This article examines the ways in which the self-responsibilized individualism underpinning contemporary concepts of the ideal European citizen, on the one hand (Frericks, 2014), and the inequalities and anti-democratic politics that... more
This article examines the ways in which the self-responsibilized individualism underpinning contemporary concepts of the ideal European citizen, on the one hand (Frericks, 2014), and the inequalities and anti-democratic politics that characterize contemporary neoliberal capitalism, on the other, are co-constituent elements in creating an antipathy to forms of solidarity that are affective as opposed to calculative. The active citizenship framework lacks a full appreciation of the interdependency of the human condition and is antithetical to universalistic, affectively-led forms of solidarity. The deep relationality that is endemic to both social production and reproduction, and that impels an affective, morally-led form of solidarity needs to be recognized academically and intellectually, and politically sustained, if we are to move beyond a narrow, calculative, self-interested vision of solidarity in Europe.
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Research Interests: Sociology, Gender Studies, Anthropology, Sociology of Work, Organizational Change, and 14 moreEthnography, Higher Education, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Gender Equality, Neoliberalism, Precarity, Work and Labour, Anthropology of Work, Employment, Intersectionality and Social Inequality, Academic Capitalism, Business and Management, Academics, and Wiley
The nurturing that produces love, care, and solidarity constitutes a discrete social system of affective relations. Affective relations are not social derivatives, subordinate to economic, political, or cultural relations in matters of... more
The nurturing that produces love, care, and solidarity constitutes a discrete social system of affective relations. Affective relations are not social derivatives, subordinate to economic, political, or cultural relations in matters of social justice. Rather, they are productive, materialist human relations that constitute people mentally, emotionally, physically, and socially. As love laboring is highly gendered, and is a form of work that is both inalienable and noncommodifiable, affective relations are therefore sites of political import for social justice. We argue that it is impossible to have gender justice without relational justice in loving and caring. Moreover, if love is to thrive as a valued social practice, public policies need to be directed by norms of love, care, and solidarity rather than norms of capital accumulation. To promote equality in the affective domains of loving and caring, we argue for a four‐dimensional rather than a three‐dimensional model of social ju...
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Research Interests: Applied Ethics, Globalization, Academic Freedom, Higher Education, Egalitarianism, and 15 moreEvaluation, Capitalism, Assessment in Higher Education, Academia Research, Autonomy, Freedom Of Expression, Globalization And Higher Education, Equity and Social Justice in Higher Education, Academic Ranking, Academic Publishing, Decolonial Thought, Freedom, Academics, Academic Freedom and University Autonomy, and Casualization
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Abstract: If people are structurally excluded from democratic engagement with research practice, they are precluded from assessing its validity in an informed manner. They are effectively disenfranchised from controlling the generation... more
Abstract: If people are structurally excluded from democratic engagement with research practice, they are precluded from assessing its validity in an informed manner. They are effectively disenfranchised from controlling the generation and dissemination of knowledge about ...
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This article examines the ways in which the self-responsibilized individualism underpinning contemporary concepts of the ideal European citizen, on the one hand (Frericks, 2014), and the inequalities and anti-democratic politics that... more
This article examines the ways in which the self-responsibilized individualism underpinning contemporary concepts of the ideal European citizen, on the one hand (Frericks, 2014), and the inequalities and anti-democratic politics that characterize contemporary neoliberal capitalism, on the other, are co-constituent elements in creating an antipathy to forms of solidarity that are affective as opposed to calculative. The active citizenship framework lacks a full appreciation of the interdependency of the human condition and is antithetical to universalistic, affectively-led forms of solidarity. The deep relationality that is endemic to both social production and reproduction, and that impels an affective, morally-led form of solidarity needs to be recognized academically and intellectually, and politically sustained, if we are to move beyond a narrow, calculative, self-interested vision of solidarity in Europe.
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In this paper we use the framework developed in Equality: From Theory to Action to review some recent empirical research into caring relationships. This research shows that even within the context of care, inequality is multidimensional.... more
In this paper we use the framework developed in Equality: From Theory to Action to review some recent empirical research into caring relationships. This research shows that even within the context of care, inequality is multidimensional. It reveals complex patterns of inequality of work, resources, love and care, power and respect and recognition, shaped by many social factors including gender, social class, family status and disability. We also argue that this research raises important issues for normative political theory. In some cases the implications seem fairly straightforward. In others, it highlights questions that egalitarian theorists need to address more thoroughly.
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This papers analyses both the constraints on realising equality through education and the possiblities education offers for resistance and social change
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Affective relations are not social derivatives subordinate to economic, political, or cultural relations in matters of social justice. Rather, they are productive, materialist human relations that constitute people mentally, emotionally,... more
Affective relations are not social derivatives subordinate to economic, political, or cultural relations in matters of social justice. Rather, they are productive, materialist human relations that constitute people mentally, emotionally, physically, and socially. The nurturing work that produces love, care, and solidarity operates under principles of other-centredness, even when it fails in this purpose. Furthermore, neither love nor care are purely personal or intimate matters; care exists as a public practice, be it in terms of health care, environmental care, community care, educational care or public welfare; solidarity can be regarded as the political expression of such public care (Boltanski and Porter 2012; Lynch and Kalaitzake 2018). Because the relational realities of nurturing (and their counterpoint, neglect) operate as a distinct set of social practices, love, care and solidarity relations are sites of political import that need to be examined separately in social justice terms. The lack of appreciation of affective relations leads to a failure to recognise their pivotal role in generating injustices in the production of people in their humanness. This paper outlines a framework for thinking about affective relations in structural social justice terms. In so doing, it hopes to contribute to the redistribution, recognition, representation debate about justice by making the case for a fourth dimension, relational justice. The paper opens with a discussion of how the concept of affective equality is related to, but separate from, conceptions of social justice articulated by Honneth and Fraser. Arising from empirical studies on love, care and solidarity undertaken over the last 10 years, the paper attempts to advance on Honneth’s (1995, 2003) understanding of love and solidarity and Fraser’s (2008) three-dimensional theory of justice by proposing a fourth dimension, relational justice. The second section of the paper outlines a definition of affective equality and explains how affective injustices cannot be examined separately from structural economic, political and cultural inequalities. It presents an intersectional structural perspective on social justice that recognizes affective relations as a distinct system of nurturing social relations (albeit relations which may fail in their purpose). The paper concludes by making the case for grounding politics in the ethics of love, care and solidarity, rather than the ethics of competition and self-interest that underpin neoliberal capitalism.
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Mostly not-employed mothers set the cultural standards for 'good' parenthood and 'good' education, while childless subjects set the standards in the world of work; [those] … want to do both, will be... more
Mostly not-employed mothers set the cultural standards for 'good' parenthood and 'good' education, while childless subjects set the standards in the world of work; [those] … want to do both, will be measured by the standards set by those … that are only into one of the spheres (Bomert and Leinfellner, 2017). This study examines the impact of managerialist policies on care relations in higher education. It is based on a study of ten higher education institutions in Ireland. The paper shows that a care-free worker model is ingrained in systems of performance appraisal, especially for academics in universities, and increasingly in the Institutes of Technology, although it also impacts on support staff in other professions and occupations. It assumes a life of boundary-less working hours and unhindered mobility. The market-informed tools of performance appraisal, especially audits and metrics, cannot measure essential care work because care is a process and disposition, not a product. Because it is not countable it becomes invisible as do the people who do it. The managerial ideology of ‘work–life balance’ merely operates as a mask that conceals how over-working is normalised. There is no legitimate language to name over-working for the structural problem that it is (Misra et al. 2012). When colleges disregard care commitments outside of work, and even within it, these are then repackaged and fed back to women/carers as personal problems and failures. The idealised care-free worker model operates as a care ceiling over women particularly; it is taken as given, even natural.
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As noted in Chapters 1 and 2, there has been a significant shift to corporatization and new managerialism in the Irish public service over the past two decades (Collins et al., 2007). While the pace and intensity of the managerialist... more
As noted in Chapters 1 and 2, there has been a significant shift to corporatization and new managerialism in the Irish public service over the past two decades (Collins et al., 2007). While the pace and intensity of the managerialist movement in education is most visible in the higher education sector, it is operating at all levels and over a long period of time. Under the influence of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), human capital theory replaced the theocentric paradigm as the official ideology of Irish education in the late 1960s, mutating into what O’Sullivan has called ‘mercantilism’ in recent decades (2005: 180–223). This ‘modernist’ development was a global trend (Marginson, 2006). It was represented as egalitarian and gender inclusive, yet it was also a way of reshaping the power of capital and instituting new forms of male power within organizations (Bottomore and Sachs, 2007; Davies, et al., 2006; Whitehead, 2001). The focus on performativity, a core principle of new managerialism, not only created gender exclusions, it also marginalized people on disability, ethnicity, race and social class lines within organizations, something that has often been ignored by organizational studies (Holvino, 2010; Lumby, 2009).
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This paper examines the nature of love labouring and explores how it can be distinguished from other forms of care work. It provides a three fold taxonomy for analysing other-centred work, distinguishing between work required to maintain... more
This paper examines the nature of love labouring and explores how it can be distinguished from other forms of care work. It provides a three fold taxonomy for analysing other-centred work, distinguishing between work required to maintain primary care relations (love labour), secondary care relations (general care work) and tertiary care relations (solidarity work). A central theme of the paper is that primary care relations are not sustainable over time without love labour; that the realization of love, as opposed to the declaration of love, requires work. Drawing on a wide range of theoretical and empirical sources, including a study of caring undertaken by the author, the paper argues that there is mutuality, commitment, trust and responsibility at the heart of love labouring that makes it distinct from general care work and solidarity work. It sets out reasons why it is not possible to commodify the feelings, intentions and commitments of love labourers to supply them on a paid b...
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BACKGROUND The study investigated gay men’s experience of health services in Ireland, contributing to the debate about the cultural inequalities that gay men encounter when accessing or using the health services in Ireland. AIM AND... more
BACKGROUND The study investigated gay men’s experience of health services in Ireland, contributing to the debate about the cultural inequalities that gay men encounter when accessing or using the health services in Ireland. AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY This study set out to examine how the experience of cultural inequalities affects the health and well-being of gay men in Ireland. A core premise of this study is that gay men experience discrimination in the cultural domain and is experienced through a lack of respect and recognition of gay men’s specific health needs within a heteronormative health service. METHOD The study was qualitative in design, using pro-feminist egalitarian methods with a sample of twenty gay men who varied in terms of economic status, relationship status and regional location. In-depth interviews were employed to explore the men’s experiences and perceptions of accessing and using Irish health services. The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed ...
Background: The study investigated gay men’s experience of health services in Ireland, contributing to the debate about the affective issues that gay men experience when accessing or using the health services in Ireland. Aim and... more
Background: The study investigated gay men’s experience of health services in Ireland, contributing to the debate about the affective issues that gay men experience when accessing or using the health services in Ireland. Aim and objectives: This study set out to examine how the experience of affective inequalities affects the health and well-being of gay men in Ireland. A core premise of this study is that gay men experience discrimination in the affective domain that impacts on their health. The impact of discrimination is experienced affectively when gay men experience a lack of respect and recognition of their emotional needs. Methods: The study was qualitative in design, using pro-feminist egalitarian methods with a sample of twenty gay men who varied in terms of economic status, relationship status and regional location. In-depth interviews were employed to explore the men’s experiences and perceptions of accessing and using Irish health services. Analysis and Results: Date wer...
This paper represents an attempt to analyse the labour involved in producing and reproducing caring relationships as a form of work. The term ‘solidary’ or ‘love labour’ is coined to differentiate this kind of work from other forms of... more
This paper represents an attempt to analyse the labour involved in producing and reproducing caring relationships as a form of work. The term ‘solidary’ or ‘love labour’ is coined to differentiate this kind of work from other forms of human service work, domestic work and/or economic labour. We suggest that solidary labour cannot be understood as a structural necessity emanating from the political and economic requirements of the wider system. Yet, the tatter approach has been the modal one in both structural functionalist and Marxist analyses of caring. Caring and being cared for involve the construction of symbolic bonds regardless of the economic context in which they are embedded. The sociological understanding of these, demands that we take account of the situated meaning of solidary relations and not merely reduce them to by-products of structural forces. In the latter part of the paper we use time-budget studies and other surveys to show how solidary labour is being marginali...
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Transforming schools into truly egalitarian institutions requires a holistic and integrated approach. Using a robust conception of ‘equality of condition’, we examine key dimensions of equality that are central to both the purposes and... more
Transforming schools into truly egalitarian institutions requires a holistic and integrated approach. Using a robust conception of ‘equality of condition’, we examine key dimensions of equality that are central to both the purposes and processes of education: equality in educational and related resources; equality of respect and recognition; equality of power; and equality of love, care and solidarity. We indicate in each case some of the major changes that need to occur if we are to promote equality of condition. Starting with inequalities of resources, and in particular with inequalities tied to social class, we argue for abandoning rigid grouping policies, challenging the power of parents in relation to both selection and grouping, and changing curricula and assessment systems to make them more inclusive of the wide range of human intelligences. In relation to respect and recognition, we call for much more inclusive processes for respecting differences, not only in schools’ organ...
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Affective inequality is neglected in the study of old age. Using an egalitarian analysis, this article shows how affective inequalities matter to older women. Findings from the first... more
Affective inequality is neglected in the study of old age. Using an egalitarian analysis, this article shows how affective inequalities matter to older women. Findings from the first author's PhD study explain the emotional significance of affective inequalities for Irish women. Twenty-one in-depth interviews were conducted to obtain data about experiences and perceptions of inequalities and how they had an impact on older women's well-being. Thematic analysis revealed that women experienced inequalities in old age as devaluation, obligations, exclusion, and misrecognition (DOEM), and they experienced injustices in areas of their lives that were largely outside of their control. Affective inequality implications are discussed.
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The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between the subject material covered in our schools and colleges, especially at second level, and the types of jobs available in the paid labour market. While the focus of the paper is... more
The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between the subject material covered in our schools and colleges, especially at second level, and the types of jobs available in the paid labour market. While the focus of the paper is on the paid labour market, it is ...
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Practices in educational program evaluation were examined through analyses of reports submitted to the U.S. Department of Education's Joint Dissemination Review Panel (JDRP) during the years 1980-1983. Through its review process, the... more
Practices in educational program evaluation were examined through analyses of reports submitted to the U.S. Department of Education's Joint Dissemination Review Panel (JDRP) during the years 1980-1983. Through its review process, the JDRPjudges whether educational programs have demonstrated effectiveness in attaining stated goals. Content analyses of 232 JDRP reports yielded descriptive profiles of the educational programs and their evaluations. Comparisons between JDRP-approved and nonapproved programs were made. Regression analyses were used to relate differences in evaluation methodology to differences in the size of educational effects detected by the programs.
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While there is extensive research on educational leadership and management, the selection of leaders has received comparatively little attention. This article examines how educational leadership is constructed through the selection... more
While there is extensive research on educational leadership and management, the selection of leaders has received comparatively little attention. This article examines how educational leadership is constructed through the selection process in the context of a qualitative study of Irish education. It highlights the tensions that can exist for selection board assessors as they try to balance increasing performativity and new managerialist demands with the traditional ethical and moral dimensions of educational leadership. Key concepts of `local logics' and `homosociability' frame the analysis as it is shown how assessors often select `safe' candidates according to familiar qualities. This normalization is problematic when educational leadership is faced with intense organizational and socio-cultural change. It is also problematic in gender terms, especially in higher education, where the prevailing leadership model is a masculine one. Differences between education sectors ...
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Two key concepts in Greaney and Kellaghan's book are those of meritocracy and ability. This paper sets out to present a critical evaluation of the major sociological and educational pre suppositions on which these are based. By... more
Two key concepts in Greaney and Kellaghan's book are those of meritocracy and ability. This paper sets out to present a critical evaluation of the major sociological and educational pre suppositions on which these are based. By elaborating on the conceptual complexities of these two ideas we try to show how the scientific categories within which we formulate research issues are them selves value-laden. The authors' mode of analysis in this study was highly quantitative but largely atheoretical; con ceptual issues, therefore, were not treated analytically or critically. Their failure to treat key concepts problematically belies the intense academic debate as to the nature of these phenomena. More impor tantly perhaps it leads to an oversimplification of the problems of social and educational equality; it does so by concealing the class-specific interests which the very notion of meritocracy, and their particular interpretation of the concept of ability, are likely to serve.
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... Action. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Boden, R. and Epstein, D. (2006) Managingthe Research Imagination? Globalisation and Research in Higher Education, Globalisation, Societies and Education, Vol. 4, 2: 223-236. Bok ...
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This book brings together over two decades of Madeline Arnot’s intellectual labour on gender in relation to social and cultural reproduction theory. Via a selection of key articles seminal ideas and concepts from the work of Bernstein,... more
This book brings together over two decades of Madeline Arnot’s intellectual labour on gender in relation to social and cultural reproduction theory. Via a selection of key articles seminal ideas and concepts from the work of Bernstein, Bourdieu and Foucault, are both critically examined and recon gured, essentially in Arnot’s work, around the concept of ‘gender codes’. Without doubt, this is a manuscript encapsulating scholarship at its best. Not least because it is the intellectual product of over two decades of involvement in the sociology of Education in the UK and a striking re ection of unerring commitment to the causes of feminism and gender equity in society and schools. The achievements of an intellectual lifetime yet un nished, all reduced to 288 tightly prose-packed pages, an attractive red and blue tome. Here is a sociological theory of gender relations that is critical and interpretative, comprehensive and uniquely experienced by the author. Perhaps it should be noted that we read this book from quite different standpoints; rather useful since it served to illustrate the various strengths this text has to offer. For one of us, as a young post-structuralist feminist and neophyte academic, it offered important insights into how the agendas of rst and second wave feminism helped fashion research in education and inform the orientations of a post-structuralist view. Sociological theories of gender in education have moved a long way since the 1970s. Those of us searching for more sophisticated understandings of gender identities and complex interconnections with social class, ethnicity and sexuality are reminded in this collection of work, of the historical backdrop to these theoretical developments, of the extraordinary momentum that gender research has sustained, and of the impact of the women’s movement in the UK and abroad, which have drawn upon a range of feminist academic discourses and have been in uenced by a range of political philosophies and agendas. Moreover, the subtext also serves to remind us of the central themes and concerns of the sociology of education, which provided the initial impetus for its rational and focus. The landscape of political, theoretical and methodological in uences on the sociology of education and gender is vast and the opening chapters in this book illustrate some of the conceptual differences and con icts that historically and contemporaneously reside in the eld.
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This article explores the implications of new public sector ‘reforms’ for the culture of higher education. It argues that a culture of carelessness, grounded in Cartesian rationalism, has been exacerbated by new managerialism. The article... more
This article explores the implications of new public sector ‘reforms’ for the culture of higher education. It argues that a culture of carelessness, grounded in Cartesian rationalism, has been exacerbated by new managerialism. The article challenges a prevailing sociological assumption that the character of higher education culture is primarily determined by new managerial values and norms. Carelessness in education has a longer historical trajectory. First, it has its origins in the classical Cartesian view of education, namely that scholarly work is separate from emotional thought and feeling, and that the focus of education is on educating an autonomous, rational person, homo sapiens, whose relationality is not regarded as central to her or his being. Second, it is grounded in the separation between fact and value that is endemic to contemporary positivist norms that govern not only scientific and social scientific thought (Sayer, 2006) but the organization of higher education (G...