College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences - Doctoral Theses

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13.12.18
(University College Cork, 2019) D'Arcy, Kathy; Davis, Alex; O'Donoghue, Bernard; Irish Research Council
This piece takes the form of a long experimental poem in three parts followed by a ‘guidebook’ which is referenced throughout so that it can be read alongside. The poem is a heteroglossic exploration, using fictional voices and fragmented texts, of the blurred visibility (the ‘weighted silence’ as I have called it) of women in Irish history and literature, and an attempt to creatively problematise that omission. The first section begins in the mythological beginnings of Ireland, the second takes place in the first years of the hypermasculine ‘Irish State’, and the third occurs in the present. The various voices clash and coincide, speak over and beyond each other, and rise together in a palimpsest of re-articulation.
A method to the madness? Representations of female psychological disorder in Irish women’s fiction 1878-1914
(University College Cork, 2022-10) Regan, Éadaoin; O Gallchoir, Cliona; Laird, Heather; University College Cork
This thesis investigates representations of female psychological disorders in selected Irish women’s fiction published between 1878 and 1914, focusing on how these stories challenge contemporary perceptions of the cause and cure of mental illness. The authors included in this project are as follows: George Egerton, Edith Somerville and Martin Ross, Richard Dehan, Sarah Grand, Bithia Mary (B.M.) Croker, and Charlotte Riddell. I propose that these stories point to contemporary women’s awareness of their mental illnesses or what society perceived these to be. This includes a discussion of Freudian analysis’ wide-ranging list of hysterical symptoms: general illness, fantasies, or dreams. It also explores various instances of self-harm such as anorexia, alcoholism, and suicide. With reference to contemporary psychoanalytic theories on hysteria, I offer a correction to cultural perceptions of women’s mental health issues during the fin de siécle. For some of the texts explored, these Irish women writers were anticipating psychoanalytic interpretations of wider women’s experiences or at the very least responding to the culture which formed psychoanalysis. Furthermore, I argue that in contrast to prevailing perceptions of the time, the texts suggest that neuroses are not solely caused by repressed sexuality. This thesis contributes to a re-evaluation of fin de siècle Irish women’s writing, thus building upon the research carried out in this area over the past three decades. It does so by employing critical readings of nineteenth-century Irish women’s writing but through an alternative methodology, one that engages with long-neglected Spielreinian, Horneyan, or Jungian theories. This thesis therefore explores fictional representations of fin de siècle women’s mental illness using psychoanalysis as a comparative study of the impact domestic, social, and cultural had on neurotic behaviour. This thesis also engages with the implications of the geographical proximity of Ireland to the centre of the British Empire, which necessitated the former’s adherence to the latter’s laws and social expectations. For Irish women, like their English counterparts, there was an emphasis on women’s integral roles within the Empire as daughters, wives, and mothers. While the New Woman movement stretched beyond Ireland and Britain, differences in legal and cultural ramifications means that the experiences represented in these fictional texts incorporate complex contemporary tensions which result in psychological disorder. Though thesis focuses on women’s experiences during the period, where relevant, it also examines the role of Irish culture and its impact on the selected fictional instances of madness. The British Empire’s colonisation efforts in Ireland had significant impact on the island and are inextricable from discussions of its sexuality, maternity, culture, individuality, and women’s mental illness. Similarly, psychoanalysis was not created in a vacuum. If Freud’s case studies can be deemed an archive of their time, then the selected Irish women’s writing can be seen as somewhat of a counter-archive. As argued throughout this thesis, the selected fiction deconstructs contemporary perceptions of a universal Irish women’s experience during this period. It therefore suggests Irish women had a far more intricate understanding of their mental illness, and society’s impact on it, than their contemporaries acknowledged.
An adaptive model for digital game based learning
(University College Cork, 2019) Cunningham, Larkin; Murphy, Orla; Cosgrave, Michael
Digital Game-based Learning (DGBL) has the potential to be a more effective means of instruction than traditional methods. However meta-analyses of studies on the effectiveness of DGBL have yielded mixed results. One of the challenges faced in the design and development of effective and motivating DGBL is the integration of learning and gameplay. A game that is effective at learning transfer, yet is no fun to play, is not going to engage learners for very long. This served as the motivation to devise a systematic approach to the design, development and evaluation of effective and engaging DGBL. A comprehensive literature review examined: how games can be made engaging and how the mechanics of learning can be mapped to the mechanics of gameplay; how learning can be designed to be universal to all; how learning analytics can empower learners and educators; and how an agile approach to the development of instructional materials leads to continuous improvement. These and other considerations led to the development of the Adaptive Model for Digital Game Based Learning (AMDGBL). To test how successful the model would be in developing effective, motivating and universal DGBL, a Virtual Reality (VR) game that teaches graph theory was designed, built and evaluated using the AMDGBL. An accompanying platform featuring an Application Programming Interface (API) for storing learner interaction data and a web-based learning analytics dashboard (LAD) were developed. A mixed methods approach was taken for a study of learners (N=20) who playtested the game and viewed visualizations in the dashboard. Observational and think aloud notes were recorded as they played and gameplay data was stored via the API. The participants also filled out a questionnaire. The notes taken were thematically analysed, and the gameplay data and questionnaire responses were statistically analysed. Triangulation of data improved confidence in findings and yielded new insights. The learner study became a case study for a second, qualitative study of DGBL practitioners (N=12). The VR game was demonstrated and a series of visualizations presented to the participants. They then completed a questionnaire featuring open questions about: the need for the model; the benefits of VR; and the embedding of learning analytics, universal design for learning, iteration with formative evaluation, and triangulation at the heart of the model. The responses were thematically analysed. The results of both studies supported the following assertions: that the AMDGBL would allow for iterative improvement of a DGBL prototype; that employing the AMDGBL would lead to an effective DGBL solution; that the inclusion of UDL would lead to a more universally-designed game; that the LAD would help learners with executive functions; and that VR would foster learner autonomy.
Aesthetic campaigns and counter-campaigns. Jorge Luis Borges and a century of the Argentine detective story (1877-1977)
(University College Cork, 2013) Barrett, Eoin George; Finnegan, Nuala
This cultural history of Argentine crime fiction involves a comprehensive analysis of the literary and critical traditions within the genre, paying particular attention to the series of ‘aesthetic campaigns’ waged by Jorge Luis Borges and others during the period between 1933 and 1977. The methodological approach described in the introductory chapter builds upon the critical insight that in Argentina, generic discourse has consistently been the domain, not only of literary critics in the traditional mould, but also of prominent writers of fiction and specialists from other disciplines, effectively transcending the traditional tripartite ‘division of labour’ between writers, critics and readers. Chapter One charts the early development of crime fiction, and contextualises the evolution of the classical and hardboiled variants that were to provide a durable conceptual framework for discourse in the Argentine context. Chapter Two examines a number of pioneering early works by Argentine authors, before analysing Borges’ multi-faceted aesthetic campaign on behalf of the ‘classical’ detective story. Chapter Three examines a transitional period for the Argentine crime genre, book-ended by the three Vea y Lea magazine-sponsored detective story competitions that acted as a vital stimulus to innovation among Argentine writers. It includes a substantial treatment of the work of Rodolfo Walsh, documenting his transition from crime writer and anthologist to pioneer of the non-fiction novel and investigative journalism traditions. Chapter Four examines the period in which the novela negra came to achieve dominance in Argentina, in particular the aesthetic counter-campaigns conducted by Ricardo Piglia and others on behalf of the hard-boiled variant. The study concludes with a detailed analysis of Pablo Leonardo’s La mala guita (1976), which is considered as a paradigmatic example of crime fiction in Argentina in this period. The final chapter presents conclusions and a summary of the dissertation, and recommendations for further research.
Afterwords: reparative queer death and the contemporary Irish novel, 1960-2000
(University College Cork, 2014) Goodwin, Adrian A.; Walshe, Eibhear; Irish Research Council
Given that an extant comprehensive study of homosexuality and the twentieth century Irish novel has yet to produced, this thesis is an attempt at rectifying such a gap in research by way of close textual analysis of writing from the latter half of the century—that is, from 1960-2000. Analysis of seven novels by four male authors – John Broderick, Desmond Hogan, Colm Tóibín and Keith Ridgway – lead to one overarching feature common to all four writers becoming clear: the homosexual or queer is always dying or already ‘dead’. ‘Dead’ is placed in inverted commas here as it is not only biological death that characterises the fate of gay men in the aforementioned literature. In the first instance, such men are also always already ‘dead’—that is, by light of their disenfranchisement as homosexual or queer, they are, in socialized terms, examples of the ‘living’ dead. Secondly, biological death neither fully obliterates the queer body nor its disruptive influence. Consequently, one of the overarching ways in which I read queer death in the late twentieth century Irish novel is through the prism of its reparative ‘afterw(a)ord’. On the one hand, such readings are temporally based (that is, reading from a point beyond the death of the protagonist - or their ‘afterward’); while, on the other hand, such readings are stylistically premised (that is, reading or interpreting the narrative itself as an ‘afterword’). The current project thus constitutes an original contribution to knowledge by establishing variant ways of reading the contemporary Irish novel from the point of view of the queer ‘unliving’. In assessing such heterogeneous aspects of contemporary queer death, the project a) contributes to recent, largely Anglo-American-based literary theoretical research on the queer and the eschatological, and b) provides a more contemporized literary base upon which future research can uncover a continuum of Irish queer writing in the twentieth century, one concerned with writing prior to 1960 and not limited to writing my men, in which death and same-sex desire are at parallel angles to one another.
Ageism in healthcare
(University College Cork, 2019) Concannon, Louise; Murphy, Mike; Wall, Judy
Journal Article 1 - Background: Ageism was first introduced in the literature in the 1960s, gaining increasing recognition in the decades since. Ageism can impact a range of domains, including physical, emotional and mental well-being. Ageism in healthcare can influence older adults’ access to screening opportunities, information sharing and treatment availability. With an increasing aging population, requiring access to a wide range of healthcare services, it is crucial to identify and understand healthcare professionals’ attitudes towards older people, to ensure access to fair and impartial healthcare provision. Methods: An electronic search of 3 databases was performed (Medline, CINAHL Plus and PsycINFO) in September 2018 for studies published between 2012-2018. The quality and overall findings of the studies were assessed. Results: Twelve studies were included in the review. Attitudes ranged between neutral and positive, in line with previous reviews of the literature. More positive attitudes were evident in countries consistent with Westernised cultural value systems. No demographic variables were strongly related to attitudes with the exception of level of education which was demonstrated to be strongly associated to attitudes. Studies primarily focused on nursing staff and physicians with lower attitudes demonstrated in long-term care facilities. Conclusions: This review highlights the need for methodologically robust research aimed at capturing a range of health-professional’s attitudes. Efforts to increase education and training may act as a buffer in developing ageist stereotypes. Further research is required to better understand cultural influences with regard to ageism and attitudes.
Aislingí polaitiúla Eoghain Rua Uí Shúilleabháin
(University College Cork, 2012) Ní Íceadha, Máire; O Murchu, Liam; Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Is é rud atá sa tráchtas seo ná eagrán deifnídeach d’aislingí polaitiúla Eoghain Rua Uí Shúilleabháin (1748-1784). Is cuid shuaithinseach de shaothar liteartha Eoghain Rua atá tagtha anuas chugainn iad na haislingí, nach mór trian de ar fad. Ábhar inspéise iad na haislingí polaitiúla a chum sé mar gheall ar an léiriú a thugann sé ar chumas an fhir óig toisc an láimhseáil chruthaitheach a dhein sé ar an saghas áirithe sin filíochta, go háirithe. Soláthraítear anseo eagrán scolártha de cheithre cinn is fiche de na haislingí a chum an file. Catagóir amháin sa tráchtas is ea na dánta polaitiúla gur féidir a rá le cinnteacht go mbaineann siad le hEoghan Rua. Baineann éiginnteacht le catagóir eile de dhánta atá curtha i leith an fhile ach nach féidir a bheith cinnte mar gheall orthu. Braitheadh nach gan fáth a bheadh na dánta seo leagtha ar Eoghan Rua, ámh. Pléitear an timpeallacht chultúrtha, shóisialta agus pholaitiúil san ochtú haois déag ar eascair an saghas seo filíochta aisti. Scrúdaítear go mion traidisiún na lámhscríbhinní ina bhfaightear leaganacha d’aislingí Eoghain Rua sna nótaí téacsacha. Nochtar faoi mar a glacadh leo sa traidisiún sin agus an t-éileamh a bhí ar shaothar an fhile i bhfianaise a bhfuil sna foinsí Gaeilge. Dírítear, go príomha, ar an seachadadh leathan a deineadh ar a chuid aislingí i gCúige Mumhan agus ar dháileadh na n-aislingí polaitiúla a chum sé laistigh den traidisiún sin. Maille leis na dánta féin, cuirtear fearas criticiúil ar fáil anseo don chéad uair. Léirítear an modh eagarthóireachta a leanadh. Cuirtear aistriúcháin Bhéarla d’ aislingí Eoghain Rua ar fáil chun sochair don léitheoir.
Alfred Elmore: life, work and context
(University College Cork, 2017) de Bhailís, Caoimhín; Dooley, Brendan
Alfred Elmore R.A. was a prominent and prolific Anglo-Irish artist during the nineteenth-century. Since his death, in 1881, he has largely disappeared from the study of Art History with the exception of a few of his works that have been examined in terms of gender studies of the period. It has also been asserted that other paintings from his oeuvre exhibit anti-Catholic tendencies. This thesis seeks to reposition the artist and his religious paintings as being, if not overtly pro-Catholic, at least neutral in their intention. As a painter across all genres of the period, Elmore’s narrative paintings suggest a unique approach to ‘narrative’ painting that allows the viewer free-play in the construction of internal, imaginative, narrative creation. Elmore’s narrative paintings will be compared with familiar works by other artists of the period in order to locate these paintings within the genre and highlight his approach to rendering narrative. Described as ‘ahead of his time’ Elmore’s drawings display a modernity that belies his nineteenth-century, British context and allows for a reassessment of the status of British artistic practice during that period. As an exercise in connoisseurship and contextual interpretation, this thesis proposes that Elmore was an artist who either was a unique and exceptional artist in his output and mode of creation or that an examination of other neglected artists of the period that might exhibit similar artistic properties to Elmore will allow a renewed evaluation of British art and artists of the Victorian era.
The Amergin Step: explorations in the imagination of Iveragh
(University College Cork, 2021-04-21) Bushe, Patrick Joseph; Walshe, Eibhear; O'Donoghue, Bernard
This work is a creative act of pietas, of homage and of gratitude towards the place where I have lived for almost half a century. It is an engagement with aspects of the literature of the southwestern end of the Iveragh peninsula. All of the places I explore lie within a twenty-kilometre radius of where I live, in Waterville, on the shores of Ballinskelligs Bay/ Bá na Scealg. I use the term literature in the broadest possible sense. Essentially, I include anything that gives verbal – and occasionally non-verbal – expression to an imaginative engagement with place. I include, for example, mythology, folklore, toponymy, archaeology, hagiography, travel writing, historical writing, topographical description and other categories. The work, however, is neither scholarly nor comprehensive. This is not only because I am not a scholar in any of these areas, but because I wanted to allow myself speculative and imaginative freedom of which scholars would rightly be wary. I do however have a respect bordering on awe for scholarly work, and I draw freely, in more than one sense, on the work of scholars, some of whom I am privileged to call friends. The work is not comprehensive because I wanted to concentrate on those aspects of the imagination of place which have engaged my own imagination, and my poetic work, for many years. At the same time, although this was not my intention when I embarked on the work, it is a contextual exploration and presentation of aspects of my own poetic output, in both Irish and English, over the last thirty-five years. A further dimension that underlies the work is my belief that our engagement with and nurture of what I think of as the imagination and memory of place is an essential element in how we protect and nurture the place where we live, in both the global and local sense. An ecologically committed philosophy cannot be concerned only with the physical environment. Our very survival, it appears, depends on an urgent recalibrating of our relationship with our environment, a move from that relationship being exploitative to being sympathetic, in the fullest sense of that word. We are unlikely to effect this move unless we have an imaginative relationship with our surroundings. Hence my title, The Amergin Step. Just before Amergin uttered his incantatory statement of identification with his surroundings, he stepped onto the shoreline. A step into a renewed imaginative identification with our environment is, I hope, part of what happens in this work. The work in its entirety consists of four main chapters, as well as a prologue and coda. For the purposes of this thesis in Creative Writing – which is limited to 80,000 words – the prologue, the first two of the main chapters and the critical commentary should be regarded as the thesis proper, with the remaining two chapters, the coda and my translation of Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire then to be read as appendices.
An exploration of the experience of having a relative in prison
(University College Cork, 2023) McDonnell, Darren; Lambert, Sharon; O'Sullivan, Maura
Paper 1: The Experience of Having a Partner in Prison – A Systematic Review and Meta-ethnography: The number of individuals in prison is increasing worldwide. More and more family members are impacted by the imprisonment of a loved one. They face a variety of difficulties, such as social exclusion, mental health difficulties, stigma, and isolation. A systematic review and meta-ethnography was carried using Noblit & Hare’s seven step approach to bring together the qualitative research in this area and support policy recommendations. Key databases were searched systematically and twelve studies, with varying aims, sample, and location, were included. The synthesis produced six core themes, reflecting the experiences of partners (mainly female): Role Transitions; Loss and Isolation; Shame and Secrecy; Encounters with the Prison Systems; Silver Linings; New Ways of Coping. The overarching narrative that integrates the findings suggests that the experience of having a partner in prison is a process of resocialisation. Partners not only conform to new circumstances and adjust their behaviour, but also adjust to changes in their roles and responsibilities, relationships, positions in society, and their futures. The findings, notwithstanding limitations and recommendations for future research, highlight the need for healthcare professionals, community and prison services, and policy makers to work together to support this population in their resocialisation process. Paper 2: Empirical Study: This study aimed to explore the experiences of women who have a relative in prison. Seven women were recruited through a local service that provides educational and social support to the female relatives of those in prison. In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The IPA approach was chosen to gain a deeper understanding of the participant’s subjective experiences and to explore the meanings and interpretations they attributed to their experiences. The analysis revealed five overarching themes. Participant’s experiences of having a relative in prison were characterized by feelings of worry and uncertainty, and they were forced to face the aftermath of their relative’s imprisonment. Participants experienced challenges navigating the prison system and faced judgements and stigma from others. They also experienced various barriers to accessing supportive services and felt that relationships and dynamics, both with the person in prison and across the wider family, had changed as a result of imprisonment. There was a lasting emotional impact of incarceration, and participants largely dealt with this alone and through the use of avoidant coping strategies. Some participants also highlighted the value of sharing their experiences with others in the service they were attending. The study contributes to our understanding of the experiences of women with a relative in prison and highlights the need for accessible and suitable support systems for families affected by incarceration. The implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed, and suggestions for future research are provided.
Anglo-Irish relations in the framework of the EEC and Northern Ireland, 1969-1975
(University College Cork, 2013) Whelan, Michael; O'Driscoll, Mervyn
This thesis will analyse Anglo-Irish relations between 1969 and 1975, when two topics dominated the relationship: Northern Ireland and the entry of Britain and Ireland into the European Economic Community (hereafter EEC). In 1969 entry to the EEC was still only a possibility and awaited political developments, while the Northern Ireland problem had yet to escalate. 1975 on the other hand confirmed that Ireland would remain in the EEC even if Britain left while Direct Rule for Northern Ireland was confirmed as the British policy for the foreseeable future. These dates are significant because they encompass firstly pre and post entry to the EEC and how this transformed Anglo-Irish relations. Secondly they contain the commencement and then deterioration of the Northern Ireland problem and the attempts to resolve it that finally led to direct rule by Westminster. The study will examine the fluctuating nature of the relationship between Britain and Ireland. Special regard will be devoted to the demands of internal British politics and how such demands affected the relationship. Overall, the study will demonstrate how the bilateral relationship evolved under the pressure of events in Northern Ireland and adapted to the multilateral context of the EEC. It will compare the dynamics of the states’ interactions in two extremely different areas. The thesis will demonstrate how entry to the EEC transformed the unequal Anglo-Irish economic relationship and created one of partners within the EEC. It will also analyse how the developing Northern Ireland problem caused changes to British policy. In particular, it will examine how the British Government came to recognise the beneficial role that the Republic of Ireland might play in resolving the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
An archaeology of female monasticism in medieval Ireland
(University College Cork, 2016) Collins, Tracy E.; Ó Carragáin, Tomás
This thesis considers the archaeological evidence for female monasticism in medieval Ireland, with a particular emphasis on the later medieval period. Female monasticism has been considered from an archaeological perspective in several countries, most notably Britain, but has yet to be considered in any detail in Ireland. The study aims to bring together all the currently available evidence on female monasticism and consider it through an engendered archaeological approach. The data gathering for this research has been deliberately wide, and where gaps have been identified in the Irish evidence, comparative material from elsewhere has been considered. Nunneries should not be expected to conform to what has become the male monastic template of a claustrally-planned monastery. The research conducted shows a distinct and varied archaeology and architecture for medieval nunneries in Ireland which suggests that a claustral plan was not considered an essential part of a nunnery scheme. Nunneries provided an enclosed environment where women, for a variety of motives could become brides of Christ. Through the performance and celebration of the daily Divine Office, the Mass and seasonal liturgy, spaces used by the nunnery community were negotiated and transformed into a sacred Paradise on earth. However, rather than being isolated in the landscape nunneries in later medieval Ireland were located either within or close to walled towns, larger unenclosed settlements and settlement clusters and would have been well known throughout their hinterlands. This research concludes that nunneries were an intrinsic part of the medieval monastic landscape in Ireland and an essential component of patrons’ portfolios of patronage, at a particularly local level, and where they interacted closely with their local community.
Archbishop William King (1650-1729) and the Constitution of Church and State
(University College Cork, 1996) O'Regan, Philip; Dunne, Tom
Arson in medieval Ireland: an analysis of the sources (with particular focus on Bretha Forloisctheo, the medieval Irish law tract concerned with arson)
(University College Cork, 2019) Doolan, Riona Aisling; Murray, Kevin
This thesis examines the issue of arson in medieval Ireland. This topic appears in written medieval literary sources and in historical sources such as the annals and is compared here with the medieval Welsh material on arson. Furthermore, a detailed review of the archaeological evidence for burning during the medieval period in Ireland is included. The main focus of this thesis is on the later medieval legal commentaries on burning which pay considerable attention to the penalties owed when a fire breaks out. Five commentaries discuss arson and two commentaries in particular, those in Rawlinson B506 and TCD H.3.17 (Commentaries A and B respectively) are based on a no-longer extant law-tract Bretha Forloisctheo ‘Judgements on Arson’. • Commentary A Rawlinson B506: 24vb42-25rb26 CIH 102.25-103.24 • Commentary B TCD 1336: 447.1-449.34 CIH 1945.08-1947.21 • Commentary C TCD 1336: 531.19-532.20 CIH 2013.22-2014.02 • Commentary D TCD MS 1337: 464a8-465a21 CIH 1025.03-1026.06 • Commentary E TCD 1387: 28b2-29a46 CIH 2184.15-2186.11 All five commentaries are edited semi-diplomatically with a discussion of the manuscript contexts, transmission methods for legal commentaries and the relationship of the commentaries to each other. Commentaries A and B are also translated into English for this thesis. Furthermore, the evidence for the law-tract Bretha Forloisctheo and its relationship to the Senchas Már collection of law-tracts is considered in detail in this thesis as well. The commentaries focus on a rural agrarian society and the consequences of a fire occurring in a house, farm buildings such as barns, or industrial buildings such as kilns or mills. For example, the fine is six cows and full compensation if a house is burned deliberately. If a mill or kiln is burned, the fine is three cows and full compensation. The statuses of the victim and the perpetrator of the fire are a major concern in the commentaries, with the penalties for the act graded accordingly. The intention behind the blaze is also taken into account when fines are calculated. The penalties are highest for deliberate arson, they decrease when a fire occurs due to negligence. Occasionally, there are no fines at all when a fire is started by accident. Furthermore, how the perpetrator reacts to the fire once it breaks out is considered in this material. The triad drochdénam, nemdénam 7 malldénam ‘bad-action, inaction and slow-action’ features prominently in these sources. If any of these actions contribute to a blaze being exacerbated, then the penalties rise to that of deliberate arson (even if a fire starts by accident). By utilising these legal commentaries on arson and contextualising their contents with a variety of early sources, this thesis discusses the impact of arson on the everyday lives of the people who lived in medieval Ireland.
Assessing the impulse control of violent offenders using computer-based cognitive performance tasks
(University College Cork, 2013) Fox, Siobhán; Hammond, Sean
The topic of this thesis is impulsivity. The meaning and measurement of impulse control is explored, with a particular focus on forensic settings. Impulsivity is central to many areas of psychology; it is one of the most common diagnostic criteria of mental disorders and is fundamental to the understanding of forensic personalities. Despite this widespread importance there is little agreement as to the definition or structure of impulsivity, and its measurement is fraught with difficulty owing to a reliance on self-report methods. This research aims to address this problem by investigating the viability of using simple computerised cognitive performance tasks as complementary components of a multi-method assessment strategy for impulse control. Ultimately, the usefulness of this measurement strategy for a forensic sample is assessed. Impulsivity is found to be a multifaceted construct comprised of a constellation of distinct sub-dimensions. Computerised cognitive performance tasks are valid and reliable measures that can assess impulsivity at a neuronal level. Self-report and performance task methods assess distinct components of impulse control and, for the optimal assessment of impulse control, a multi-method battery of self-report and performance task measures is advocated. Such a battery is shown to have demonstrated utility in a forensic sample, and recommendations for forensic assessment in the Irish context are discussed.
Assessment in primary education in Ireland
(University College Cork, 2016) Sheehan, Alan M.; Hall, Kathy; Irish National Teachers' Organisaton; College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, University College Cork
This doctoral study examines assessment in primary education in the Republic of Ireland. The nature and purpose of assessment offer an insight into the values which are prioritised by an education system. In 2011, in the Republic of Ireland, the Department of Education and Skills (DES) published a strategy aiming to improve standards of literacy and numeracy. The document, entitled, Literacy and numeracy for learning and life: the national strategy to improve literacy and numeracy for children and young people 2011-2020, contains improvement targets as measured by standardised tests. It also mandates the increased use of standardised tests in primary education, and directs that aggregated scores should be reported to both Boards of Management and the DES. The study is framed by the theoretical perspectives of Michel Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu. Both of these commentators examine social policy and practice in an effort to provide insight into the history and operation of social institutions. This study is especially influenced by Foucault’s archaeology and genealogy of knowledge, and his notion of governmentality. It is also particularly cognisant of Bourdieu’s thoughts on habitus, doxa and capital. The study contains reviews of literature in the areas of assessment, assessment policy, and assessment policy in Ireland. These reviews highlight current debate in each of these areas while also grounding this debate in an historical context. The dissertation contains four empirical sections. 1) It analyses policy documents prepared in the development of the published strategy as well as investigating the strategy itself. In so doing it is aware of the burgeoning influence of pan-national bodies on policy development. 2) A number of high profile policy makers were interviewed as part of the study and their views are interpreted in light of the findings of the literature reviews. 3) The perspective of teachers was sought through a questionnaire survey. This gathered data on these teachers’ views on the purpose of assessment as well as their actual practice. 4) Finally, children were also included as participants in this study. They were interviewed in focus groups and encouraged to contribute drawings as well on their views of assessment in primary school. Literacy and numeracy for learning and life is seen as a seminal document in Irish education. This study is significant in its analysis of original data from high profile policy makers, including two Ministers for Education and Skills. It is also significant in its inclusion of the perspectives of primary school pupils. Finally, the study considers the nature and role of assessment in a holistic manner by including the views of policy makers, teachers and pupils. The study notes that policy development in Ireland underwent a change in the preparation of Literacy and numeracy for learning and life and that international influences, while present, are also mediated to suit the local context. It also highlights a lack of clarity in the definition of assessment in primary education and argues that there is a lack of balance in the approaches that are prioritised. The study demonstrates that teachers are impacted by the strategy but that they also change it by focusing on their own concerns while using assessment tools. The children provide compelling evidence of the impact of assessment on the learner. The study shows how assessment tools (and school subjects) are valued with differing levels of importance by a variety of stakeholders.
Assessment of a novel computer aided learning tool in neuroanatomy education
(University College Cork, 2018) Javaid, Muhammad Asim; Toulouse, André; Cryan, John F.; Schellekens, Harriët
Impaired understanding of intricate neuroanatomical concepts and structural inter-relationships has been associated with a fear of managing neurology patients, called neurophobia, among medical trainees. As technology advances, the role of e-learning pedagogies becomes more important to supplement the traditional dissection / prosection and lecture-based pedagogies for teaching neuroanatomy to undergraduate students. However, despite the availability of a myriad of e-learning resources, the neuro (-anatomy-) phobia – neurophobia nexus prevails. The focus of the PhD was to investigate the difficulties associated with learning neuroanatomy and to develop and assess the efficacy of a novel e-learning tool for teaching neuroanatomy, in the context of the strengths and pitfalls of the currently available e-learning resources. Firstly, we sought to provide direct evidence of the medical and health science students’ perception regarding specific challenges associated with learning neuroanatomy. The initial results showed that neuroanatomy is perceived as a more difficult subject compared to other anatomy topics, with spinal pathways being the most challenging to learn. Participants believed that computer assisted learning and online resources could enhance neuroanatomy understanding and decrease their neurophobia. Next, in the context of the significance of e-learning for supplementing traditional pedagogies, we identified features of neuroanatomy web-resources that were valued by students and educators with regards to learning neuroanatomy of the spinal pathways. Participants identified strengths and weaknesses of existing neuroanatomy web-resources and ranked one resource above the others in terms of information delivery and integration of clinical, physiological and medical imaging correlates. This provides a novel user perspective on the influence of specific elements of neuroanatomy web-resources to improve instructional design and enhance learner performance. Finally, considering the data acquired from students and educators, a novel, interactive, neuroanatomy learning e-resource was developed to support teaching of the neuroanatomy of the spinal pathways. The instructional design included a discussion of the clinical interpretation of basic neuroanatomical facts to aid in neurological localization. The e-learning tool was assessed and evaluated by undergraduate medical and neuroscience students using neuroanatomy knowledge quizzes and Likert-scale perception questionnaires and compared to the previously identified best-ranked neuroanatomy e-resource. Participants’ opinion regarding the usefulness of various components of the tools was also gauged. The results showed that usage of the UCC e-resource led to a significant increase in participants’ knowledge of the neuroanatomy of the spinal pathways compared to students’ who did not use e-resources. Moreover, the participants reported a greater interest in learning neuroanatomy with the novel tool, showing a greater appreciation for it while learning clinical neurological correlates compared to those using the best available e-resource identified earlier. In summary, the prevailing problem of neurophobia could be addressed by enhancing student-interest. Technological e-learning pedagogies, with intelligently designed interactive user-interface and clinical correlation of basic neuroanatomical facts can play a pivotal role in helping students learn neuroanatomy and breaking the nexus between neuro (-anatomy-) phobia and neurophobia.
An assessment of health in post-medieval Ireland: ‘One vast Lazar house filled with famine, disease and death’
(University College Cork, 2014) Lynch, Linda G.; Ó Donnabháin, Barra
Three indicators of health and diet were selected to examine the health status in three socioeconomic groups in post-medieval Ireland. The aim was to examine the reliability of traditional skeletal markers of health in highly contextualised populations. The link between socio-economic status and health was examined to determine if traditional linking of poor health with poverty was evident in skeletal samples. The analysis indicated that this was indeed the case and that health was significantly compromised in populations of low socio-economic status. Thus it indicated that status intimately influences the physical body form. Sex was also found to be a major defining factor in the response of an individual to physiological stress. It was also evident that contemporary populations may suffer from different physiological stresses, and their responses to those stresses may differ. Adaptation was a key factor here. This has implications for studies of earlier populations that may lack detailed contextual data in terms of blanket applications of interpretations. The results also show a decline in health from the medieval through to the post-medieval period, which is intimately linked with the immense social changes and all the related effects of these. The socio-economic structure of post-medieval Ireland was a direct result of the British policies in Ireland. The physical form of the Irish may be seen to have occurred as a result of those policies, with the Irish poor in particular suffering substantial health problems, even in contrast to the poor of Britain. This study has enriched the recorded historical narrative of this period of the recent past, and highlights more nuanced narratives may emerge from the osteoarchaeological analysis when sound contextual information is available. It also examines a period in Irish history that, until very recently, had been virtually untouched in terms of archaeological study.
The Atlantic Philanthropies – a study of the enactment of philanthrocapitalism in Ireland
(University College Cork, 2022-05-16) Feely, Naomi; Edwards, Claire; O'Donovan, Orla
This research is concerned with the contemporary manifestation of philanthropy known as philanthrocapitalism. Characteristics of this model include the application of business language and methods to philanthropic giving and the assumption that government alone can no longer solve social issues. Of central concern to this study is the argument that the rise of philanthrocapitalism is undermining democracy, whereby certain philanthropic organisations have ‘taken on the role of the state – essentially setting and implementing policy through their independent funding choices’ (Eikenberry, 2006a: 588-9). Irish philanthropic giving operates at a comparatively lower level to other European countries. To date there has been little research on the operation of foundations within the model of philanthrocapitalism in Ireland. One foundation, which adopted this approach, The Atlantic Philanthropies (AP), disbursed $1.3 billion in funding to Irish organisations over a period of three decades. The enactment of a philanthrocapitalist model of giving by AP, in its operating characteristics and its use of discourses, is the focus of this thesis. Selected texts written by AP about its funding for prevention and early intervention approaches to children’s services forms the empirical research conducted as part of this study. An analysis of the discourses used in these texts identifies children and parent’s individual behaviour as problematic and this is the cause and result of wider social problems. Previous responses to the identified problems, by other actors, are framed as insufficient and the support of philanthropy (i.e. AP) is required. In its self-representation of its own role, AP adopts the triple role of helper-investor-governor. As a governor, AP exerts philanthropic governing capacity by shaping not only their own but the Irish government’s response to these identified problems.
'Atrocity Suppression': an alternative to 'Humanitarian Intervention'
(University College Cork, 2021-11-11) Mawe, Timothy; Bufacchi, Vittorio
The concept of humanitarian intervention has been around for centuries but came to particular prominence in the mid-1990s on foot of Genocides in Rwanda and at Srebrenica, Bosnia. The shocking brutality and scale of these events and the steadfast failure of the international community to defend the victims propelled the issue of humanitarian intervention to the centre of international relations discourse and fostered a growing conviction that atrocities ought to ‘never again’ be allowed to proceed unhindered. Enhanced support for humanitarian intervention was reflected in the short-term in the form of interventions in Kosovo, East Timor, and Sierra Leone and in the articulation of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine. The dawn of the twenty-first century, thus, promised to herald a new era in which humanitarian intervention would be undertaken in a more consistent and principled manner than ever before. Such lofty expectations have quickly receded, however, and when it has come to confronting large-scale crises and taking effective remedial action – in Democratic Republic of Congo, Darfur, Syria, Yemen, and Myanmar – the option of putting force to work in defence of afflicted populations has, as before, been eschewed. Whereas the prospect of intervention has continued to be stymied by the age-old impediment of apathy, engagement has also been considerably constrained by a newfound antipathy towards the idea of armed rescue itself. If previously, forcible intercession had been considered a laudable notion constrained by inertia, self-interest, and concerns about legality, in the twenty-first century it has increasingly come to be seen as flawed in its own right. Such has been the disillusionment with the concept that it has scarcely been mooted as a possible solution to recent crises in Yemen and Myanmar.In this thesis, I argue that the terminology of ‘humanitarian intervention’ has played a key role in the erosion of support for armed rescue. I contend that the singular terminology of ‘humanitarian intervention’ has come to be used to denote several different models of action and that these models have become confused by virtue of semantic association. I argue, in particular, that the ‘classical’ model of humanitarian intervention, concerned with interceding in major atrocities, has come to be conflated with various ‘contemporary’ models of humanitarian intervention. In this way, classical humanitarian intervention has come to be tarnished by the failings and divisiveness of interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. Considering the need to differentiate classical humanitarian intervention as a unique concept, and responding, moreover, to the opposition of the humanitarian sector to the association of the word ‘humanitarian’ with military endeavour, I propose that a new name be coined to delineate the classical idea. I, thus, introduce ‘atrocity suppression’ and articulate the key benefits that will accrue from its adoption.

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