Re-imagining Education
The Society, Economy, and Culture research centre takes up the challenge of re-imagining and reinvigorating the core ideals of education as the life-long cultivation of wisdom and civic virtue. Education that enables human flourishing and a healthy body politic means something more than ‘skills training’ for economic development. Educare means to cultivate, to lead forth, to draw out from within; and wisdom is derived from the vis in ‘vision’ and dom meaning judgement and authority.
When we consider the challenges facing us we realise that it is not just enterprise and innovation in economy and technology that is at issue but more fundamentally a revitalization of our social, political, and cultural institutions. Our individual and collective abilities to be innovation and creative, to adapt to change and to reinvent our society and our economy to face the challenges of recovery and the future, whether in the fields of science & technology, industry & economy, law and politics, culture and the arts will come primarily from vision and the exercise of judgment based on good authority, inspired and guided by the light of higher values and ideals.
Research Symposia, Workshops and Walkshops
Forthcoming Workshops
Autoethnography with Dr Jackie Goode, author of Clever Girls Auotethnographies of Class, Gender and Ethnicity
Introduction to Forum Theatre/Participatory theatre with Frances Rifkin
Walking as Biographical Method with Maggie O’Neill
The Economy & Society Summer School
The Economy & Society Summer School will return as an in-person event in 2022 after missing 2020 entirely and hosting the 2021 event online (archive here) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s event will be held in Cork under the overall theme of ‘returning’.
Returning, getting back, starting again – these are the themes of our times as we hope to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of crisis. Yet, even as the pandemic crisis seems to abate, economic crises of inflation, social crises of mental health, political crises of populism or polarisation and geo-political crises loom, without mentioning the ever-deepening ecological crisis. And yet, we return, to try again, to think anew, to hope for better days.
The 2022 summer school is a hybrid: neither a residential week-long commitment nor yet another on-line session. Instead it is a return to the original academy of Athens, based on walking, talking and ‘scholarship’ in the older sense of ‘scholé’, meaning leisure. We would like to invite you to join us and join in, to discuss your own research and rediscover the art of Socratic Dialogue whereby we examine our ideas by walking and talking together. Each afternoon walks will venture out of the university around the city, then return for a salon discussion and symposium.
Application details here – deadline April 30th!
‘Returning’ has three themed days:
Day 1: Rethinking the University – Led by Prof. Maggie O’Neill & Prof. Kieran Keohane
Day 2: Testing Times & Welfare States: Led by Dr Tom Boland & Dr Ray Griffin
Day 3: Engaging Sustainability: Led by Dr Ger Mullally
Each day involves a variety of talks and walks and will comply with Covid-19 regulations at the time. There will be a range of speakers from UCC & WIT with guests from near and far.
Daily Schedule (all times in GMT):
Please allow for some flexibility in the schedule, times are approximate.
9.30: Gathering together for coffee/tea and introductions each morning in the Dept of Sociology, Annexe – Donovan’s Rd (Google Map link here), the theme for the day will be introduced and discussed.
10.00 – 11.00. Plenary lecture in the Geography Building – just across the road (Google Map link here).
11-30 – ~12.00: Walking & Talking: All scholars pair off and take a leisurely walk down to the Nano Nagle centre – engaging as they go in a Socratic Dialogue. Explain your research, your motivations, your methods, your key concepts and ideals – or take your turn to ask questions.
~12.00: Lunch at the Nano Nagle ‘Contemplative Gardens’ – with a brief ‘intervention’ to keep us thinking. (Picnic lunch provided)
~13.00 – 14.00: Walking & Talking: Pair off again – reverse the roles take your turn to explain your research or ask questions. (Coffee in the Annexe as required!)
14:00 – 15.00: Plenary in the Geography Building.
15.00 – ~17.00: Walking tours: Opt-in – ideally each group should have around 12 participants.
- Feminist walking tour of the city: Prof. Maggie O’Neill
- Ecological walking tour: Dr Ger Mullally
- “Flânerie in the 15 minute city: histories & futures”: Prof. Kieran Keohane
- Labour and the City: Dr Ray Griffin.
18.00 – 19.00: Return to the Annexe: Salon / Panel discussion.
Evening Symposium: (which in Greek means drinking together – wholly optional!)
(We will finish at 3pm on Thursday 12th to facilitate attendance at the SAI conference – 13-14th)
Because of Covid-19 regulations, there are definite limits on the numbers of participants in the summer school. Please send any queries by email to [email protected] / [email protected] .
| 9.30 | 10.30 | ~11.30 | ~12.00 | ~13.00 | 14.00 | 15.00 - 17.30~ | 17:30 | 18:30 | 19:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gather at Donovan's Road for introductory lecture | Plenary Lecture Geography Building | Walking to the Nano Nagle | Lunch at Nano Nagle & mini-talk | Walking back, coffee at the Annexe | Plenary lecture Geography building | Join guided walks | Reflective lecture (zoom) | Panel | Dinner |