanham: Rowman & Littleman. [Details]
(2018)'‘The Subversion of Subversion: On Critique unto Infinity in the ‘Social’ Media'
Boland, T. (2018) '‘The Subversion of Subversion: On Critique unto Infinity in the ‘Social’ Media' In: Divinisation and Technification: The Political Anthropology of Subversion (eds) Horvath, A., Roman, C., Germain, G. Routledge: London. [Details]
(2016)'‘‘Iomar doimhin na saoirse’ agus ‘the abyssal depths’: aisling ghéar Samuel Beckett agus Sheáin Uí Ríordáin ar eispéireas na suibiachta sa Nua-aimsir’ [‘The deep chasm of freedom’ and ‘the abyssal depths’: Samuel Beckett and Seán Ó Ríordáin’s vision of modernity’]'
Ní Shíocháin, T. and Boland, T. (2016) '‘‘Iomar doimhin na saoirse’ agus ‘the abyssal depths’: aisling ghéar Samuel Beckett agus Sheáin Uí Ríordáin ar eispéireas na suibiachta sa Nua-aimsir’ [‘The deep chasm of freedom’ and ‘the abyssal depths’: Samuel Beckett and Seán Ó Ríordáin’s vision of modernity’]' In: Meanamra: An tSíceolaíocht agus an Fhealsúnacht. Dublin: Coiscéim. [Details]
(2015)'“Den pragmatiske kritiksociologi” [The Pragmatic Sociology of Critique]'
Boland, T & Petersen, A. (2015) '“Den pragmatiske kritiksociologi” [The Pragmatic Sociology of Critique]' In: Jacobsen, M. and Petersen, A. (Eds.) Kritik Klassiske og Kontemporaere. Copenhagen: Hans Reitzels Forlag. [Details]
(2014)'‘A Telling Silence: Beckett, Kafka and the Experience of Being Unemployed'
Boland, T. & Griffin, R. (2014) '‘A Telling Silence: Beckett, Kafka and the Experience of Being Unemployed' In: Izik, M., Hutchin, L. & Anderson, D. (eds.) Untold Stories in Organisations. London: Routledge. [Details]
(2013)'The Anti-Statesmen: The Critical Politics of Ordo-liberalism and Occupy'
Boland, T. (2013) 'The Anti-Statesmen: The Critical Politics of Ordo-liberalism and Occupy' In: Horvath, A. and O’Brien, J. (Eds) The Statesman and the Politics of Limits. Florence: Ficino Press. [Details]

Peer Reviewed Journals

 YearPublication
(2023)'Dystopian Games: Diagnosing Modernity as the Scene of Tests, Trials and Transformations'
Tom Boland (2023) 'Dystopian Games: Diagnosing Modernity as the Scene of Tests, Trials and Transformations'. Cultural Sociology,   [Details]
(2023)'Confessional critiques: Parrhesia and avowal in contemporary anti-racist discourses'
Tom Boland, Jody Moore-Ponce (2023) 'Confessional critiques: Parrhesia and avowal in contemporary anti-racist discourses'. European Journal of Social Theory,   [Details]
(2022)'Passing Stigma: Negotiations of Welfare Categories as Street Level Governmentality'
Boland T.;Doyle K.;Griffin R. (2022) 'Passing Stigma: Negotiations of Welfare Categories as Street Level Governmentality'. Social Policy and Society, 21 (4):657-667 [DOI] [Details]
(2021)'Jobseeking as pilgrimage: trials of faith in the labour market'
Boland T. (2021) 'Jobseeking as pilgrimage: trials of faith in the labour market'. Culture, Theory, and Critique, 62 (1):180-195 [DOI] [Details]
(2021)'Avowing Unemployment: Confessional Jobseeker Interviews and Professional CVs'
Boland, T (2021) 'Avowing Unemployment: Confessional Jobseeker Interviews and Professional CVs'. Foucault Studies, 30 :29-53   [DOI] [Details]
(2019)'Chains of Reasoning: The Disciplinary Subject of Critical Thinking'
Boland, T. (2019) 'Chains of Reasoning: The Disciplinary Subject of Critical Thinking'. International Political Anthropology, [Details]
(2019)'Nothingness and Time Exploring the temporal governmentality of unemployment'
Boland, T. & Griffin, R. (2019) 'Nothingness and Time Exploring the temporal governmentality of unemployment'. [DOI] [Details]
(2019)'The wholly social or the holy social?: recognising theological tensions in sociology'
Boland, T (2019) 'The wholly social or the holy social?: recognising theological tensions in sociology'. International Journal Of Philosophy And Theology, [DOI] [Details]
(2018)'The purgatorial ethic and the spirit of welfare'
Boland T.;Griffin R. (2018) 'The purgatorial ethic and the spirit of welfare'. Journal of Classical Sociology, 18 (2):87-103 [DOI] [Details]
(2018)'Permanent Liminality in novels: Subversion, Theatricality and Crisis.”'
Boland, T. (2018) 'Permanent Liminality in novels: Subversion, Theatricality and Crisis.”'. International Political Anthropology, [Details]
(2017)'A genealogy of critique: From parrhesia to prophecy'
Boland T.;Clogher P. (2017) 'A genealogy of critique: From parrhesia to prophecy'. Critical Research on Religion, 5 (2):116-132 [DOI] [Details]
(2017)'Working Backstage: An ethnographic account of social welfare offices'
Boland, T. & Griffin, R. (2017) 'Working Backstage: An ethnographic account of social welfare offices'. Irish Journal of Anthropology, [Details]
(2016)'Making sacrifices: how ungenerous gifts constitute jobseekers as scapegoats'
Boland T.;Griffin R. (2016) 'Making sacrifices: how ungenerous gifts constitute jobseekers as scapegoats'. Distinktion, 17 (2):174-191 [DOI] [Details]
(2016)'Seeking a role: disciplining jobseekers as actors in the labour market'
Boland T. (2016) 'Seeking a role: disciplining jobseekers as actors in the labour market'. Work, Employment & Society : A Journal Of The British Sociological Association, 30 (2):334-351 [DOI] [Details]
(2015)'The death of unemployment and the birth of job-seeking in welfare policy: Governing a liminal experience'
Boland T.;Griffin R. (2015) 'The death of unemployment and the birth of job-seeking in welfare policy: Governing a liminal experience'. Irish Journal of Sociology, 23 (2):29-48 [DOI] [Details]
(2014)'Critique is a thing of this world: Towards a genealogy of critique'
Boland T. (2014) 'Critique is a thing of this world: Towards a genealogy of critique'. History of The Human Sciences, 27 (1):108-123 [DOI] [Details]
(2013)'Towards an anthropology of critique: The modern experience of liminality and crisis'
Boland T. (2013) 'Towards an anthropology of critique: The modern experience of liminality and crisis'. Anthropological Theory, 13 (3):222-239 [DOI] [Details]
(2013)'Rebels, Critics and Cynics'
Boland, T. (2013) 'Rebels, Critics and Cynics'. International Political Anthropology, [Details]
(2013)'Autoethnographies of the hard work of doing nothing: Re-writing the experience of unemployment'
Boland, T. & Griffin, R. (2013) 'Autoethnographies of the hard work of doing nothing: Re-writing the experience of unemployment'. Beascna, [Details]
(2012)'Critical comedy: Satire, absurdity and Ireland's economic crash'
Boland T. (2012) 'Critical comedy: Satire, absurdity and Ireland's economic crash'. Irish Political Studies, 27 (3):440-456 [DOI] [Details]
(2010)'Education, Initiation and the Tricks of Critique: Sociological Introductory Texts and the formation of Critical Outsiders'
Boland, T. (2010) 'Education, Initiation and the Tricks of Critique: Sociological Introductory Texts and the formation of Critical Outsiders'. International Political Anthropology, [Details]
(2010)'Critical discourse in the media: The liminality of Ireland’s celtic tiger'
Boland T. (2010) 'Critical discourse in the media: The liminality of Ireland’s celtic tiger'. Irish Journal of Sociology, 18 (1):66-81 [DOI] [Details]
(2009)'Romantic subjectivities: Blake, wordsworth and the trace of the ‘other’?'
Boland T. (2009) 'Romantic subjectivities: Blake, wordsworth and the trace of the ‘other’?'. Textual Practice, 23 (4):559-580 [DOI] [Details]
(2008)'Critique as Imitative Rivalry: The Political Anthropology of George Orwell'
Boland, T. (2008) 'Critique as Imitative Rivalry: The Political Anthropology of George Orwell'. International Political Anthropology, [Details]
(2007)'Critical Subjectivity: Towards a Gnomonic Model of Subject Constitution'
Boland, T. (2007) 'Critical Subjectivity: Towards a Gnomonic Model of Subject Constitution'. Culture, Theory and Critique, [Details]
(2007)'Critique as a technique of self: a Butlerian analysis of Judith Butler's prefaces'
Boland, T (2007) 'Critique as a technique of self: a Butlerian analysis of Judith Butler's prefaces'. History of The Human Sciences, 20 :105-122 [DOI] [Details]
(2003)'The Process of Creation: New Communities, New Subjects'
Boland, T. (2003) 'The Process of Creation: New Communities, New Subjects'. Beascna, [Details]

Published Reports

 YearPublication
(2022)The Social Covid Test: The Transformations of Remote Working.
Boland, T. (2022) The Social Covid Test: The Transformations of Remote Working. Sociological Association of Ireland, Dublin.   [Details]
(2019)Summative report of the Waterford Un/employment Research Collaborative to the Dáil Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
Boland, T. & Griffin, R. (2019) Summative report of the Waterford Un/employment Research Collaborative to the Dáil Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection. Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford. [Details]
(2016)The Impact of Sanctions: Evidence from international research and qualitative interviews.
Boland, T. & Griffin, R. (2016) The Impact of Sanctions: Evidence from international research and qualitative interviews. Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford. [Details]
(2015)The Condition of Unemployment: Appraising Ireland’s new welfare policies.
Boland, T., Griffin, R., O'Brien, J., Yeager, J. Culleton, J., Doyle, K. & Maguire, N. (2015) The Condition of Unemployment: Appraising Ireland’s new welfare policies. Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford. [Details]

Reviews

 YearPublication
(2020)Review of Magnus Paulsen Hansen The Moral Economy of Activation: Ideas, Politics and Policies.
Boland, T. (2020) Review of Magnus Paulsen Hansen The Moral Economy of Activation: Ideas, Politics and Policies. Reviews [Details]
(2017)Review of Rita Felski: The Limits of Critique.
Boland, T. (2017) Review of Rita Felski: The Limits of Critique. Reviews [Details]
(2012)Review of Luc Boltanski: Review: On Critique: A Sociology of Emancipation.
Boland, T. (2012) Review of Luc Boltanski: Review: On Critique: A Sociology of Emancipation. Reviews [Details]
(2006)Review: Triumph and Trauma.
Boland T. (2006) Review: Triumph and Trauma. Reviews [DOI] [Details]

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University College Cork

Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh

College Road, Cork T12 K8AF

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