Biography

I am a Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Criminology and I teach and supervise across both disciplines and their associated undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. 

I joined the Department in 2016 (when it was the Department of Sociology), having previously worked as a lecturer in Equality Studies at the School of Social Justice, University College Dublin and in Sociology at Maynooth University. My areas of expertise are gender, violence and conflict, feminism and social movements, precarity and precarious work in higher education.

I teach in the areas of feminism, sexuality, gender, research methods, conflict, gender and global insecurity.

As a feminist sociologist I have a firm commitment to feminist praxis and public sociology which reflects in both my scholarship and teaching. My work is informed by rich experiences of engagement and activism with groups organising in areas such as reproductive justice, housing, workers' rights, international feminist solidarity campaigns. 

I convene the Sociology of Harm, Violence and Social Control study group under the auspices of the Sociological Associate of Ireland with my colleagues, Dr. Katharina Swirak and Andy Bray.

I hold a PhD in Political Studies from Queen's University (Kingston), an MA from Acadia University and a B.A.H. from Memorial University of Newfoundland. 

Research Interests

My research interests lie in the following areas:
-feminist organising, protest and social movements
-sociology of inequality
-precarity, work, and social inequalities
-gender, conflict and political violence.
-identity in conflict zones


I am currently a Co-PI on two research projects:

1) 'The Precarity Penalty' with Dr Aline Courtois, Bath.
The study is concerned with long-term precarious work in Irish higher education institutions and its impact on everyday life, career and well-being. We understand precarious work as work that is insecure, unpredictable, paid poorly relative to equivalent secure work, and that typically does not advance workers’ careers. We are particularly interested in documenting the experiences of those who have experienced employment precarity for five years or more.
https://www.researchgate.net/project/The-Precarity-Penalty-the-effects-of-long-term-precarious-work-...

2) Women of the Borderlands: A Walking Biographical Study of Women’s Everyday Life on the UK/Irish Border (WoBLa) , with Dr Niall Gilmartin, University of Ulster
This project is funded by the HEA North-South Research programme and it adopts a ‘Walking Interview as a Biographical Method (WIBM) approach to explore women’s relationship with the border during the Troubles and since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. https://www.ucc.ie/en/cacsss/research/researchnewsarchive/womenoftheborderlands/

I am also a member of the Gender and Academic Precarity  Working Group of the European Universities – Critical Futures Project. https://projects.au.dk/european-universities-critical-futures/







Research Grants

  Project Funding
Body 		Start Date End Date Award
Women of the Borderlands: A Walking Biographical Study of Women's Everyday Life on the UK/Irish Border Higher Education authority 01-SEP-22 28-FEB-25 €169,306.00
Trajectories and Experiences of Reproductive and Maternal Healthcare for migrant and other racialised women and pregnant people in Ireland Irish Research Council 01-SEP-24 31-AUG-26 €112,987.00
Feminist Identity Development and Activism in Revolutionary Movements National University of Ireland (NUI) €3,000.00
The Mini-skirt Brigade: Feminist Identity Construction in the Irish Republican Movement Other: Not Listed 01-MAY-20 31-AUG-03 €15,000.00
The Mini-skirt Brigade: Feminist Identity Construction in the Irish Republican Movement €56,000.00
Gender Inequality and Academic Precarity College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences €2,000.00

Books

  Year Publication
(2013) Feminist Identity Development and Activism in Revolutionary Movements.
Theresa O'Keefe (2013) Feminist Identity Development and Activism in Revolutionary Movements. London: Palgrave Macmillan. [ Publisher's Version] [Details]

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
(2024) '‘Go away and make a big thing of yourself somewhere else’: precarious mobilities and the uses of international capital in Irish academia'
Aline Courtois, Theresa O'Keefe (2024) '‘Go away and make a big thing of yourself somewhere else’: precarious mobilities and the uses of international capital in Irish academia'. Higher Education, [DOI] [Details]
(2024) 'Holding ourselves to account: The precarity dividend and the ethics of researching academic precarity'
Theresa O'Keefe, Aline Courtois (2024) 'Holding ourselves to account: The precarity dividend and the ethics of researching academic precarity'. The Sociological Review, [ Publisher's Version] [DOI] [Details]
(2021) 'Cultural appropriation in fashion: Critiquing the dispossession of Mayan culture in Guatemala'
Toledo, Brenda Mondragón; O’Keefe, Theresa (2021) 'Cultural appropriation in fashion: Critiquing the dispossession of Mayan culture in Guatemala'. International Journal of fashion studies, 8 (1) [ Publisher's Version] [DOI] [Details]
(2021) 'Bridge-builder feminism: the feminist movement and conflict in Northern Ireland'
Theresa O'Keefe (2021) 'Bridge-builder feminism: the feminist movement and conflict in Northern Ireland'. Irish Political Studies, [ Publisher's Version] [DOI] [Full Text] [Details]
(2019) '‘Not one of the family’: Gender and precarious work in the neoliberal university'
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2019) '‘Not one of the family’: Gender and precarious work in the neoliberal university'. Gender Work And Organization, [ Publisher's Version] [DOI] [Details]
(2017) 'Policing Unruly Women: gender, sexual violence and the state during the Troubles'
Theresa O'Keefe (2017) 'Policing Unruly Women: gender, sexual violence and the state during the Troubles'. Women's Studies International Forum (WSIF), [ Publisher's Version] [Details]
(2016) 'Making Feminist Sense of No-Platforming'
Theresa O'Keefe (2016) 'Making Feminist Sense of No-Platforming'. Feminist Review, [ Publisher's Version] [Details]
(2015) 'My body is my manifesto! FEMEN, SlutWalks and body protest'
Theresa O'Keefe (2015) 'My body is my manifesto! FEMEN, SlutWalks and body protest'. Feminist Review, [Details]
(2015) 'Precarity in the Ivory Cage: Neoliberalism and Casualisation of Work in the Irish Higher Education Sector'
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2015) 'Precarity in the Ivory Cage: Neoliberalism and Casualisation of Work in the Irish Higher Education Sector'. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, [ Publisher's Version] [Details]
(2014) 'My body is my manifesto! FEMEN, SlutWalks and body protest'
Theresa O'Keefe (2014) 'My body is my manifesto! FEMEN, SlutWalks and body protest'. Feminist Review, [ Publisher's Version] [Details]
(2009) 'Does Being Protestant Matter? Protestants, minorities and the re-making of ethno-religious identity after the Good Friday Agreement'
Jennifer Todd, Theresa O'Keefe, Nathalie Rougier and Lorenzo Cañás Bottos. (2009) 'Does Being Protestant Matter? Protestants, minorities and the re-making of ethno-religious identity after the Good Friday Agreement'. National Identities, [Details]
(2006) 'Fluid or Frozen? Choice and Change in Ethno-National Identification in Contemporary Northern Ireland'
Jennifer Todd,Theresa O'keefe,Nathalie Rougier &Lorenzo Cañás Bottos (2006) 'Fluid or Frozen? Choice and Change in Ethno-National Identification in Contemporary Northern Ireland'. Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, 12 (3-4) [DOI] [Details]
(2005) 'Menstrual Blood as a Weapon of Resistance: Armagh Women and the Dirty Protest.”'
Theresa O'Keefe (2005) 'Menstrual Blood as a Weapon of Resistance: Armagh Women and the Dirty Protest.”'. International Feminist Journal of Politics, [DOI] [Details]
(2004) 'Trading aprons for arms: feminist resistance in the North of Ireland'
Theresa O'eefe (2004) 'Trading aprons for arms: feminist resistance in the North of Ireland'. 'Resources for Feminist Research/Revue de documentation sur la recherche féministe, 30 (3-4) [ Publisher's Version] [Details]

Conference Publications

  Year Publication
(2024) BSA Annual conference 2024
Theresa O'Keefe, Aline Courtois (2024) Holding Ourselves to Account: The Precarity Dividend and the Ethics of Researching Academic Precarity BSA Annual conference 2024 [Details]
(2024) British Sociological Association Annual Conference
Aline Courtois, Theresa O'Keefe (2024) Mobility or precarity?Sticky mobilities and slippery international capital in Irish academia British Sociological Association Annual Conference [Details]
(2022) Is Academic Mobility Gendered?
Aline Courtois, Theresa O'Keefe (2022) Constructions and uses of international mobility among long-term precarious academics in Ireland Is Academic Mobility Gendered? [Details]
(2014) Sixteenth international conference on alternative futures and popular protest: a selection of papers from the conference
Theresa O'eefe (2014) My body is my manifesto! The female body in protest” Sixteenth international conference on alternative futures and popular protest: a selection of papers from the conference Manchester Metropolitan University, [Details]
(2014) Seventeenth international conference on alternative futures and popular protest
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2014) “Precarity in the university: Third Level Workplace Watch and the struggle against casualisation of labour in Irish higher education” Seventeenth international conference on alternative futures and popular protest Manchester Metropolitan University, [Details]
(2013) Sixteenth international conference on alternative futures and popular protest: a selection of papers from the conference
Theresa O'Keefe, Fergal Finnigan, Laurence Cox (2013) “Learning from each other’s struggles: attempting an activist education project in the university” Sixteenth international conference on alternative futures and popular protest: a selection of papers from the conference Manchester Metropolitan University, [Details]

Book Chapters

  Year Publication
(2024) 'Strip searches, sexual violence and feminism during the war in Northern/Ireland'
Theresa O'Keefe (2024) 'Strip searches, sexual violence and feminism during the war in Northern/Ireland' In: The politics of gender and sexuality in modern Ireland. Dublin: Four Courts. [DOI] [Details]
(2021) 'Bridge-builder feminism: the feminist movement and conflict in Northern Ireland'
Theresa O'Keefe (2021) 'Bridge-builder feminism: the feminist movement and conflict in Northern Ireland' In: Gladys Ganiel, David Mitchell (eds). The Politics of Conflict and Transformation The Island of Ireland in Comparative Perspective. London: Routledge. [ Publisher's Version] [Details]
(2018) 'The struggle for abortion rights in Ireland'
Theresa O'eefe (2018) 'The struggle for abortion rights in Ireland' In: Florescue, C. et. al./ Migrants and Ethnic Minorities for Reproductive Justice (eds). We’ve come a long way: reproductive rights of migrants and ethnic minorities in Ireland. Brazil: Aurutau. [ Publisher's Version] [Details]
(2017) '“Mother Ireland, get off our backs: feminism and social movement organising during conflict.”'
Theresa O'Keefe (2017) '“Mother Ireland, get off our backs: feminism and social movement organising during conflict.”' In: The Troubles in Northern Ireland and Theories of Social Movements. Amsterdam University: Amsterdam University Press. [ Publisher's Version] [Details]
(2016) 'The Casualisation of Third-Level Teaching'
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2016) 'The Casualisation of Third-Level Teaching' In: Education Matters Yearbook. Dublin: Education Matters - Department of Education. [Details]
(2012) '‘Sometimes it would be nice to be a man’ Negotiating gender identities after the Good Friday Agreement'
Theresa O'Keefe (2012) '‘Sometimes it would be nice to be a man’ Negotiating gender identities after the Good Friday Agreement' In: Cillian McGrattan and Elizabeth Meehan (eds). Everyday life after the Irish conflict. Manchester: Manchester University Press. [DOI] [Details]
(2008) 'Fluid or frozen?’ Choice and change in ethno-national identification in contemporary Ireland”'
Jennifer Todd,Theresa O'keefe,Nathalie Rougier &Lorenzo Cañás Bottos (2008) 'Fluid or frozen?’ Choice and change in ethno-national identification in contemporary Ireland”' In: J. Todd, N. Rougier, and L. Cañás Bottos in Todd, Cañás Bottos, Rougier (eds). Political Transformations and Ethno-national Identity Change. Routledge. London: Routledge. [Details]

Published Reports

  Year Publication
(2025) Women of the Borderlands: A Walking Biographical Study of Women's Everyday Life on the UK/Irish Border.
Niall Gilmartin, Theresa O’Keefe, Brenda Mondragón Toledo, Dyuti Chakravarty (2025) Women of the Borderlands: A Walking Biographical Study of Women's Everyday Life on the UK/Irish Border. UCC, Cork. [Details]

Electronic Journals

  Year Publication
(2024) Sociological Research Ethics, Precarious Work and the Precarity Dividend.
Theresa O'Keefe, Aline Courtois (2024) Sociological Research Ethics, Precarious Work and the Precarity Dividend. Electronic Journals [Details]

Blog

  Year Publication
(2020) Is police abolition relevant to Ireland?.
Theresa O'Keefe and Katharina Swirak (2020) Is police abolition relevant to Ireland?. Blog [ Publisher's Version] [Details]
(2020) WHO DOES THE ‘HOUSEWORK OF THE UNIVERSITY’ DURING A PANDEMIC? THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON PRECARIOUS WOMEN WORKING IN UNIVERSITIES.
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2020) WHO DOES THE ‘HOUSEWORK OF THE UNIVERSITY’ DURING A PANDEMIC? THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON PRECARIOUS WOMEN WORKING IN UNIVERSITIES. Blog [ Publisher's Version] [Details]

Book Reviews

  Year Publication
(2020) Book review: Ex-Combatants, Gender and Peace in Northern Ireland: Women, Political Protest and the Prison Experience by Azrini Wahidin.
Theresa O'Keefe (2020) Book review: Ex-Combatants, Gender and Peace in Northern Ireland: Women, Political Protest and the Prison Experience by Azrini Wahidin. Book Reviews [DOI] [Details]
(2009) Incite!, 2007. The Revolution Will Not Be Funded. South End Press.
Theresa O'Keefe (2009) Incite!, 2007. The Revolution Will Not Be Funded. South End Press. Book Reviews [ Publisher's Version] [Details]

Map

  Year Publication
(2025) A Women's Map of the UK/Irish Border.
Theresa O'Keefe, Niall Gilmartin, Brenda Mondragon Toledo and Catherine McElherron (2025) A Women's Map of the UK/Irish Border. Map [ Publisher's Version] [Details]

Conference Contributions

  Year Publication
(2024) British Sociological Association Annual Conference,
Theresa O'Keefe, Aline Courtois (2024) Holding Ourselves to Account: The Precarity Dividend and the Ethics of Researching Academic Precarity. [Oral Presentation], British Sociological Association Annual Conference, UK . [Details]
(2024) British Sociological Association Annual Conference,
Aline Courtois, Theresa O'Keefe (2024) Precarious Mobilities and the Uses of ‘International Capital’ in Academia. [Oral Presentation], British Sociological Association Annual Conference, UK . [Details]
(2023) Building a Transnational Feminist Coalition Against Gender Violence/,
Theresa O'Keefe (2023) TRANSNATIONAL SORORIDAD/ BINATIONAL PERSPECTIVES. [Invited Oral Presentation], Building a Transnational Feminist Coalition Against Gender Violence/, UCC . [Details]
(2024) British Sociological Association Annual Conference,
Theresa O'Keefe, Niall Gilmartin, Dyuti Chakravarty (2024) Soft and Seamless? Gender, Race, and Everyday Life on the UK-Irish Border. [Oral Presentation], British Sociological Association Annual Conference, UK . [Details]
(2024) Archiving and Sharing the Women of the Borderlands Data,,
Theresa O'Keefe, Niall Gilmartin, Dyuti Chakravarty (2024) Data papers: Maximising potential and getting recognition and rewards for sharing humanities data. [Invited Oral Presentation], Archiving and Sharing the Women of the Borderlands Data,, Cork . [Details]
(2024) British Sociological Association Annual Conference,
Theresa O'Keefe, Niall Gilmartin, Dyuti Chakravarty (2024) Soft and Seamless? Gender, Race and Everyday Life on the UK-Irish Border. [Oral Presentation], British Sociological Association Annual Conference, UK/virtual . [Details]
(2023) ‘Invisible and frictionless? Gender, race, and control on the UK-Irish border since the Troubles’,
Theresa O'Keefe, Niall Gilmartin, Dyuti Chakravarty (2023) European Federation of Associations and Centres of Irish Studies. [Oral Presentation], ‘Invisible and frictionless? Gender, race, and control on the UK-Irish border since the Troubles’, Belfast . [Details]
(2023) North-South Criminology Conference,
Theresa O'Keefe, Niall Gilmartin, Dyuti Chakravarty (2023) The Border Problem: Gender and the In/visibility of the UK-Irish Border. [Oral Presentation], North-South Criminology Conference, DCU . [Details]
(2022) Precarious pathways? Understanding long-term academic precarity,
Aline Courtois, Theresa O'Keefe (2022) Centre for the Study of Higher Education Webinar Series. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Precarious pathways? Understanding long-term academic precarity, Centre for the Study of Higher Education, UCD . [Details]
(2022) What is the impact of long-term academic precarity ? Preliminary Findings from the Precarity Penalty Project,
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2022) Gender and Academic Precarity Network. [Invited Oral Presentation], What is the impact of long-term academic precarity ? Preliminary Findings from the Precarity Penalty Project, University of Portsmouth . [Details]
(2022) Is Academic Mobility Gendered?,
Aline Courtois, Theresa O'Keefe (2022) Constructions and uses of international mobility among long-term precarious academics in Ireland. [Invited Oral Presentation], Is Academic Mobility Gendered?, Department of Education Centre for Qualitative Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland . [Details]
(2022) Precarious pathways? Understanding long-term academic precarity,
Aline Courtois, Theresa O'Keefe (2022) Invited talk. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Precarious pathways? Understanding long-term academic precarity, EventCentre for the Study of Higher Education Webinar Series - University College Dublin, . [Details]
(2021) Boundaries, Borders, Care: Feminist Ethics in Practice,
Theresa O'Keefe (2021) Relationships and Conflict in Feminist Activism. [Invited Oral Presentation], Boundaries, Borders, Care: Feminist Ethics in Practice, UCC . [Details]
(2021) Gender, The Pandemic and Inequality,
Theresa O'Keefe (2021) How does academic precarity impact gender inequality in a pandemic?. [Invited Oral Presentation], Gender, The Pandemic and Inequality, Newcastle University . [Details]
(2021) The Campus as a Battleground: Campus as a Battleground: Precarious Work and Labour Struggles in 21st - Century Academia,
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2021) The struggle against academic precarity in Ireland. [Invited Oral Presentation], The Campus as a Battleground: Campus as a Battleground: Precarious Work and Labour Struggles in 21st - Century Academia, Bard College Berlin . [Details]
(2021) Sociological Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
Theresa O'eefe (2021) Prison strip-searches as gender-based violence. [Oral Presentation], Sociological Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Online . [Details]
(2020) he Age of the Precariat: Identity and Precarity Conference,
Theresa O'eefe (2020) Resisting Academic Precarity – The Story of Third Level Workplace Watch”. [Keynote Speaker], he Age of the Precariat: Identity and Precarity Conference, NUI Galway . [Details]
(2019) Sexual Violences(s): Between Past and Present,
Theresa O'Keefe (2019) “’Just the usual’: Gender, Violence and the State in Northern Ireland.”. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Sexual Violences(s): Between Past and Present, Cork . [Details]
(2019) Women’s History Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
Theresa O'Keefe (2019) “Gender Equality Since the Good Friday Agreement”. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Women’s History Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Cork . [Details]
(2019) Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES),
Aline Courtois and Theresa O'Keefe (2019) Falling through the cracks? Gender inequality, precarious work and higher education research. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES), Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES) - UCL IOE, London . [Details]
(2019) Gender and Education annual conference,
Courtois, A & O'Keefe T (2019) De-invisibilising precarious women academics. [Oral Presentation], Gender and Education annual conference, Portsmouth, UK United Kingdom . [Details]
(2019) Precarious Work and Gender Inequality in Higher Education,
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2019) Symposium. [Conference Organising Committee Member], Precarious Work and Gender Inequality in Higher Education, UCC . [Details]
(2019) Gender, Activism and Subjectivity in Contention and Conflict,
Theresa O'eefe (2019) Symposium Chair. [Chair Sessions at Symposia], Gender, Activism and Subjectivity in Contention and Conflict, DCU . [Details]
(2019) Gender and Education annual conference,
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2019) De-invisibilising precarious women academics. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Gender and Education annual conference, University of Portsmouth . [Details]
(2018) The Politics of Conflict and Transformation: Northern Ireland in Comparative Perspective,
Theresa O'Keefe (2018) Bridge-Builder Feminism and Feminist Identity Politics in Northern Ireland. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], The Politics of Conflict and Transformation: Northern Ireland in Comparative Perspective, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin . [Details]
(2018) 10th European Conference on Gender Equality in Higher Education,
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2018) Trapped in the Stairwell: Precarious Work and Gender Equality in Higher Education. [Oral Presentation], 10th European Conference on Gender Equality in Higher Education, Dublin . [Details]
(2018) Thinking Gender Justice,
Theresa O'Keefe (2018) Gender troubles: feminist organising in the North of Ireland, 1969-1998. [Oral Presentation], Thinking Gender Justice, Dublin . [Details]
(2018) Sex, Sexuality and Reproduction. Irish Conference of Historians,
Theresa O'Keefe (2018) ‘Our bodies are used like a weapon.’ Sexual violence, gender and the state during the Northern Irish Troubles. [Oral Presentation], Sex, Sexuality and Reproduction. Irish Conference of Historians, Cork . [Details]
(2016) Gender, Violence and Conflict: Development Studies Association of Ireland and Trinity International Development Initiative seminar,
Theresa O'Keefe (2016) Policing Unruly Women: gender-based violence and the state during the Troubles. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Gender, Violence and Conflict: Development Studies Association of Ireland and Trinity International Development Initiative seminar, Dublin . [Details]
(2015) Irish Federation of University Teachers’ Annual Conference,
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2015) “The disease of casualisation in Irish higher education: what is to be done?”. [Keynote Speaker], Irish Federation of University Teachers’ Annual Conference, Dublin . [Details]
(2015) Gender inequality and the University,
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2015) ’Not one of the family: Gender and precarity in the Irish higher education sector. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Gender inequality and the University, Galway . [Details]
(2015) Sociological Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2015) “‘Lecturer in winter, tour guide in summer’: neoliberalism and the casualisation of work in the Irish higher education sector”. [Oral Presentation], Sociological Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Dublin . [Details]
(2014) Northern Ireland: Twenty Years After the Ceasefire,
Theresa O'Keefe (2014) Female IRA combatants: where are they now?. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Northern Ireland: Twenty Years After the Ceasefire, Maynooth . [Details]
(2014) Ethics in Irish Higher Education,
Theresa O'Keefe and Aline Courtois (2014) Casualisation in Irish Higher Education. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Ethics in Irish Higher Education, Limerick . [Details]

Professional Associations

  Association Function From / To
Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century Member /
Sociological Association of Ireland Member /
Institute for British-Irish Studies Associate /
Equality Studies Centre Research Associate /
Sociology of Harm, Violence and Social Control Co-Convenor /
European Social Movements Research Network Member /
Women's History Association of Ireland Member /
Gender and the Academy Research Working Group Research group 01-SEP-19 /

Committees

  Committee Function From / To
School of Society, Politics and Ethics Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Chair /
Department of Sociology and Criminology Student Experience Committee Chair 2024 / 2026
Co-Director, MA Sociology of Sustainability and Global Challenges Co-Director /
UCC School of Society, Politics and Ethics Equality and Diversity Committee Chair 2021 / 2025
Social Harms, Violence and Social Control Co-Convenor /
ISS21 Member /
UCC Sociology & Criminology Postgraduate Committee Member 2021 /
UCC Ethical Hiring Committee Member 2021 /
UCC Sociology & Criminology Undergraduate Committee Chair 2020 / 2021
Family, Gender and Sexualities Research Cluster Member 2019 /
Athena SWAN iWorking Group Institutional Bronze Award- Staff Data Member 2019 /
UCC Women's Studies Board member 2018 /
Athena SWAN CACSSS Steering Group Member 2018 /
UCC Violence, Conflict and Gender Cluster Member 2016 /
UCC Sociology & Criminology Undergraduate Committee Member 2016 / 2021

Education

  Year Institution Qualification Subject
2021 UCC Postgraduate Certificate Teaching and Learning

Outreach Activities

  Description

Chair, UCC Staff Together For Yes

“The Hamster Wheel of Precarity: Invisible workers in the Irish higher education sector” with A. Courtois. TASC Workshop on ‘The new European precariat? Educated young people in temporary employment'. Dublin, 25 April 2017.

“Precarious work in higher education”. Invited talk delivered to IFUT-UCC. 20 March, 2019.

“Learning from the lessons of Irish women’s organising to ensure their protection against state violence in Northern Ireland” Invited Talk. Delivered to European Network Against Racism 16th Annual General Assembly. 23 June 2017. European Parliament. Brussels.

'Gender-Based Violence And The State: What Are The Lessons From Global Struggles?’Comhlamh First Wednesday Debates (Dublin, 2014).

Delivered research training to peer interviewers for a Women’s Health Council for a study on gender-based violence experienced by minority ethnic women (Dublin, 2007).

Panel participant. Experiences of Feminist Struggle – past, present and global. 10th Annual Dublin Anarchist Bookfair. Organised by the Workers Solidarity Movement. Dublin. 2016.

Beyond the crisis: global justice, equality and social movements. A day-long workshop for activists and researchers. Seomra Spraoi, Dublin: 27 May 2011.

How can women defeat austerity? A talk and workshop for community organisers with renowned author Selma James at NUI Maynooth, March 13, 2013. This was an outreach activity designed to bring grassroots campaigners into the university to discuss this issue with other established academics and organisers.

The Female Body in Protest @ Festival for Choice, November 16, 2013. https://www.abortionrightscampaign.ie/event/the-female-body-in-protest-festival-for-choice/

Monthly reading group organised under the auspices of the Sociological Association of Ireland and co-convened with Dr Katharina Swiark and Andy Bray. Open to academics, policy makers, practitioners, activists and those with general interest.

Co-convenor, Irish Abolitionist Reading Group

Founding Member, Irish Precarity Network

Journal Activities

  Journal Role To / From
Gender Work And Organization Referee -
Womens Studies International Forum Referee -
Women'S History Journal Referee -
Irish Studies Review Referee -
International Feminist Journal Of Politics Referee -
Interface Member of Editorial Board 01-SEP-10 - 01-SEP-12
Feminist Review Referee -
Irish Journal Of Sociology Referee -
Critical Military Studies Referee -
Gender Work And Organization Editor -
Interface Referee 01-SEP-10 -
The European Journal Of Women'S Studies Referee -
Feminist Review Referee -
Irish Studies Review Referee -
Gender & Society Referee -
International Feminist Journal Of Politics Member of Editorial Board 01-SEP-14 - 31-AUG-17

Other Activities

  Description

Select Invited talks:
  • 3rd Annual Irish Research Staff Association Forum on Research Careers, Invited Speaker. 10 May 2023.

  • UCD Centre for the Study of Higher Education, Invited talk. 29 November 2022.
  • Precarious Contracts in Irish HEIs. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion/Athena Swan, Mary Immaculate College. Limerick.  11 March 2022 

  • Gender and the Casualisation of Work in Irish Universities. Women in Research Ireland ( 5 NOV 2021)

  • Precarity” Economy and Society Summer School. Centre for the Moral Foundations of Economy and Society. 13 April, 2021. 

  • “Gender and precarious work in higher education” The Gendered Face of Covid-19. Visible Racism in Ireland Series. hosted by Dr Ebun Joseph. 21 May, 2020. 

  • Gender and Precarious Work. Panelist. International Women’s Day event organised by SIPTU. 8 March 2019. 

  • “Learning from the lessons of Irish women’s organising to ensure their protection against state violence in Northern Ireland” Invited Talk. Delivered to European Network Against Racism 16th Annual General Assembly. 23 June 2017. European Parliament. Brussels. 

  • “The Hamster Wheel of Precarity: Invisible workers in the Irish higher education sector” with A. Courtois. TASC Workshop on ‘The new European precariat? Educated young people in temporary employment'. Dublin, 25 April 2017. 

My research has featured in a number of media outlets including: 
  1. The Washington Post (26/01/21), https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/26/myanmars-protesters-include-shirtless-bodybuilder...
  2. Le Monde (02/03/20), https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2020/03/02/a-l-universite-et-dans-les-laboratoires-aussi-la-...
  3. The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/is-this-the-end-of-job-security-in-academia-1.3027838), 
  4. The Journal.ie/Noteworthy https://www.noteworthy.ie/academic-uncertainty-pt2-5265743-Nov2020/
I've also appeared on the Pat Kenny Show and the Reboot Republic podcast (https://tortoiseshack.ie/ep-40-precarious-academia-third-level-inequality/) to discuss my research on academic precarity.

Teaching Interests

Gender studies, Research Methods, Gender and Conflict, Sexualities, Sociology of Reproduction and the Body, Social Movement Studies, Gender and Nationalism, Northern Irish Politics and Society, Feminist Theory, Feminist Methodologies Gender, Crime & Deviance. 

I currently co-ordinate and teach:
  1. SC6641/SC7641  Gender and Catastrophe https://reg.ucc.ie/curriculum/modules/?mod=sc664
  2. SC3046 Gender, Sexuality & Inequality https://reg.ucc.ie/curriculum/modules/?mod=sc3046
  3. SC2065 Research Project 1 -Introduction to Social Research https://reg.ucc.ie/curriculum/modules/?mod=sc2065
  4. SC3055 Research Project II https://reg.ucc.ie/curriculum/modules/?mod=sc3055 
In addition I teach on the following:
SC6639 Feminist Epistemologies 
SC6614 Sociological Methodologies 
CR1002 Criminology: key concepts 
WS6605 Gender and Society II 
As well as third year research project supervisions for Sociology (SC3055) and Criminology (CR3002)

I have also co-ordinated/taught the following:
CR2013 - Gender and Crime
SC2002- Research Project I
SC2026- Sociology of the Family
SC3046 - Family Gender & Sexualities
SC2016 - Sociology of Gender
SC6623/7623- Globalisation and Culture



Recent Postgraduates

  Graduation Year Student Name Institution Degree Type Thesis Title
2025 Brenda Mondragón Toledo UCC PHD
2024 Mary Oluafeyisayo Odugbesan UCC MA Sociology
2023 Em O'Connell UCC MA Sociology
2021 Jack Wrixon UCC MA Sociology
2021 Darragh Mulcahy UCC MA Sociology
2018 Gillian Tobin NUI (UCC) MA Sociology The Moral Philosophies of the Pro-Life Movement
2013 Jerrie Ann Sullivan NUI Maynooth
2014 Seamus Farrell UCD
2019 Laura O'Donnell UCC MA Sociology
2019 Joan Obiageli Uba UCC MA in the Sociology of Development and Globalization
2018 Brenda Mondragón Toledo UCC MA in the Sociology of Development and Globalization The National Weaver Movement as a Result of Cultural Appropiation of Mayan Textiles in Guatemala; an Analysis of its Problematization in Legal Reform.
2018 Ellen O' Sullivan UCC
2015 Niall Gilmartin NUI Maynooth PHD Lost in Translation: Republican Women's Struggle after Armed Struggle.

Current Postgraduate Students

  Student Degree Type
O Sullivan Ellen Marie Doctoral Degree

External Collaborators

  Name Organisation / Institute Country
Aline Courtois Centre for Global Higher Education, University College London UNITED KINGDOM
Dr Niall Gilmartin University of Ulster UNITED KINGDOM