Environmental Study Group at the SAI

Sociology Association of Ireland (SAI) Environment & Society Study Group – Electoral Commission Research Proposal Submission

Dear Electoral Commission Members Climate Change is the most looming existential threat facing humanity at present and many countries across the developed world appear to be locked in a paralysis of procrastination when it comes to decision-making about their environment. Ireland, in many respects, is no different. While some high aspirational commitments are made, the …

Environmental Study Group at the SAI

Draft Dublin City Centre Transport Plan (DCCTP) – Submission on behalf of the Sociology Association of Ireland (SAI) Environment & Society Study Group

Dublin City Council City Centre Projects We are strongly supportive of the measures to reduce the accessibility provided by driving in the city centre and simultaneously expand the accessibility and directness of cycling, walking and public transport. This helps inner Dublin to move closer toward the aspirational road user hierarchy in the most densely developed …

SSRC Members

Bean feasa agus cara dilís: An tOllamh Eolaíocht Pholaitiúil agus Socheolaíocht, Ricca Edmondson*

Prof Anne ByrneSchool of Political Science and Sociology, College of ArtsNational University of Ireland Galway. This In Memoriam is reproduced with the very kind permission of the Irish Journal of Sociology, see https://doi.org/10.1177/07916035211038250. To read Ricca’s words is an exhilarating experience. She brought extraordinary awareness, insight and depth to how sociologists may use language to …

Student Research

What is Migration and How Does the Media Mirror Populist Opinion?

As part of their third year Research Placement for their BSc (Applied Social Sciences) degree at NUI Galway, Moya Gorman, Aideen Murtagh and Jodie King undertook research into migration and specifically how the popular media, in general, often mirrors populist opinion with regards to the value placed on such migration. Under the supervision of Dr …

Digital Citizenship

How the Anti-Vax Movement Has Used the Internet to Infect the Minds of The Public

Introduction The internet has become a place where people go to seek medical advice. Whether this be WebMD, The Mayo Clinic, or Facebook. Whether we like it or not, the internet and social media are now competing with medical professionals when it comes to giving medical advice (Bradshaw, Shelton et al, 2020). These competing interests …

Digital Citizenship

The Role Technology Plays in Education

Introduction This blog post will examine the role that technology plays in education in our modern society and the impacts digital revolution has and continues to have on the education process. Technology is all around us and it is constantly continuing to expand. Technology is certainly being merged into the education process. Within the education …

Digital Citizenship

Virtual Needs

Introduction Maslow’s theory affirmed the motivation of human needs and arranged a hierarchy of relevance. The bottom of the pyramid are basic needs, biological and physiological – food, water, warmth, and above this level is love and relationships. Next is self-esteem and finally at the top self-actualisation. He stated that once basic needs on the …

Digital Citizenship

The Hidden Cost of Online Shopping

The Effect E-Commerce Is Having On Our Environment ‘Free delivery,’ ‘free returns,’ ‘mega sales.’ We see phrases like these plastered all over the online retail world, enticing us to order, order, order. However, what is the true cost of our online shopping habits? This post will explore the reality of the environmental effects of e-commerce. …

Digital Citizenship

Can Likes Make Me Like Myself?

Introduction In this piece I will discuss how ‘likes’ can trigger feelings of pleasure with it’s addictive properties, leaving the user wanting to go back for more and how the user may feel when ‘likes’ are not obtained. I will also discuss how through the abundance of ‘likes’ some users have over one another, mainly …

Digital Citizenship

The Digital Black Hole

Introduction iPhones, laptops, PlayStations, Smart-Watches – you name it, we have it. We have evolved into a generation that is obsessed with our technological devices, such as our phones for example. A generation that must have the latest technology, gadget or model. A generation that if we were asked too, couldn’t live without many of …