Social Science & Social Studies

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    A visual exploration of allotments as spaces of Spectacle : a comparative analysis of allotment gardens within the greater Dublin area and the city of Aarhus in Denmark
    (Dublin Business School, 2013) Jorgensen, Annette; Benson, Mary C.
    The contemporary cityscape is witnessing a revival of allotment gardens alongside a range of different types of urban agriculture initiatives. Contemporary allotments provide space for a variety of populations and experiences. In some sites and plots there is a shift in understanding of these spaces as not only representing spaces of growth to also encompassing representations of lived places. Contemporary allotments are both public and private spaces and may represent a new understanding of urban public space. These spaces are often visible but they are also visualised by plot holders in numerous different ways. As the boundaries between gardens and plots are both fluid and permeable the gaze is both inwards and outward simultaneously. This is resulting in the personalisation of plots and a creative visualising of these spaces for growth. This personalisation is a means of translating space into place as it becomes lived through these understandings. The visibility of these spaces means that food production is also visible and how this production is organised has taken on a particular aesthetic quality. This paper is a visual exploration and comparative study of contemporary allotment gardens in both The Greater Dublin Area, Ireland and the City of Aarhus in Denmark. Through this visual odyssey we examine how allotment gardens are understood and visualised resulting in the translation of these spaces into lived places. We also examine how the visibility of plots has led to a particular aesthetics of growth and how this production of food within certain spaces has become a ‘spectacle’.
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    Negotiating identities in the networks of the Irish organic food movement
    (Dublin Business School, 2006) Jorgensen, Annette
    The aim of the annual AF&PP Conference (Alternative Futures and Popular Protest Conference) is to explore the dynamics of popular movements, along with the ideas which animate their activists and supporters and which contribute to shaping their fate. Reflecting the inherent cross-disciplinary nature of the issues, previous participants (from over 60 countries) have come from such specialisms as sociology, politics, cultural studies, social psychology, economics, history and geography. The Manchester conferences have also been notable for discovering a fruitful and friendly meeting ground between activism and academia. Abstract: Sociologists see social movements as consisting of networks of individuals, groups and organisations that are linked in many different ways. Networks in social movements are believed to have various functions. For example, they facilitate the circulation of resources, such as information and world views. Networks are also vital in mobilisation, as individuals’ contacts and links play an important part in the decision to get involved. They are the place where shared beliefs and practices are shaped and negotiated, so that common meanings can be assigned to events. However, evidence from a study of the organic food movement problematises the relationship between networks and collective identity. Organic farming can potentially empower farmers who are otherwise dependent on scientific experts and agrifood corporations in the conventional system of industrialised food production. To do so, the movement must mobilise conventional farmers into its networks. As individuals, these agents are already embedded in other networks and relationships. They bring with them interests, ideologies and identities that do not necessarily fit in the organic ‘frame’. Like many other contemporary social movements, therefore, the organic movement is made up of fluid, flexible networks, where members take on multiple allegiances, belonging also to other groups and associations. Such overlapping memberships can help the circulation between movements - and between movements and the wider community – of tactics, skills and other resources. However, they can also lead to conflicts of interests or power struggles and they necessitate the constant (re)negotiation of individual and collective identities. This paper will examine these processes within the Irish organic food movement.
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    Masculinities, care and social justice : critical studies of men and masculinities and professional care work
    (Dublin Business School, 2015) Hanlon, Niall
    Social Care and Social Policy in Ireland: Seeking Social Justice in the Era of Austerity & Beyond | DIT Grangegorman Campus, February 13th 2015 Presentation points: CSMM - sub-field of gender, feminist & sexualities studies Social Justice - understanding / explaining men’s relation with gender inequalities How are CSMM relevant to the theory, practice and pedagogy of the caring professions? Objective - 6 insights for caring professions & social justice
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    Challenges and opportunities for affective equality in fathering relations
    (Dublin Business School, 2015) Hanlon, Niall
    The International Conference on Masculinities Engaging Men and Boys for Gender Equality | 5-8 March 2015, Roosevelt Hotel New York. Presentation points: 1.Gender inequalities are multiple and intersectional 2.Affective Relations are constructed through practices of love, care & solidarity 3.Practices of love and care are gendered 4.Fathering engages diverse positions, politics & practices 5.Hegemonic masculinities are carefree 6.Counter-hegemonic nurturing masculinities can be advanced in four ways
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    (Re)visioning the urban imagination : the art and policies of redevelopment
    (Dublin Business School, 2014) Lyes, Madeleine
    The Richmond conference examined representations of urban redevelopment within the transforming city. Based in London, the papers given at the conference addressed cities worldwide, from Dublin to Doha and Berlin to Belgrade, investigating the different ways the changing characters of these urban environments have reconstituted the lives lived within them. Author keywords: Conference report, urban studies, Dublin