Sociology Testimonials
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Sven Grundmann Research Associate I started studying sociology at NUIM in September 2010 as part of the ERASMUS exchange programme and really enjoyed it. I then returned to Frankfurt where I am finishing my MA degree in politicial science and philosophy. In November 2011 I started to work as a research associate at the NRW School of Governance (Department of Politics, University of Duisburg/Essen), where I conduct studies in ethics and political management and teach modules for undergraduate students . My studies at Maynooth have very much contributed to my choice of career and I am very happy to have chosen to study sociology there. I acquired many very useful skills in terms of social movements research and found the topics in 'Societies in Transition: Debating the big ideas' particularly interesting and enriching, especially due to the engagement of the staff. Therefore I would highly recommend studying sociology at NUIM. |
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Noel Hynes Retired I graduated in June 2011 with a B.A.(Honours) in Sociology and History. 2011 also marked my eightieth year. I enjoyed the whole experience of the three years in NUIM as a mature student and found all of the staff, including the Professors and Lecturers, particularly in the Sociology Department, very helpful indeed. I would commend the Sociology staff for the help they offered a struggling mature student and their friendly attitude and humanitarian interaction qualities during my three years of University. I am sure that the helpful and friendly atmosphere will continue and that mature students in the future will benefit as I did." |
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Sinead Callanan Secondary School Teacher Sociology has instilled in me an understanding of the importance of equality and social justice which I have tried to promote in my work as a teacher, education worker and distance education lecturer. In my role as a second level geography teacher, my grounding in sociology has helped me to understand and convey information to my students on different cultures and the dynamics of social groups. This has been reinforced by my travel experiences to all seven continents. More specifically, my sociological background has provided me with the tools to teach Social Personal Health Education (SPHE), Civic Social Political Education (CSPE) and as Transition Year co-ordinator, I can see many sociological concepts and frameworks in practice, through charity work in the community with organisations such as St. Vincent de Paul, Barnardos and Friends of the Elderly to name but a few. In addition to this, my degree in sociology allowed me to work with the Open University as an associate lecturer in social science. Perhaps my most fulfilling experience was my development work (education) in Zambia for 18 months where I was immersed in a completely different culture in the remotest part of the country, and exposed to unusual customs and values e.g. witchcraft. It was my academic grounding in sociology that best prepared me for such an unforgettable life experience. Sinéad Callanan Secondary School Teacher St. Declan’s College, Cabra Completed degree in 1991 |
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Dr. Wendy Fuller Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences’ Justice Studies and Sociology Department, Norwich Univers My graduate work in the Sociology Department at NUIM gave me more than just an expertise in fields like social psychology, gender, globalization and education. It gave me the tools that I would need to explore the social world in a rigorous and sound way, enabling me to conduct research which stands up to international scrutiny. It also afforded me with the opportunity to learn how to teach at the university level through both Professional Certificates in Teaching and Learning and the chance to instruct classes throughout the four years of my doctoral work. It was in these opportunities, to simultaneously be a scholar and a teacher, where I found my calling. I loved this lifestyle of learning, growing and giving back to others so much that I decided never leave this kind of environment! Completing my PhD in the Sociology Department at NUIM helped me to become a lecturer at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont, the oldest private military university in the US. The skills I learned during my time with the Sociology Department have played a huge role not just in getting me this job in the first place, but in helping me to engage positively with the radically different environment of a military institution and also to easily find countless things I want to do research on while I’m here. Sociology is a flexible and dynamic discipline which enables us to become critical, conscientious, and incisive thinkers. I’m glad that my time at NUIM is enabling me now to teach these skills to the people who often become the decision makers of tomorrow. (Dr. Wendy Fuller) |
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Donagh Davis PhD Researcher, European University Institute I went abroad to get a PhD and the right to call myself a “sociologist” – but it was at NUI Maynooth that my sociological imagination was fired..... Sociology, at its best, is about asking big questions, and challenging 'commonsense' ideas about how the world works – whether that's the commonsense of the pub, of the media, of politicians or of sundry 'experts'. Is there really a 'clash of civilizations'? Do the police always go after the bad guys? Do markets really work the way economists say they do? Why are poor people – and poor countries – poor? Irish sociology has tied our small island into these global debates. Some important questions have been asked, but many remain to be answered. What kind of society do we live in? Is Ireland a 'normal' Western European country, or a scarred, divided, postcolonial periphery? Why, after 1922, did the victors of the 'Irish Revolution' build a clientelist state in the image of the Catholic church and the cattle ranchers, rather than drag their new Ireland into the twentieth century? Why do many self-respecting Irish people think that racism is 'bad' – but that it's socially acceptable to talk about Travellers and inner-city Dubs in terms reminiscent of 1930s Alabama or Apartheid South Africa? How can the Republic have among the highest rates of GDP per capita in Europe, but be effectively bankrupt at the same time? And when the government bankrupted the state by making private bank debts public, why did no-one do anything about it? We are regularly told how well-educated the workforce of 'Ireland Inc.' is. But if we are so smart, why don't we ask these sorts of questions more often? Sociologists have not answered all of them. But important conversations have been started. Maynooth scholars have been central to this, and as a graduate of NUIM, I can testify that some of the best critical thinkers on Irish society can be found on campus. Donagh Davis PhD researcher at the European University Institute, Florence, Italy (Department of Political and Social Sciences) Visiting researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, Fall 2011 |
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Dr. Susan Fletcher-Jones Medical Doctor I went from being a mature student with no Leaving Cert and little confidence in 1994 to graduating from NUI Maynooth in 1997 with two lifelong best friends and a BA degree in Sociology and Classics. Attaining that degree was the proudest and happiest moment of my life. I did my final thesis in Sociology and I can honestly say that I am where I am today, personally and professionally thanks to the encouragement and belief of the staff in the Sociology and Classics Department. They helped me believe that I was as good as anyone else and awakened a love of learning in me which I never knew I had. Directly because of the foundation I received at NUI Maynooth I was accepted and ultimately graduated from medical school in 2008-my second proudest moment to date. I currently work as a doctor in a busy Dublin hospital. Thank you to everyone who helped and encouraged and believed in me even when I thought I couldn't do it... Dr Susan Fletcher- Jones |
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Elaine Scallon Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health, University of Colorado Studying Sociology at NUI Maynooth led me to the career that I love - Epidemiology. I more or less stumbled into Sociology but once there I became very interested by the research methods used to study individuals in their environment. I learned the techniques of survey design and analysis. These skills led to my first job - conducting door-to-door surveys as part of a project studying women's use of folic acid. Again one thing led to another and soon I had a PhD in epidemiology from UCD. In 2003, I went off to work at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA. Now 13 years after graduating from Maynooth, I find my work both challenging and deeply gratifying. I am currently an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Colorado where I teach and conduct studies on the causes and burden of foodborne diseases. Although my topic has changed, and I continue to learn new methods, the fundamental skills I learned studying Sociology in NUI Maynooth continue to be important. |
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Hazel Gough Social Worker I thoroughly enjoyed sociology over the 3 years of my B Soc Science undergraduate degree and found it really interesting and engaging. While many of the modules were really insightful, I particularly enjoyed those around childhood, race and ethnicity, development and popular culture. Since completing my degree I have returned to college to do a master is social work. The relationship and interaction of individuals with their social environment is one of the key concepts that informs Social Work, so prior knowledge of sociological theories has been really helpful and are regularly featured in the course. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending sociology to anyone, it’s brill! |
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Tanya Sweeney Irish Independent Columnist When I started my Arts degree in NUI in 1994, I had precious little idea what sociology entailed. All I knew that it was the study of human society; as a member of that very society (most of the time), I figured it would be pretty useful. Little did I know what a gloriously steep learning curve it would be; through the course, I learnt how to pick apart social phenomena and examine them from an entirely new perspective. Marxism, anomie, modernisation, urbanisation, tourism studies; the course ran the proverbial gamut, and I emerged a much different and more informed person for it. As it happened, Sociology was the perfect grounding for a media career; it gave me an enquiring and socially curious mind that remains one of my biggest assets as a journalist. The media studies section of the course was a revelation; I had always been a voracious consumer of the media, but had scant idea of its inner workings. I learnt how influential and dynamic an industry the media is, and it certainly sparked my interest in crossing over from audience member to insider. Social analysis is part of who we are; I guess we are all, to some degree, sociologists. I'm just glad that thanks to this department, I now have the tools to be a better one. |