News and Events 2010
The Hon. Mrs. Justice Catherine McGuinness launches new research by DIT Social Sciences and Law graduates
30th April 2010
A new publication entitled 'New Irish Research in Criminology, Law & Child, Family and Community Studies' was officially launched by the Hon. Mrs. Justice Catherine McGuinness at a special event in DIT Aungier Street on Tuesday, 27th April. The publication highlights and celebrates the research work of graduates from three taught MA programmes in DIT’s School of Social Sciences and Law: the MA in Criminology, the MA in Law and the MA in Child, Family and Community Studies.
Speaking at the event Dr Kevin Lalor, Head of School of Social Sciences and Law said: “Each of the graduate theses featured in this publication has been judged to be at the highest academic standard. We hope that by highlighting the work in this way we will bring it to the attention of researchers, policy makers and decision makers across the broad domains of criminology, law and child, family and community studies. In addition, we are now in a position to have on-line access to the full thesis text, which will be of considerable value to other researchers and to our current cohort of students, and prospective students, on these three MA programmes.
Pictured at the launch of 'New Irish Research in Criminology, Law & Child,
Family and Community Studies' on 27th April are (l to r):
Ms. Claire Hamilton, Programme Chair of the MA in Criminology,
Ms. Brid Grant, Director of College of Arts and Tourism,
Dr. Kevin Lalor, Head of School of Social Sciences and Law,
The Hon. Mrs. Justice Catherine McGuinness, Dr. Brian McCarthy,
Programme Chair of the MA in Child, Family and Community Studies.
DIT Law Students participate in Community-Based Learning Project
Students on the LLB at the School of Social Sciences and Law were rewarded at an awards ceremony run by Students Learning with Communities at DIT for their participation in a community-based learning project.
The students are involved in conducting legal research for the Irish Penal Reform Trust.
Happiness Mwase, pictured below with Dr. Mary Rogan and Professor Brian Norton, President of Dublin Insitute of Technology, received the award on behalf of the students involved.
Community-based learning provides an exciting opportunity for students to apply their skills to real-life problems and to provide useful support to a community group in the process. For more information contact Dr Mary Rogan.
Professor Max Bergman speaks on mixed methods research at the School of Social Sciences and Law
A seminar on mixed methods research
took place on April 14 at DIT Mountjoy Square with Prof Max Bergman, Chair in Methodology and Political Sociology at the
University of Basel, Switzerland. The title of the seminar was Mixed Methods Research: Methodological Muddle, Alternative Research
Design, or the Beginning of a New Research Era?’ and it was followed with an interactive workshop on mixed methods research.
Prof Bergman is co-editor of the Journal of Mixed Methods
Research (Sage Pub.) and editor of the book Advances in Mixed Methods Research: Theories and Applications (Sage Pub.). He has held
previous teaching and research posts at the Universities of Cambridge, Essex,
Florence (European University Institute), Geneva, Lausanne, St. Gall, and
Zurich. His current research interests include the study of social inequality,
including issues relating to social exclusion and social capital, qualitative
and quantitative research methodology, focusing in particular on
conceptualization, measurement, and data theory. For more information about the seminar by Prof Max Bergman, click on the link.
Brian Moss, Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission to speak at Dublin Institute of Technology
The next speaker in the School's Socio-Legal Speaker Series will be Brian Moss of GSOC. Brian's talk will take place on April 14 2010 at 6pm in Room 3067, DIT Aungier Street. For more information read here.
David Coleman Guest Lecture
Broadcaster Dr. David Coleman delivered a lecture, hosted by the School of Social Sciences and Law, on 11th February at 11am in Mountjoy Square. The lecture addressed “How to deal with the Behaviour of Young Children”, incorporating behaviour management theories, and looking at key reasons why young children misbehave.
Dr. Carol Coulter, Legal Affairs Editor of The Irish Times to speak at the School of Social Sciences and Law
As part of the School of Social Sciences and Law's Socio-Legal Speaker Series, Dr Carol Coulter discussed her ground-breaking research into the workings of the Circuit Family Court at DIT, Aungier Street on Thursday, December 10th. Dr. Coulter's work casts light on the heretofore private workings of the Circuit Family Court, and in particular highlights the experience of litigants seeking ancillary remedies on divorce and judicial separations.
Council of Europe Expert group
Dr. Rosaleen McElvaney was invited to a Council of Europe expert consultation in Strasbourg on Thursday 10th and Friday 11th December, as part of the Council's work towards launching a campaign to end sexual exploitation of children. Dr. McElvaney gave a introductory address to the meeting to set the scene for the deliberations. Her address was based on a literature review conducted by Dr. Kevin Lalor and herself on the prevention of child sexual abuse and the links between child sexual abuse and later revictimisation, for the 3rd World Congress on Sexual Exploitation which took place in Brazil in 2008.
One of the objectives of the Stockholm Strategy 2009 - 2011 for the programme "Building a Europe for and with children" is the eradication of all forms of violence against children. The Strategy highlights the need to promote the ratification and implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on the protection of children from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse through inter alia the launching of a pan-European campaign focusing specifically on ending sexual violence of children.
Against this background, the consultation with experts took place in Strasbourg on the 10-11 December 2009.
The objectives of this meeting were:
- To introduce and elaborate on the basic elements of the Campaign;
- To exchange information on good practices in the area of sexual abuse prevention and to identify the activities which the Council of Europe is best placed to undertake in this area;
- To identify possible partners for the creation of materials required for the Campaign;
- To discuss the different roles of stakeholders in making this campaign a success throughout Europe
Link to the Council of Europe website: www.coe.int/children
Liam Herrick, Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust speaks at the School of Social Sciences and Law
As part of the School of Social Sciences and Law's Socio-Legal Speaker Series, Liam Herrick, Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust provided an interesting discussion on current challenges facing the Irish prison system.
Liam's talk examined unprecedented growth in the prison population,
high levels of overcrowding and violence. Liam also outlined the work
done by the IPRT and how students and staff can become involved.
For further information on the series please contact Dr Mary Rogan, Department of Law: 01 402 3217/mary.rogan@dit.ie
Dr. Vicky Conway to speak at the Socio-Legal Speaker Series. Read more.
