Elaine L Desmond | University College Cork (original) (raw)

Papers by Elaine L Desmond

Administration, 2024

This article explores the first academic study on the housing crisis on Ireland's offshore island... more This article explores the first academic study on the housing crisis on Ireland's offshore islands through a case study of the experiences and views of islanders on the West Cork islands. The paper covers the risk which the current housing crisis in Ireland represents for the ability of the West Cork islands, already susceptible to depopulation, to retain the next generation of existing inhabitants and attract newcomers. Through a participatory research project conducted between October 2021 and November 2022, the article reveals the challenges facing the West Cork islands in terms of housing affordability, availability and quality, and how these impact on the sustainability of island living. It also documents innovative policies and initiatives that islanders would like policymakers to implement to ensure the housing crisis is addressed and full-time populations on the islands are secured and sustained. The article concludes by reflecting on the recent National Islands Policy 2023-2033 in light of the current study.

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This paper explores the process of legitimation involved in the struggle for secession in Telanga... more This paper explores the process of legitimation involved in the struggle for secession in Telangana. This is undertaken through examining the perspectives of participants in the build-up to secession in three Telangana villages. The paper argues that demands for secession focussed crucially on a) gaining access to resources as a means of alleviating risk exposure (the legitimation of risk); and b) the exercise of political power in the attempt to secure resources as the means to alleviating risk (the legitimation of democracy).

Given that the new state has been in existence for over a year, the paper seeks to provide a reminder of the hopes, dreams and expectations which formed the basis of the struggle for a new state. It argues that these should serve as an reference point to the government in the complex task of securing its legitimacy in Telangana. It also suggests the need for longitudinal research into legitimacy in Telangana as part of an ongoing concern with the legitimation of risk and democracy in this volatile and vulnerable region.

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This paper is in response to Gruère and Sengupta’s (2011) article entitled ‘Bt Cotton and Farmer ... more This paper is in response to Gruère and Sengupta’s (2011) article entitled ‘Bt Cotton and Farmer Suicides in India: An Evidence-based Assessment’ in this journal (Vol. 47, No. 2, February, 2011). Gruère and Sengupta (2011: 316) argue that, while Bt cotton ‘may have contributed indirectly to farmer suicides’, the technology has been ‘very effective overall in India’ (2011: 316).

The current paper challenges the validity of some of the article’s claims, with particular reference to fieldwork conducted in Andhra Pradesh. It argues that reductionist generalizations about Bt cotton form part of the systemic legitimation of the unequal risk exposure which causes farmer suicides.

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Gandhi Marg Journal, Jun 30, 2013

This paper explores the idea of transformative harmony as a concern of the political. It propose... more This paper explores the idea of transformative harmony as a concern of the political. It proposes that the cultivation of harmony as a project of the Self is closely related to the political project of democracy as a quest for social harmony. This is in light of the view that social conflict can be seen as a collective manifestation of individual struggles to establish inner harmony.

The paper, firstly, explores the idea that the quest for harmony is an inter-subjective, as well as an intra-subjective, undertaking. As such, it is proposed that this quest has significant political implications. This is in line with the Gandhian principle that societies ultimately reflect the level of enlightenment of the actors who form them.

The idea of transformative harmony as an ethical enterprise is then explored. This involves an examination of the significance of rights and duties in a challenging and disharmonious world. It also critiques the use of violence as a means of securing transformative harmony and social change.

Finally, the paper discusses the way in which transformative harmony, in terms of its focus on the Self as the site for attaining the type of altered consciousness required to bring about social change, shares a philosophical basis with ideas of ‘deep democracy’ and Habermasian discourse ethics. It is suggested that the blending of these perspectives presents an opportunity for restoring the epistemic basis of democracy as a means for somewhat alleviating the pervasive sense of risk and uncertainty with which contemporary global society is confronted. Therefore, it is proposed that the project of transformative harmony represents, by default, a project to transform democratic praxis.

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This paper explores the view of Herring (2010: 614) that the global conflict surrounding genetica... more This paper explores the view of Herring (2010: 614) that the global conflict surrounding genetically modified (GM) crops is not about ‘ultimate values.’ This is given the general consensus which exists concerning the validity of farmer welfare and agricultural sustainability as ‘universally valued goals’ (ibid.). Herring (ibid.) argues that given this agreement on values, the political dispute concerning GM crops relates to ‘alternative epistemologies’ as the means by which these end goals should be achieved.

The current paper examines Herring’s argument through exploring excerpts from interviews with participants involved in the Bt cotton debate in Andhra Pradesh politics. These were conducted during nine months of fieldwork in the state. The study finds that there is evidence of shared values among competing participants as Herring suggests. However, it also suggests that this apparent consensus forms part of a struggle for legitimation in which social actors draw upon high resonance values within their context in order to gain legitimation not only for their definitional power, but also for the values which they believe should inform knowledge construction. The study highlights, contrary to Herring, that values and epistemology are inextricable, and both are at stake in the legitimation struggle which GM crops represent.

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This study explores the relation between Bt cotton adoption and farmer suicides in India. This is... more This study explores the relation between Bt cotton adoption and farmer suicides in India. This is undertaken through comparing the debt levels of Bt cotton cultivators with those adopting alternative organic and Non-Pesticide Management (NPM) methods. The study involves a total of 26 participants in three villages in Telangana, India. It argues that measures of indebtedness need to be adopted as part of assessments of both Bt cotton and development policy.

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This chapter explores the parallels in the conceptualisation of freedom in critical theory and Ga... more This chapter explores the parallels in the conceptualisation of freedom in critical theory and Gandhian philosophy. This seeks to highlight the global relevance of the idea of freedom as the basis for social struggle. The chapter argues that global society is characterised by a struggle between competing conceptualisations of freedom as the negative individualistic framing of freedom asserted within capitalism clashes with an emergent idea of social freedom as a concern of the collective of humanity.

The chapter highlights the way in which the conceptualisation of freedom as an inter-subjective concern of the individual forms the basis of a critique of capitalism within both critical theory and Gandhian philosophy. The inter-subjective nature of freedom is highlighted in both schools of thought as the means and the end to swaraj as self-determination. Such a conceptualisation of freedom as an inter-subjective concern of the social also serves as a challenge to the negative framing of freedom within capitalism. The chapter explores the centrality of non-violent protests in promoting and securing the conceptualisation of social freedom as an inter-subjective and institutional concern. This forms the basis of Gandhi’s theory of satyagraha, and the model of democratically legitimate political will-formation developed by Habermas.

The chapter adopts the theorisation of freedom in both schools of thought to explore the way in which the idea of social freedom is being promoted by transnational movements in resistance to the risk society described by Beck (2009). It is argued that these movements seek to re-assert the inter-subjective nature of freedom as a challenge to the risks associated with the negative individualistic framing of freedom being diffused globally through neoliberal capitalism. Through such global activism, the significance of the collective of humanity is asserted as both the means and the end of freedom. It is argued that these global movements represent a nascent global legitimation process which has crucial epistemological and ontological implications for a world at risk.

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This paper explores the way in which democratic practice and the ability to negotiate risk is med... more This paper explores the way in which democratic practice and the ability to negotiate risk is mediated through power relations in three Indian villages. The research features extracts from interviews with 26 participants in the three villages in Telangana, India, between June, 2010 and March, 2011. Villagers have been selected according to their caste, land-holding and gender as key dimensions along which both exposure to risk and rural power are differentiated. The study explores how the perspectives of participants on gram sabha (village assembly) attendance intersect with the particular power constellations as defined by the caste composition and land-holding pattern of each village. The research highlights how democratic practice in the villages is associated with varying degrees of legitimacy in terms of the three dimensions of justice identified by Fraser – namely, redistribution, recognition and representation. The study illustrates the contingent, context-dependent nature of democratic practice. It also highlights the potential of democracy to be both status-quo reinforcing and status-quo challenging depending upon the opportunities afforded by the particular constellation of power and experience of risk in the village context, and the way in which these change over time.

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This paper explores the controversy surrounding the alleged links between Bt cotton and farmer su... more This paper explores the controversy surrounding the alleged links between Bt cotton and farmer suicides in India. It explores the way in which Bt technology is legitimated or delegitimated by cultivators differentiated by their land-holding, caste and gender. The research is located in three Telangana villages who have variously adopted Bt cotton, organic and NPM cultivation methods. The study finds that it is not those most at risk of suicide (ie. male, Backward Caste, small and marginal cultivators) who are the most indebted. Instead, it is the influential Forward Caste Bt cotton cultivators with medium holdings. The study adopts the concepts of prestige and conformist bias to analyse cultivators’ views and argues that, while Bt is not entirely responsible for farmer suicides, it is a contributory factor. It also asserts that the legitimation of Bt cotton is embedded within a high-risk, highly differentiated form of development of which it has become symbolic.

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This article explores the debate concerning Bt cotton using Beck’s (1992; 2009) concept of ‘risk ... more This article explores the debate concerning Bt cotton using Beck’s (1992; 2009) concept of ‘risk society’. The potential of Bt cotton to mitigate the risk of poverty for resource-poor farmers is particularly pertinent in Andhra Pradesh given the incidences of farmer suicides with which the state is associated. The current study entails an in-depth analysis of the impact of Bt cotton on risk alleviation for various categories of land-holder, when compared with organic and Non-Pesticide Management (NPM) cultivation. It is based upon nine months of ethnographic fieldwork conducted in three villages in Warangal during 2010/2011. In this far from atypically catastrophic season, more than half of Bt cotton cultivators made a loss. Despite similar average yields for organic and Bt cotton farmers, however (an NPM cultivator achieved the highest yield), all organic and NPM cultivators managed to at least break even, due to their lower costs. Accumulated exposure to debt was also higher among Bt cotton farmers. The findings of this small-scale study suggest, therefore, that while Bt cotton does hold some potential for scale-neutrality in terms of risk alleviation, the risks of indebtedness and, hence, suicide are also exacerbated given the significant costs associated with Bt cotton cultivation in an already high-risk context.

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Book Chapter: Social Theory and Asian Dialogues, ed. Ananta Kumar Giri, Delhi: Palgrave Macmillan

This chapter explores the centrality of the concept of legitimation in critical theory. This is ... more This chapter explores the centrality of the concept of legitimation in critical theory. This is examined in relation to the idea of ‘risk society’ developed by Ulrich Beck (1992; 1999; 2009). The chapter argues that the process of legitimation involved in risk society engages humanity in local, national and global struggles. These are aimed at securing a fair allocation of resources and inclusion in the political process as a concern with justice, and the way in which power is exercised in the negotiation of risk. The contestation involved in the process of legitimation is waged through discourse. This increasingly requires humanity to develop ‘communicative competence’ (Habermas, 1984: x) as the means not only to asserting judgments, but also to negotiating the normative issue of the boundaries between self, state and global society which legitimation entails.

The emergence of global civil society has both resulted from, and contributed to, the increased problematisation of the boundary of the state in risk society. Within the ‘cosmopolitanisation’ (Beck, 2009: 189) associated with a world at risk, an ever-expansive, transcendental concern for justice must struggle with immanent fear and uncertainty related to preservation. The chapter explores the way in which humanity’s attempts to negotiate boundaries in risk society will be contingent upon the way in which such immanent-transcendental dimensions of human existence are discursively reconciled as a concern of legitimation in a world at risk.

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Journal of Risk Research, Sep 26, 2014

This article explores Ulrich Beck’s theorisation of risk society through focusing on the way in w... more This article explores Ulrich Beck’s theorisation of risk society through focusing on the way in which the risk of Bt cotton is legitimated by six cultivators in Bantala, a village in Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, in India. The fieldwork for this
study was conducted between June 2010 and March 2011, a duration chosen to coincide with a cotton season. The study explores the experience of the cultivators using the ‘categories of legitimation’ defined by Van Leeuwen. These are
authorisation, moral evaluation, rationalisation and mythopoesis. As well as permitting an exploration of the legitimation of Bt cotton by cultivators themselves
within the high-risk context of the Indian agrarian crisis, the categories also serve as an analytical framework with which to structure a discourse analysis of participant perspectives. The study examines the complex trade-off, which Renn argues the legitimation of ambiguous risk, such as that associated with Bt
technology, entails. The research explores the way in which legitimation of the technology is informed by wider normative conceptualisations of development. This highlights that, in a context where indebtedness is strongly linked to farmer
suicides, the potential of Bt cotton for poverty alleviation is traded against the uncertainty associated with the technology’s risks, which include its purported links to animal deaths. The study highlights the way in which the wider legitimation
of a neoliberal approach to development in Andhra Pradesh serves to reinforce the choice of Bt cotton, and results in a depoliticisation of risk in Bantala. The research indicates, however, that this trade-off is subject to change over
time, as economic benefits wane and risks accumulate. It also highlights the need for caution in relation to the proposed extension of Bt technology to food crops,
such as Bt brinjal (aubergine).

Keywords: risk; legitimation; discourse analysis; Bt cotton; India; development;
democracy

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This paper argues that the neoliberal development model being diffused through global institution... more This paper argues that the neoliberal development model being diffused through global institutions is subject to legitimation struggles in local contexts. This is examined through an analysis of the conflict associated with Bt cotton, a genetically modified (GM) crop, in the high-risk context of Andhra Pradesh, an Indian state associated with farmer suicides. The study is based upon nine months of fieldwork in the state. It features excerpts from interviews with cultivators in three villages with different perspectives on both Bt cotton and neoliberal development, and illustrates how the resulting legitimation struggle is mediated through powerful cultivators and NGOs.

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This paper explores the process of legitimation involved in the struggle for secession in Telanga... more This paper explores the process of legitimation involved in the struggle for secession in Telangana, India. It argues that this was focussed on the securing of justice in a) gaining access to resources (the legitimation of risk) and b) the exercise of political power (the legitimation of democracy). The plight of Telangana demonstrates the historical and contextual nature of legitimacy. The paper asserts that the ongoing struggle to legitimate risk and democracy will be constitutive of the norms and values of the new state, influencing the way in which exposure to risk is differentiated, and democratic legitimacy defined. It suggests that, although contextualized, local struggles to legitimate risk and democracy represent a microcosm of a wider global legitimation process which is constitutive of world society and the search for justice in a world at risk.

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Journal of Risk Research

This article explores the struggle for legitimation associated with the attempt to define the ris... more This article explores the struggle for legitimation associated with the attempt to define the risk of Bt cotton, a genetically modified crop, in Andhra Pradesh, India. Beck (1992: 185) asserts that, given the uncertainty associated with risk society, efforts to define risk are creating the need for a ‘new political culture’. This article argues that this political culture emerges from attempts to legitimate power within risk definition. This is examined using critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 1989; 1992; 1995) on interview excerpts with key figures in the Bt cotton debate. Legitimation is explored using the ‘categories of legitimation’ developed by Van Leeuwen (2007; 2008). These are a) authorization; b) moral evaluation; c) rationalization; and d) mythopoesis. The analysis highlights that the political culture which emerges in response to risk society is in a state of constant flux, and contingent upon the ongoing struggle for legitimation with regard to the definition of risk.

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This thesis explores the inter-related attempts to secure the legitimation of risk and democracy ... more This thesis explores the inter-related attempts to secure the legitimation of risk and democracy with regard to Bt cotton, a genetically modified crop, in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The research included nine months of ethnographic fieldwork, extensive library and newspaper research, as well as university attendance in India, undertaken between June, 2010 and March, 2011. This comparative study (involving organic, NPM and Bt cotton cultivation) was conducted in three villages in Telangana, a region which was granted secession from Andhra Pradesh in July, 2013, and in Hyderabad, the state capital. Andhra Pradesh is renowned for its agrarian crisis and farmer suicides, as well as for the conflict which Bt cotton represents. This study adopts the categories of legitimation developed by Van Leeuwen (2007; 2008) in order to explore the theory of risk society (Beck, 1992; 1994; 1999; 2009), and the Habermasian (1996: 356-366) core-periphery model as means of theoretically analysing democratic legitimacy.

The legitimation of risk and democracy in relation to Bt cotton refers to normative views on the way in which power should be exercised with regard to risk differentiation, construction and definition. The analysis finds that the more legitimate the exercise of power, the lower the exposure to risk as a concern for the collective. This also has consequences for the way in which resources are distributed, knowledge constructed, and democratic praxis institutionalised as a concern for social and epistemic justice. The thesis argues that the struggle to legitimate risk and democracy has implications not only for the constitution of the new state of Telangana and the region’s development, but also for the emergence of global society and the future development of humanity as a whole.

The full thesis is available at the following link:
http://cora.ucc.ie/handle/10468/1688/

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Housing and Sustaining Communities on the West Cork Islands, 2022

Government policy recognises the Irish islands as integral to Ireland’s cultural heritage, identi... more Government policy recognises the Irish islands as integral to Ireland’s cultural heritage, identity and economy. Within the context of a national housing crisis which is recognised as having reached the status of a national emergency, this report examines the impact of the availability, affordability and quality of housing on the sustainability of life on the seven inhabited West Cork islands. The research was undertaken using an
innovative research process which foregrounds the voices of island residents through a participatory mixed methods approach, involving a survey that was co-constructed with island residents and in-depth
focus groups.
The lack of affordable, good quality, housing – both to buy and to rent year-round – is impacting on the ability of islands to attract newcomers and retain existing inhabitants and the next generation of islanders. This is a significant issue which threatens the future of the islands as locations for full-time habitation. The research recommends that government attention be directed to the provision of social and affordable homes and
sheltered housing on the islands, addressing the precarity of renters on the islands, tackling derelict houses through increasing grant thresholds and appointing a Vacant Homes Officer specifically to the islands, and
increasing grants for retrofitting on the islands to enhance the quality and energy efficiency of islanders’ homes. The findings indicate the immediate need for a full-scale housing audit on each of the islands, as well
as target population figures, to ensure that the housing needs on each island, and the solutions for satisfying these, can be assessed.
Island residents also call on the government for innovative approaches to attracting new inhabitants, including an island resettlement fund and a gateway housing scheme which incorporates full-time housing
options for those wishing to settle on the islands. Along with housing, improved access to broadband and a subsidised ferry service timed to facilitate employment and schooling on the mainland, also emerged
as key factors in supporting a diverse and vibrant population on the islands. The importance of continued consultation is also recommended, especially in relation to the crucial issue of planning on the islands.
This engaged research project highlights the centrality of housing to the sustainability of life on the islands, and the added threat which the national housing crisis poses for small island communities. On the West
Cork islands, this housing crisis is occurring in small communities in contexts already beset by concerns of permanent depopulation. Unlike the mainland, if the housing situation on the islands is not resolved, there is
the risk over time of the loss of entire island communities and, with them, the vital contribution of the islands to Ireland’s heritage, culture and economy. Strongly focussed policy in the key areas identified in this report, which is implemented in close collaboration with island residents, is now urgently required if the ongoing sustainability of full-time populations on the West Cork islands is to be secured.

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Agency and Ageing in Place in Rural Ireland, 2022

Report summary This report explores the experiences and preferences of older adults on ageing ... more Report summary
This report explores the experiences and
preferences of older adults on ageing in place
in rural Ireland. This exploration is undertaken
through a participatory mixed-methods approach
that seeks to foreground the voices of older
adults themselves. The research study involved
two phases. Phase one entailed a nationwide
online and postal survey co-constructed
with Age Action’s Glór advocacy group and
University of the Third Age (U3A) membership
and distributed to Age Action members living
in rural areas across Ireland. 218 people aged
55 and older who live in rural areas took part in
the survey and every county was represented,
with 45% of respondents from Munster, 36%
from Leinster, 12% from Connaught, and 7% from
Ulster. Phase two involved a series of four focus
groups in which 19 people took part. The focus
groups explored the survey themes
in more depth.
The research highlights the diversity of
experience of home and community among the
older adults in rural Ireland who took part. Most
participants expressed a strong desire to remain
in their homes and communities as they age. The
sense of attachment to home and place had, for
many, strengthened since the pandemic. Some
participants, however, highlighted the tenuous
nature of their living arrangements and their
sense of alienation from place.
This was particularly the case for the
participants who were renting, who had
recently moved locations to be closer to
children, or who found the limited facilities and
social opportunities in their rural environments
restrictive.
Whether they were settled in their homes and
communities or not, all participants highlighted
the uncertainty of their positions and their
fears for being able to have their preference
for remaining in place realised as they aged.
This was related to unpredictable factors such
as their future health needs and availability of
home care, their ongoing ability to drive, or their
capacity to afford to live independently given the
ambiguity surrounding future pension provision
and the escalating costs associated with utilities,
healthcare, home maintenance and expenses
related to rural living, such as security, water,
and sewerage costs.
The general decline of towns and villages was
highlighted by participants, as was the poor
coverage of public transport in rural areas.
These aspects not only heightened the sense
of isolation of participants in terms of access to
services and social activities; they also served
to heighten their sense of marginalisation
and perceived loss of agency in terms of
policy formation and political representation.
Participants also noted the limited options
available to them should they consider moving
from their rural locations, something that would
be particularly challenging for most given
their emotional connection to their homes and
communities. The lack of affordable and suitable
housing for older adults was a particular concern.
Most participants were strongly opposed to
nursing homes, a view which the experience
of the pandemic had often reinforced. While a
small number saw their benefit in cases of critical
care, most were dissatisfied with the current
‘Fair Deal’ Scheme for funding nursing home
care. They argued that, instead of focussing
resources on a nursing home option not favoured
by older adults, the government should develop
an alternative statutory home care scheme that
would support older adults to remain in their
homes as they age.
The supports which were noted as important in
relation to allowing adults to age in their homes
included a more accessible and fit-for-purpose
grant system to fund modifications to the home
– the most popular of these being an emergency
response system, bathroom modifications, and
improved heating. The need for a properly paid
and resourced home help service, as well as
a home and garden maintenance service, was
emphasised. This was especially the case given
the changing reality of ageing in Irish society and
the fact that many older adults cannot rely on the
availability or ability of family members to care
for them in their homes.
Access to broadband in rural areas was also
noted as crucial, not only given the fact that
more aspects of daily services are being
conducted online but also given the importance
of a reliable broadband connection in facilitating
isolated rural older adults to connect to others.
Participants highlighted their enjoyment of
meeting each other and realising their difficulties
were shared despite their diverse locations as
benefits of the research process in the current
study. They argued for the need for training in
technology which could be a significant enabler
to their remaining in place, as opposed to
presenting a barrier to their doing so. They also
argued that there was a need to tackle the covert
ageism which was seen as endemic in institutions
and everyday interactions, and which served to
marginalise older adults further.
Participants noted their preferences were they
to need additional supports which could not be
provided in their homes in the future. In this case,
their favoured options would be co-operative or
sheltered housing and retirement villages. These
options were available for very few participants
locally, however, meaning that they would be
required to move from their communities, as well
as their homes.

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The issue of academic precarity and the casualisation of academic labour is the single greatest t... more The issue of academic precarity and the casualisation of academic labour is the single greatest threat to the future of third level education. This letter to the Irish Times follows the paper's article on the decline of Irish universities in global rankings.

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Administration, 2024

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This paper explores the process of legitimation involved in the struggle for secession in Telanga... more This paper explores the process of legitimation involved in the struggle for secession in Telangana. This is undertaken through examining the perspectives of participants in the build-up to secession in three Telangana villages. The paper argues that demands for secession focussed crucially on a) gaining access to resources as a means of alleviating risk exposure (the legitimation of risk); and b) the exercise of political power in the attempt to secure resources as the means to alleviating risk (the legitimation of democracy).

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Gandhi Marg Journal, Jun 30, 2013

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Book Chapter: Social Theory and Asian Dialogues, ed. Ananta Kumar Giri, Delhi: Palgrave Macmillan

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Journal of Risk Research, Sep 26, 2014

Keywords: risk; legitimation; discourse analysis; Bt cotton; India; development;
democracy

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This paper explores the process of legitimation involved in the struggle for secession in Telanga... more This paper explores the process of legitimation involved in the struggle for secession in Telangana, India. It argues that this was focussed on the securing of justice in a) gaining access to resources (the legitimation of risk) and b) the exercise of political power (the legitimation of democracy). The plight of Telangana demonstrates the historical and contextual nature of legitimacy. The paper asserts that the ongoing struggle to legitimate risk and democracy will be constitutive of the norms and values of the new state, influencing the way in which exposure to risk is differentiated, and democratic legitimacy defined. It suggests that, although contextualized, local struggles to legitimate risk and democracy represent a microcosm of a wider global legitimation process which is constitutive of world society and the search for justice in a world at risk.

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Journal of Risk Research

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The full thesis is available at the following link:
http://cora.ucc.ie/handle/10468/1688/

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Housing and Sustaining Communities on the West Cork Islands, 2022

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Agency and Ageing in Place in Rural Ireland, 2022

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At Your Age?!, 2023

At Your Age?! is a full-length, three-act play which explores ageing and ageism. The script was p... more At Your Age?! is a full-length, three-act play which explores ageing and ageism. The script was produced as part of a UCC project entitled AgeACTED (Ageism Challenged Through Ethnodrama), in collaboration with Cork Cultural Companions. It is devised from the verbatim words of discussions with six women in two focus groups and two drama workshops. Five of these women form the cast for today’s reading. The three main characters are vibrant, humorous, and non-conforming in their own inimitable ways. They must also, however, negotiate feared future imaginaries around the changing physicality of ageing, concerns around death (both their own and that of loved ones) and a dreaded loss of agency associated with illness and ‘institutionalised’ care.

Fears are portrayed as imaginaries on the side walls of the stage (with death represented by Mother Time on one side, and the staging of an institutionalised care setting on the other). Like the neural connections of a brain, these walls remain in darkness until the fears are touched on in conversation and/or the women come too close to them. Then, the walls light up and the women must pull each other back to the ‘reality’ centre stage to avoid giving in to their fears or being defined by them. This ability to stay ‘centred’ is vital to retaining the emotional balance, strength and positivity needed for resilience in a social context which often serves to reinforce fears socially linked to (though in reality not confined to) ageing, such as illness or dying. The reinforcement of the feared future imaginaries associated with ageing is strengthened not just by the invisibility of older adults themselves, but by the invisibility of their concerns through the conversations which cannot be had.

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This report was commissioned by Respond! and undertaken in conjunction with Shared Insight Resear... more This report was commissioned by Respond! and undertaken in conjunction with Shared Insight Research Consultancy. It explores the adult and community education provision in the Northside of Dublin City, and involved interviews with a number of service providers. It was co-authored with Dr. Siobhan O'Sullivan, Nicholas McMurray, with oversight by Dr. Cathal O'Connell at UCC.

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This book provides a sociological analysis of the controversy surrounding GM crops in Telangana, ... more This book provides a sociological analysis of the controversy surrounding GM crops in Telangana, India. It argues that its focus on legitimation has relevance to the negotiation of other global risks, such as climate change, resource scarcity, financial collapse, etc.

Reviewers have described the book as 'potentially seminal' and 'insightful', and featuring 'remarkable scholarship' .The work will be significant for those with an interest in GM crops, power and knowledge and their relation to understandings of development, democracy and risk management worldwide.

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Nothing Is As It Was, 2018

A short story for an edited collection of stories about climate change. All proceeds go to clima... more A short story for an edited collection of stories about climate change. All proceeds go to climate change research.

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Transformative Harmony, 2019

Harmony is a foundation and horizon of our life. But many a time it is locked up in structures of... more Harmony is a foundation and horizon of our life. But many a time it is locked up in structures of domination and closure. Transformative Harmony interrogates and transforms this condition and makes harmony a part of our multi-dimensional movements of critique, creativity and transformations. It is a practice and movement for the realisation of beauty, dignity and dialogues in self, culture, society and cosmos. Though harmony is part of our life, modern social science discourses have not engaged themselves with it. Transformative Harmony, probably for the first time, offers a multi-dimensional and transdisciplinary engagement with the vision, project and challenges of harmony in self, society, culture and the world. With more than fifty contributors coming from different knowledge, cultural and national backgrounds, Transformative Harmony is a major contribution to our contemporary world of knowledge and has the potential to create new movements of thought and practice about harmony, self and society. Transformative Harmony would be of interest to scholars in philosophy and social sciences especially in such fields as sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, development studies and religious studies and activists as well as striving souls from around the world.

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Social Theory and Asian Dialogues: Cultivating Planetary Conversations, 2018

Book Chapter. Critically exploring the presuppositions of contemporary social theory, this colle... more Book Chapter. Critically exploring the presuppositions of contemporary social theory, this collection argues for a trans-civilizational dialogue and a deepening of the universe of intellectual discourse in order to transform sociology into a truly planetary conversation on the human condition. Focusing on perspectives from Asia, notably East Asia and India, it interrogates presuppositions in contemporary critical social theory about man, culture and society, and considers central themes such as knowledge and power, knowledge and liberation. The diverse contributions tackle key questions such the globalization of social theory, identity and society in east asia, as well as issues such as biopolitics, social welfare and eurocentrism. They also examine dialogues along multiple trajectories between social theorists from the Euro-American world and from the Asian universe, such as between Kant and Gandhi, Habermas and Sri Aurobindo, the Bildung tradition in Europe and the Confucian traditions. Arguing for a global comparative engagement and cross-cultural dialogue, this is a key read for all those interested in the future of social theory in the wake of globalization and the rise of the global south.

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