John O'Brien
Research Profile
John O'Brien
Biography
John O'Brien is a sociologist in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, UCC. His teaching and research interests focus on social theory, alcohol regulation and criminology.
Research Grants
| Project | Funding Body |
Start Date | End Date | Award | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sociology in Schools | National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education | 01-JAN-22 | 31-DEC-22 | 2,500.00 | |
| WIT PhD Scholarship | Other: Not Listed | 01-JAN-19 | 31-DEC-21 | 74,000.00 | |
| SETU PhD Scholarship | 01-JAN-22 | 74,000.00 | |||
| Commemoration: Cultivating Mutual Understanding by Addressing Contested Pasts? | Irish Research Council | 01-JAN-16 | 31-DEC-16 | 9,800.00 | |
| WIT PhD Scholarship | 01-JAN-14 | 31-DEC-17 | 50,000.00 | ||
| Aiseiri Treatment Services Evaluation | Irish Research Council | 01-JAN-15 | 31-DEC-17 | 48,000.00 | |
| Research Connexions SETU funding | Other: Not Listed | 01-JAN-22 | 31-DEC-22 | 1,000.00 | |
| Commemoration: Contexts and Concepts | Irish Research Council | 01-JAN-15 | 31-DEC-15 | 5,140.00 | |
| Commissioned Research. Evaluation Study of 12-Step programme in Aiseiri | 01-JAN-14 | 31-DEC-14 | 22,250.00 |
Books
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2018) | States of intoxication: The place of alcohol in civilisation.
O'Brien J. (2018) States of intoxication: The place of alcohol in civilisation. [DOI] [Details] |
Book Chapters
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2022) | 'Ritual to Reflexivity From Promotion and Problematisation of Intoxication to Proportionality'
OBrien, John (2022) 'Ritual to Reflexivity From Promotion and Problematisation of Intoxication to Proportionality' In: Routledge Handbook of Intoxicants and Intoxication. London: Routledge. [Details] |
|
| (2022) | 'Formal Generations of Drinkers: Generational Change in Irish Drinking Culture to 1950'
OBrien, John (2022) 'Formal Generations of Drinkers: Generational Change in Irish Drinking Culture to 1950' In: Fenton, Laura & Thurnell-Read (eds). Alcohol, Age, Generation and the Life Course. London: Palgrave McMillan. [DOI] [Details] |
|
| (2020) | 'Platos Statesman: Protecting Phronesis from Coding'
OBrien, John (2020) 'Platos Statesman: Protecting Phronesis from Coding' In: Modern Leaders: In between charisma and trickery. London: Routledge. [Details] |
|
| (2018) | ''The Subversion of Worldviews and Possibility of Virtuous Drinking through Public Health Policy'
O'Brien, John (2018) ''The Subversion of Worldviews and Possibility of Virtuous Drinking through Public Health Policy' In: Horvath, A. & Roman, C (eds). Divinisation and Technology. London: Routledge. [Details] |
|
| (2015) | 'On the Statistical Composition of Unemployment'
OBrien, John and Griffin, Ray (2015) 'On the Statistical Composition of Unemployment' In: Boland, Tom & Griffin, Ray (eds). The Sociology of Unemployment. Manchester: Manchester University Press. [Details] |
|
| (2015) | 'Graceful Living: The Experience of Unemployment and the Built Environment'
OBrien, John (2015) 'Graceful Living: The Experience of Unemployment and the Built Environment' In: Boland, Tom & Griffin, Ray (eds). The Sociology of Unemployment. Manchester: Manchester University Press. [Details] |
Peer Reviewed Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2023) | 'What the Banshees of Inisherin is about'
Keohane K.;Kuhling C.;OBrien J. (2023) 'What the Banshees of Inisherin is about'. Irish Journal of Sociology, 31 (2):271-278 [DOI] [Details] |
|
| (2021) | 'The dialectic of alienation and sociability: A Simmelian reading of the pandemic'
OBrien J. (2021) 'The dialectic of alienation and sociability: A Simmelian reading of the pandemic'. Irish Journal of Sociology, 29 (1):113-117 [DOI] [Details] |
|
| (2021) | 'The use of public houses as a collective representation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland'
OBrien J. (2021) 'The use of public houses as a collective representation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland'. Irish Journal of Sociology, 29 (3):353-371 [DOI] [Details] |
|
| (2020) | 'A path to the future, or ambivalent payoffs: tragic complexity, or a foundation for good order?'
OBrien J. (2020) 'A path to the future, or ambivalent payoffs: tragic complexity, or a foundation for good order?'. Journal Of Political Power, 13 (3):382-396 [DOI] [Details] |
|
| (2020) | 'A cacophony of protocol: Disability services in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic'
Doyle L.;OBrien J. (2020) 'A cacophony of protocol: Disability services in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic'. Irish Journal of Sociology, 28 (3):370-374 [DOI] [Details] |
|
| (2017) | 'Precarity in the Night-Time Economy'
OBrien, John, Doyle, K. and Maguire, N. (2017) 'Precarity in the Night-Time Economy'. Irish Journal of Anthropology, 19 (1):19-30 [Details] |
|
| (2015) | 'Editors Introduction'
OBrien, John & Byrne, Lorcan (2015) 'Editors Introduction'. International Political Anthropology, 14 (2):3-5 [Details] |
|
| (2015) | 'Commemoration in the Civilizing Process: Reconciliation, Melancholy and Abstraction in Contemporary Memorializing'
OBrien, John (2015) 'Commemoration in the Civilizing Process: Reconciliation, Melancholy and Abstraction in Contemporary Memorializing'. International Political Anthropology, 14 (2):99-116 [Details] |
|
| (2014) | 'The Battle of the Clarence Hotel'
OBrien, John (2014) 'The Battle of the Clarence Hotel'. Irish Journal of Anthropology, 17 (2) [Details] |
|
| (2009) | 'ntoxication and Civilization: Drinking Culture and the Politicization of Everyday Life'
OBrien, John (2009) 'ntoxication and Civilization: Drinking Culture and the Politicization of Everyday Life'. International Political Anthropology 1, 2 (2):221-238 [Details] |
Editorship
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2020) | Debates editors introduction: Sociological responses to Covid-19 (Part II).
Flores R.;O'Brien J. (2020) Debates editors introduction: Sociological responses to Covid-19 (Part II). Editorship [DOI] [Details] |
Note
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2020) | Debates editors introduction: Sociological responses to Covid-19 (Part I).
Flores R.;OBrien J. (2020) Debates editors introduction: Sociological responses to Covid-19 (Part I). Note [DOI] [Details] |
|
| (2014) | Trends in public order offences.
OBrien J.;Doyle K.;Maguire N. (2014) Trends in public order offences. Note [DOI] [Details] |
Honours and Awards
| Year | Title | Awarding Body | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | UCC Departmental PhD Scholarship | UCC | |
| 1999 | UCD Undergraduate studentship | UCD |
Professional Associations
| Association | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Sociological Association | Member | 11-FEB-20 / 07-DEC-23 | |
| President of the Sociological Association of Ireland | President | 02-JUN-19 / 04-AUG-23 | |
| Sociological Association of Ireland | Member | 04-JUN-03 / 07-DEC-23 | |
| British Sociological Association | Member | 04-JUN-13 / 07-JUN-22 |
Committees
| Committee | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CACSSS Teaching and Learning Forum | Member | 2022 / | |
| CACSSS College Council | Member | 2022 / | |
| Undergraduate Student Experience Committee | Member | 2022 / | |
| WIT Research Strategy Committee | Member | 2019 / 2022 | |
| BA Social Science WIT | Course Leader | 2014 / 2014 |
Employment
| Employer | Position | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| University College Cork | College Lecturer, Department of Sociology and Criminology | 07-MAR-22 / | |
| Waterford Institute of Technology | Lecturer in Sociology | 04-SEP-23 / 06-MAR-22 | |
| Oscail National Distance Education Centre, Dublin City University | Tutor in sociology | 01-SEP-03 / 31-AUG-23 | |
| Waterford Institute of Technology | Assistant Lecturer in Sociology | 01-SEP-08 / 04-SEP-11 | |
| University College Dublin | Tutor in sociology | 02-SEP-01 / 31-MAY-02 | |
| University College Cork | Tutor in sociology | 01-SEP-03 / 05-MAY-06 |
Education
| Year | Institution | Qualification | Subject | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | School of Philosophy, Sociology and Social Work, University College Dublin | BSocSc | Sociology and Social Policy | |
| 2003 | Department of Sociology, University College Dublin | MSocSc | Sociology | |
| 2011 | UCC | PhD Sociology | Sociology |
Languages
| Language | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Fluent | Fluent | Fluent | |
| Irish | Basic | Basic | Basic | |
| Spanish | Basic | Basic | Basic | |
| French | Functional | Functional | Functional |
Outreach Activities
| Description | |
|---|---|
https://open.spotify.com/show/566JOUulySt5NZEo7odZOK?si=6T-26x3HT627oy6PVe5iDA |
|
https://open.spotify.com/show/70e7BGAb50MWVurAz5SfJ9?si=l_DHYBxRQyu204JxNwA46g |
|
2019. Interviewed in June by Lucas Richart on the Points Podcast about my book States of Intoxication |
|
Company Secretary |
|
On 13th November 2015, I was interviewed on the Moncrieff Show, Newstalk, on the topic What are the Moral Foundations of the Irish State, which was focused on my research on commemoration. |
|
Guest Columnist for Public Service Review: Journal of the Public Service Executive Union: The Moral Foundations of the Easter Rising. |
|
I have worked with the office of the President of Ireland on the Ethics Initiative, in the Decade of Centenaries. |
|
2017. Appeared on The Cave podcast, in an interview on 'smart cities' |
Journal Activities
| Journal | Role | To / From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Journal Of Sociology | Editor | 01-NOV-23 - | |
| International Political Anthropology | Member of Editorial Board | 07-FEB-17 - | |
| Deviant Behavior | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Capital And Class | Peer Reviewer | - | |
| Memory | Peer Reviewer | - |
Teaching Interests
Module areas taught
Alcohol and Society, Body and Society, Sociology of Deviance, Criminology, Penology, Sociology for Social Care Workers, Classical Social Theory, Modern Social Theory, Social Research Methods, Interdisciplinary Seminar, Human Rights and Theories of Social Justice.
Contribution to developing blended learning programmes
- Member of the course board of the Higher Certificate in Custodial Care: I was part of the course board that developed this innovative blended programme delivered between the influential think tank Social Justice Ireland and WIT, training professionals working in public policy in advocacy and social analysis.
- Member of the course board of the Masters in Social Justice and Public Policy. An innovative blended programme delivered between the influential think tank Social Justice Ireland and WIT, training professionals working in public policy in advocacy and social analysis.
Curriculum redesign
- Redesign of the suite of sociology modules on the BA Social Care WIT as a part of the CORU accreditation process and on the BA Arts as part of the School Review.
- Cultural Trauma PhD Summer School, Lesvos, Greece. July 2017, 2018
- Economy and Society PhD Summer School, Blackwater Castle, Cork. May 2014-18, 2021.
- International Political Anthropology Summer School, Acquapendente, Italy. June 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017
- Theory and Philosophy Summer School, Blackwater Castle, Cork. May 2013
PhD / Masters by research supervision. Examination
Graduated PhDs
- Irena Loveikaite (graduated, PhD). Thesis title: How can I become a woman?' Media discourses and the formation of feminine identity among teenage girls in Ireland: a qualitative study.
- Pat Coughlan (Year 2, Masters by Research). Thesis Title: A Moral Ferment: An Examination of the Moral Foundations Shaping the Involvement of Religious Organisations in Addressing Alcohol Problems in Contemporary Irish Society. (IRC Postgraduate Scholar)
- Kelly Fitzgerald (Year 5, PhD). Thesis title: Exploration of Site-Specific Engagement and Cultural Heritage Produce of Difficult Past Remembrances in Ireland through Cultural Memory.
- Laura Doyle (Year 3, PhD) Thesis title: Moving towards Rights-Based Practice in Disability Services: an analysis of social care worker skills and competencies.
- Catherine McCarthy (Year 2, PhD) Thesis title: Reading Yourself into Being: Establishing the Role of Childrens Literature in Identity Formation.
- Shannon Hughes-Spence
Examination of PhDs
- 2018 PhD Viva Voce Internal Examiner for Noel Connors- Glimpsing the alternative: An anthropological exploration of the GAA as an alternative organisation.
- 2022 External Examiner for Kenny Doyle- Assessing Ireland's Pathways to Work: The impact of behavioural conditionality and sanctions
- 2023 PhD Viva Voce Internal Examiner for Kate Bollard- The Power of Empty Places: A Re-appraisal of Modernity through Void Experiences
Internal examiner for transfer from MPhil to PhD on 6 occasions.
Internal Collaborators
| Name | Institute | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analysing Social Change Research Group | Waterford Institute of Technology | IRELAND | |
| Crime and Justice Research Group | Waterford Institute of Technology | IRELAND | |
| Pedagogy of Sociology in Professional Practice Study Group | Sociological Association of Ireland | IRELAND | |
| Alcohol Research Community Links Project | Atlantic Technological University | IRELAND | |
| Sociology of Consumption Research Network of the European Sociological Association | European Sociological Association | FRANCE | |
| Social Theory Research Network of the European Sociological Association | European Sociological Association | FRANCE | |
| Drinking Studies Network | Various | UNITED KINGDOM | |
| Centre for the Study of the Moral - Foundations of Economy and Society. | University College Cork/ Waterford Institute of Technology | IRELAND |
External Collaborators
| Name | Organisation / Institute | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACORN. UK-Ireland Alcohol Research Network | Various | UNITED KINGDOM | |
| Alcohol Study Group of the British Sociological Association | British Sociological Association | UNITED KINGDOM |