TRiSS Talks

There’s overwhelming scientific evidence that global warming is happening and humans are the cause. However, there’s also a mountain of misinformation designed to confuse the public about climate change. How do we respond to the firehose of falsehoods? One way to effectively neutralize the influence of misinformation is inoculation. This takes the idea of vaccination and applies it to knowledge—we can build immunity to misinformation by exposing people to a weakened form of misinformation. In other words, expose the misleading techniques used in misinformation. Not only does this approach neutralize the influence of science denial, it can turn misinformation into an educational opportunity and improve critical thinking. Dr. John Cook will outline his psychological and critical thinking research into countering misinformation and demonstrate with visual examples.  

John Cook is a research assistant professor at the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University. He obtained his PhD at the University of Western Australia, studying the cognitive psychology of climate science denial. His research focus is understanding and countering misinformation about climate change. In 2007, he founded Skeptical Science, a website which won the 2011 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for the Advancement of Climate Change Knowledge and 2016 Friend of the Planet Award from the National Center for Science Education. John authored the book Cranky Uncle vs. Climate Change, that combines climate science, critical thinking, and cartoons to explain and counter climate misinformation. He also co-authored the college textbooks Climate Change: Examining the Facts and Climate Change Science: A Modern Synthesis and the book Climate Change Denial: Heads in the Sand. In 2013, he published a paper finding 97% scientific consensus on human-caused global warming, a finding that has been highlighted by President Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

International Association of Constitutional Law Research Group on Public Law Responses to Public Health Emergencies  

The International Association of Constitutional Law—in association with Trinity Research in Social Sciences and the Trinity Centre for Constitutional Governance—will hold the first webinar of the recently formed Research Group on Public Law Responses to Public Health Emergencies. State responses to COVID-19 engage the full breadth of public law. Comparative constitutional scholarship is critical in enabling countries to learn from the experiences of others as we face a common challenge.  

This webinar will address one of the central themes of the Research Group, namely the balance between executives and parliaments in both the enactment and oversight of legal measures. Prof Cheryl Saunders will reflect on the topic, ‘Constitutional emergency frameworks: Experiences with COVID-19’.  

The webinar will be moderated by Prof Oran Doyle.  

Cheryl Saunders is Laureate Professor Emeritus at the University of Melbourne Law School. She has specialist interests in Australian and comparative public law, including comparative constitutional law and method, intergovernmental relations and constitutional design and change. She is a President Emeritus of the International Association of Constitutional Law, a former President of the International Association of Centres for Federal Studies, a former President of the Administrative Review Council of Australia and a senior technical advisor to the Constitution Building program of International IDEA. She has held visiting positions in law schools in many parts of the world and is an officer of the Order of Australia and a Chevalier dans l'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur of France.  

Oran Doyle is professor in law at Trinity College Dublin, director of the COVID-19 Law and Human Rights Observatory, and co-convenor of the IACL Research Group on Public Law Responses to Public Health Emergencies.

To celebrate  International Women's Day in 2021, the three Trinity faculties and Trinity Research in Social Sciences came together to host a half day webinar.

To celebrate  International Women's Day in 2021, the three Trinity faculties and Trinity Research in Social Sciences came together to host a half day webinar.

At the 9th Children in Care Research Forum Dr. Maria Lotty (University College Cork) presented findings from one part of her PhD study. Her presentation is entitled: Key messages from an evaluation of Fostering Connections: The Trauma informed Foster Care Programme

At the 8th Children in Care Research Forum, Dr. Eavan Brady presented key findings from her PhD research study exploring the educational pathways of care-experienced adults.

Hosted by the School of Social Work and Social Policy and Trinity Research in Social Sciences.

Episode cover photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash.

The School of Social Work & Social Policy and Trinity Research In Social Science (TRiSS) held a webinar on 27th November 2020.

Presentation by Assistant Adjunct Professor Vivian Geiran. 

Respondent: Associate Professor Nicola Carr. 

Chair: Professor Eoin O'Sullivan .

Abstract of Vivian's Presentation:

Having worked in the public service for more than forty years, former Probation Service Director, Vivian Geiran, will reflect on significant changes in the Irish criminal justice system, as well as internationally, over that time. From what brought him into probation work in the first place, through the highlights of his time as a probation officer and leader, Vivian will reflect on what sustained him over his career, as well as on modernisation efforts, the growth in the use of ICT and other developments impacting the frontline worker. Vivian will also consider the major paradigmatic shifts in focus and organisation of probation work, from offender reform and rehabilitation, through the RNR (Risk, Need and Responsibility) model, 'What Works? and 'managerialism,' to desistance, service user involvement, restorative practice, victimology, and mass correctional supervision, among other issues. He will also evaluate trends in criminal justice policy and practice, in Ireland and internationally, and look forward to potential future directions.

Vivian Geiran – retired as Director of the Irish Probation Service at the end of 2019. A registered social worker, and now Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work and Social Policy at TCD, Vivian is on the Judicial Council's Sentencing Guidelines & Information Committee, and a board member of the Irish Association of Social Workers and Ana Liffey Drug Project. He is a member of the Council of Europe's Council for Penological Cooperation (PC-CP) working group (which develops probation and prisons practice standards for the forty-seven member States), as well as of the International Penal & Penitentiary Foundation (IPPF). An international consultant on criminal justice, Vivian's research interests include criminal justice social work and community sanctions and measures, particularly probation, community service and parole. He co-authored Council of Europe guidelines on implementing community sanctions & measures and has published numerous papers on social work and probation.

Nicola Carr is an Associate Professor in Criminology at the University of Nottingham. She is Editor of the Probation Journal and a Board member of the Irish Probation Journal. She is also a member of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation and Youth Justice's Expert Advisory Group. She was a convenor of the European Society of Criminology's Working Group on Community Sanctions and Measures and a Scientific Expert to the Council of Europe's Council of Penological Co-Operation (PC-CP), where she helped to develop Guidelines Regarding Recruitment, Selection, Education, Training and Professional Development of Prison and Probation Staff. She has researched and published on probation and community sanctions in comparative contexts.

Episode cover photo by Hédi Benyounes on Unsplash.