News
Most Read Article in European Planning Studies
Dr. Nessa Winston's article on 'Urban Regeneration for Sustainable Development: The Role of Sustainable Housing?' is currently listed as the most read article in the international journal, European Planning Studies.
For a copy of the article, go to http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09654310903322306
Partnership Drugs Prevention Initiative wins national award:
The Partnership Education Initiative in Drug Prevention Education and Research Capacity, within the School of Applied Social Science, has won a prestigious STAR award from AONTAS, the National Adult Learning Organisation (http://www.adultlearnersfestival.com). The Initiative won the Nationwide or All Island Reach category. Sean Haughey, Minister for Lifelong Learning, officially opened the ceremony on the day, and awards were presented by Michael D. Higgins, T.D.
Winners of the awards are required to show a high level of teamwork and partnership; a learner centred approach to education provision; adult education practice and methodologies; and outcomes.
Director of the initiative, Dr. Mary Ellen McCann said:
“The STAR award recognises the very clear learning progression, from engagement in community education courses, to undergraduate level, and hopefully in the future to post graduate level. The partnership provides the opportunity for traditional university courses to liaise with community education structures and methods. The courses are an example of a community of learners, working together to understand more about a very serious social problem.”
The partners involved in this initiative are: An Cosán, Tallaght; Urrús, Ballymun and Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI). An Cosán situated in Jobstown, Tallaght West, and Urrús (the training arm of Ballymun Youth Action Project, a community response to drug abuse) are both committed to the community development principles of equality, participation and equity. Merchants Quay Ireland is a large voluntary agency involved in drugs work. Since 1997, it has been involved with UCD in the provision of courses.
A direct progression route into the mainstream Bachelor of Social Science (BSocSc) degree programme is now available for these students. This is the first time that such a progression path has been available within UCD.
Catherine Doyle, a social science student who came through the community programmes addressed the ceremony:
“On a personal note I know I would not have ever had the confidence to take on studies at this level without accessing education through the community first. It has given me the confidence to participate in education on a level I could only ever dream of.”
The Head of the School of Social Science, Professor Brian Nolan, added:
“UCD aims to be a socially inclusive university where students from diverse backgrounds participate fully and equally in all facets of university life. This initiative is an example of how The School of Applied Social Science is to the fore in innovative provision for mature learners and students from lower socio-economic groups. I heartily congratulate all the staff involved, and our community partners on this achievement.”
Dr Michael Rush, School of Applied Social Science
Published research on Irish fatherhood and comparative social policies
A special 2011 issue of the Journal of Comparative Family Studies dedicated to Parenting: International Research and Education marks a longstanding commitment by the founder and forty year editor, George Kurian, to challenge the predominance of ethnocentric or national orientations in academic journals. The seven papers published in this special issue represent a wide range of topics and represent a foundation to outline future challenges facing parenting and family policy researchers. A major challenge concerns father involvement with children and this special issue includes a paper entitled ‘The Two Worlds of Father Politics in the Republic of Ireland: Swedish versus American Influences’ by Dr Michael Rush from the School of Applied Social Science. Rush’s paper documents how Ireland has dealt with two very different approaches to getting fathers involved with their children. He focuses on Sweden and the United States as being prime representatives of different and in many cases opposing views. Sweden has for a long time emphasised gender equality, accepted family pluralism and provided generous parental entitlements. U.S. conservative neo-patriarchal influences have sought to preserve patriarchal familism within traditional marriage and opposed entitlements to help parents deal with the often competing demands of childcare and paid work. Rush documents how these influences emanating from two different continents play out in Ireland. The Journal of Comparative Family Studies - Special Issue – Parenting: International Research and Education, Vol XXXXII, No 1 2011 is available through e-journals on the University College Dublin library homepage.
Launch of HEVI 2008-2010 Teachers' Curriculum and Teacher's Handbook on Domestic Violence
Dr. Mary Allen represented the School of Applied Social Science at the launch of the HEVI 2008-2010 Teachers’ Curriculum and Teachers’ Handbook on Domestic Violence. The two documents were launched at a press conference and Seminar in Bucharest, Romania on September 9th. Representatives of all 7 countries (Finland, Ireland, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia and Latvia), involved in the EU Funded project were present at the launch. These two documents will provide a prepared curriculum and teaching methods, together with extensive notes, reading lists and websites to support third level educators in the fields of social work, nursing and medicine. The curriculum provides four detailed modules with essential topics in the field of violence against women with suggested teaching methods and resources to support the Modules. All the essential elements necessary to assist students to understand the background to and dynamics of such violence, and to prepare them to make appropriate assessments and safe interventions in their future professional work are included in the four Modules. The accompanying Teachers’ handbook provides background information and more detailed information to support the Curriculum. This project has provided a valuable resource to lecturers in these fields by developing and providing an extensive teaching resource to support their work in this difficult and challenging area of work.
Copies of the Curriculum and Handbook have been translated from English into 7 languages (Finnish, German, Swedish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Estonian and Latvian). The English Version is available on CD from the School of Applied Social Science. If you would like a copy of the CD please contact Dr. Mary Allen at mary.allen@ucd.ie.
Transatlantic video link session with
Fordham University, New York
Dr Hilda Loughran and Dr Muireann Ní Raghallaigh from the School have been working with Prof Mary Ann Forgey in Fordham University to create teaching and learning links for Masters in Social Work students. A group of first year Masters in Social Science (Social Work) participate in a two hour video link session with Masters in Social Work students in Fordham University in New York. This has developed into an annual event and allows for UCD students to discuss various aspects of social work with their New York counterparts. This year discussions centred around the differences and similarities between social work in Ireland and social work in the USA. The American students were particularly interested in hearing about the impact of the recession on Social Work in Ireland. We are pleased to report that the whole class did a great job in participating in the session, in particular Claire Dolan and Fiona Daly who gave a live demonstration of social work in action with Claire playing the social worker and Fiona the client. Both students did an excellent job and received very positive and useful feedback from their classmates and from their US counterparts. Our thanks to Brian in the Audiio Visual Centre and well done to everyone involved!
Two Papers for Harrogate Mixed Methods Reserach Conference
The School of Applied Social Science continues in its contribution to developing excellence in innovative research methodologies with two papers being accepted for the Mixed Methods Research Conference, Harrogate 2009.
Dr Hilda Loughran and Dr Mary Ellen McCann will present a paper on community participative research methodology which they developed in their recent study of community drugs problems (Loughran & McCann 2005). The paper is entitled ‘Harnessing the benefits of mixed methods research to explore drugs problem in three communities’. Dr Patricia Kennedy and Orlagh Farrell (researcher) from the school will present a paper on ‘The development of creative methodologies for doctoral students in the social sciences’.The School of Applied Social Science continues in its contribution to developing excellence in innovative research methodologies with two papers being accepted for the Mixed Methods Research Conference, Harrogate 2009.
Dr Hilda Loughran and Dr Mary Ellen McCann will present a paper on community participative research methodology which they developed in their recent study of community drugs problems (Loughran & McCann 2005). The paper is entitled ‘Harnessing the benefits of mixed methods research to explore drugs problem in three communities’. Dr Patricia Kennedy and Orlagh Farrell (researcher) from the school will present a paper on ‘The development of creative methodologies for doctoral students in the social sciences’.
Fellowship in Teaching & Academic Development
The School is happy to congratulate Dr. Hilda Loughran on her recent success in being awarded one of the prestigious UCD Fellowships in Teaching and Academic Development.
The award marks yet another acknowledgement of the School’s long tradition of commitment to teaching and learning. In the past two School staff members have been awarded the President’s Teaching Award; Prof Bairbre Redmond and Dr. Hilda Loughran. A number of staff members have also been awarded teaching grants.