RESEARCH
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Details of our programmes for 2012 are available here
Women’s Studies Research
Women’s Studies is engaged in a range of research activities comprising individual research by staff members, funded or commissioned research and research carried out by postgraduate students.
This research brings a distinctly feminist perspective to bear and covers different areas of interest including equality, gender, economic and social policy, sexuality, queer theories and histories, poverty, women’s education, power and decision-making, women’s history and literature. Women’s Studies is committed to research aimed at advancing the situation of women in Ireland generally, and to recognising the needs of disadvantaged women in particular.
Women’s Studies has a dynamic and productive research community, with staff, research associates and postgraduates involved in individual and commissioned research, both collaborative and independent. The Centre engages actively in building research partnerships with other academic centres and institutions, government departments, and national and trans-national bodies.
Key Research Areas
Widely recognised for its expertise on feminism, gender, equality, and public policy; sexualities and social change, and Irish Women’s Studies, the Centre’s research encompasses a wide range of areas of interest, including:
Women, Gender and Public Policy
Economic, Social and Health Policy
Contemporary feminist, gender and equality politics
Women, public participation and decision-making
Poverty and Social Inclusion
Women, Adult and Further Education
Queer Theories and Histories
Gender and Sexuality
Irish Literary, Cultural and Historical Studies
WS is committed to the development of a strong research culture within the Centre based on recognition of the importance and value of research and on fostering an academic environment of dialogue, debate, mutual respect and support. Through supporting visiting scholars and taking college-wide initiatives WS creates opportunities for exchange of ideas at institutional and international levels.
WS draws on a range of research methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative, and to drawing on feminist research theory and methodologies. Within the research process, the Centre provides opportunities to reflect on research methodologies and to learn from research practice and experience.
WS has PhD and M Litt Programmes and aims to support its research students as much as possible within tight budgetary constraints. The Centre provides limited support through the awarding of research fellowship and scholarships when possible.
WS is committed to supporting the research interests of staff through resourcing where possible, technical support, time management and the promotion of a supportive academic environment. As part of its research activities Women’s Studies provides some earning and experience opportunities for its students and graduates, through the establishment of a pool of researchers.
WS is committed to disseminating its research in an accessible manner through a wide range of formats including research publications, events and electronic format.
Commissioned Research
Women’s Studies Centre has been very successful in tendering for and being invited to conduct funded research in the areas of economic, social, health and educational policy. Organisations which have commissioned research by WS over recent years include: European Commission, Crisis Pregnancy Agency, Equality Authority; Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; National Disability Authority, Gender Equality Unit of the Department of Education; Equality Office of the European Commission; Combat Poverty Agency; AONTAS; National Council for Development Education, and the North East Regional Planning Committee on Violence Against Women.
In its funded and commissioned research, WS is a centre of excellence specialising in specific areas: equality; women and social and economic policy, community education, poverty, employment; gender; European Union policy; working with specific groups – lesbian women, ethnic minorities, disability. WS applies a partnership and collaborative approaches to its research activities, at both national and trans-national levels where appropriate.
RECENT COMMISSIONED RESEARCH PROJECTS
Year Description of Commissioned Research
2009-11 Ursula Barry, was appointed as a Senior Expert on the EU Research Network of Socio-Economic Experts on Non-Discrimination in January 2009. This EU Network is focused on specific areas of discrimination and disadvantage including age, disability, race, sexual orientation, ethnic origin and gender. Senior experts have responsibility for designing the work programme, reviewing the country reports prepared by national experts and contributing to the preparation of Synthesis Reports based on comparative policy analysis
2008-2010 Ursula Barry, was reappointed the Irish Representative on the EU Research Network on Gender Equality and Employment in 2008. As the Irish member of the Network an annual assessment from a gender perspective of Ireland’s National Reform Programme with a specific focus on employment policy is produced and two thematic Reports on specific topics. In 2008 the topics were Childcare Provision in Ireland and Occupational Segregation on the Irish Labour Market. During 2009 the thematic topics are Gender and Flexible Work Organisation on the Irish Labour Market and Gender Aspects of Taxation Policy in Ireland.
2006-8 The Crisis Pregnancy Agency/Western Health Board commissioned Catherine Conlon of Women’s Studies to carry out a study on concealment of pregnancy. In 2008 this was extended to involve the production of Guidelines for use in maternity care settings on responding to women concealing pregnancy derived from the research findings.
2006 The National Disability Authority commissioned Ursula Barry and Joan O’ Connor of Women’s Studies to carry out a review of literature on women and disability in order to explore where gender issues and disability issues intersect – where the issues for disabled women are significantly different because of their gender or the issues for women are significantly different because of their disability. The purpose of the research was to synthesise and summarise the state of knowledge in this area both in Ireland and internationally.
2006 The National Counselling Service of Ireland commissioned Catherine Conlon of Women’s Studies to conduct an analysis of its client evaluation survey.
2006 A north/south research team comprising Judy Walsh and Catherine Conlon of School of Social Justice, University College Dublin, the Institute for Conflict Research, Belfast, and Barry Fitzpatrick (independent consultant) were commissioned by jointly the Equality Authority Ireland/Equality Commission of Northern Ireland to undertake research on enabling Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual individuals to access their rights under equality law.
2005 Higher Education Authority included funding for research on potential for developing linkages across different areas of third level education providing for transferability and progression in its funding provision to Women’s Studies.
2005 Ursula Barry, Women’s Studies (together with Jane Pillinger and Sheila Quinn, independent consultants) were commissioned by Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to carry out a pilot study on Gender Budgeting in selected Local Development Organisations.
2004-5 Development Cooperation Ireland commissioned Women’s Studies to pilot the outcome of the 2003 project which developed a conceptual framework to mainstream and integrate a globalisation perspective into the curriculum of Women’s Studies Community Outreach Access Programme.
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