Sociology, the systematic study of society, is a discipline of social and economic significance. Sociological specialisms inform policy, practice and education regarding such diverse and pressing issues as crime, cultural diversity, discrimination, education, the environment, family dynamics, health, housing, homelessness, poverty, prejudice, migration, religion, welfare and work. In these and other areas, sociologists work as researchers generating the empirical knowledge required for reflection and development, and the frameworks of understanding to guide those processes.

Sociology encourages a critical perspective. Our discipline fosters analytical thinking, reflection and a willingness to revaluate accepted knowledge and practices. We educate students for active citizenship. As researchers and policymakers, the work of sociologists frequently offers the kinds of challenge that promote positive innovation. Sociologists are also willing to ask difficult questions. We focus on issues of power, conflict and inequality, as well as on sources of inclusion and cohesion. In a rapidly developing society, it is particularly important to have a voice which calls our attention to the experiences of those who may feel they are being left behind.

Sociology facilitates societal self-reflection. It provides a scientific basis for evaluating the human impact of past and present choices. In doing so, sociology provides an informed approach to the future. Looking to the future, sociologists will continue to make significant contributions to the economy and society as researchers, policy developers and teachers. In all three guises, sociologists tend to be concentrated in the public and third sector. As such, the availability of public funding has a considerable impact on the work of sociologists. It is imperative that, particularly in times of recession, social research, social policy development and social interventions are not branded as luxury expenditures and subjected to restrictive funding cuts. Rather, work which examines and responds to the social, as well as the economic, needs of people should be prioritised.

With a view to maximising the positive contribution of sociology to society and the economy, our association seeks to facilitate a higher profile for the work of sociologists, particularly social researchers. Public awareness of sociology’s current role in understanding and responding to our social and economic circumstances is key to ensuring the accessibility of our skills to national and local bodies, including the State. We perceive the mass media as a key mechanism for raising public awareness. The availability of funding for the development of a media strategy would greatly enhance our activities in this area.

We have over 150 members who are active in a wide range of research areas. Our annual conferences are important fora to keep informed about research conducted by sociologists working in Ireland (and by sociologists writing about Ireland). Our most recent conference, which attracted coverage in both broadcast and print media,

disseminated current sociological research on pressing social issues such as domestic violence, abuse and sex work. Social policy, policy formation and social interventions were also key foci, specifically in relation to lone parents, childcare, women’s labour force participation, health reform and prostitution. Studies of masculinity and fatherhood were presented. There were papers on early school leaving and teaching practices. Research relating to economic policy was also well represented, including studies of development models and taxation. Studies of organisations, their discourses and practices were covered with a particular focus on social movements and non-governmental organisations. There were also papers on community development and social capital.

The findings of research on Irish identity and rurality were elaborated at the conference and environmental sociology was well represented. Two particularly prolific research areas were migration studies and the sociology of religion, the latter focusing in particular on religiosity and secularisation. In relation to the former, research was presented on migrant communities and workers, integration and belonging, public attitudes to immigration, ethnic conflict and media policy on cultural diversity. In addition to media policy, the conference also incorporated research on mass media representations, and on new technologies, specifically online networking. A number of papers publicised research on popular culture. Finally, the conference also disseminated research on methodological issues and developments of relevance to sociological research.

With reference to the issue of collaborative research, it is worth noting that most of the research presented at our annual conferences is not collaborative. To some extent this can be attributed to disciplinary tradition. Nonetheless, current funding models should be expected to challenge such practices, given that they increasingly value, if not require, collaboration. However, it should be noted that research metrics also play a role in determining researchers’ attitudes towards collaborative research. Research metrics which award each author of a dual-authored publication with half the credit allocated to a single authored publication do not encourage collaborative activity among those subject to such systems of evaluation.

Metrics for evaluating research performance must encourage high quality research, not just its publication. Metrics currently employed by academic institutions focus primarily upon the publication of research (rather than the undertaking of research more generally) and often prioritise a narrow range of publication formats. Focusing on narrowly defined metrics devalues research which is disseminated in other formats. For example, the significance of edited collections to bringing together the work of specialists in a field, may not be adequately recognised. The publication of journal articles and books with reputable publishers is a core activity of our members. Such publications are essential to developing the disciplinary body of knowledge, as well as to disseminating findings and theoretical developments of import to education, policy and practise. However, many of our members make vital contributions to the strategic development, policy development and best practice of a range of public, private and third sector organisations through the conduct of commissioned research.

The findings of such studies are commonly disseminated through the production of reports which, although they may be widely disseminated, do not fall into the categories of books or peer-reviewed journal articles. The ownership of the research may be retained by the commissioning organisation, preventing members from publishing their findings in such formats. Metrics which fail to value commissioned research of this nature may discourage sociologists employed in academia from this type of activity. Commissioned research represents an important link between researchers and the needs of the international, national and local communities in which they are located.

Public funding is pivotal to the conduct of quality sociological research. Schemes such as those provided by the Irish Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences are essential to the generation of new sociological knowledge about Ireland and by sociologists working in Ireland. The continuity and expansion of such funding programmes is key. Development of financial supports should include regular and secure funding for multi annual research that provides for longitudinal analysis, such as the International Social Survey Programme.

With regards to the education of future sociologists, three issues are particularly pressing, firstly increasing the size of the postgraduate student body, secondly the development of students’ research skills and thirdly enhancing the preparedness of incoming undergraduates. The development of postgraduate research in sociology is currently limited by the availability of scholarships and the restriction, in many competitions, to application by registered postgraduates. As such, the impact of scholarship competitions on student numbers would be optimised by the additional availability of fee waivers at an institutional level, in order to bridge the gap between registration and successful application for a scholarship.

For students without other sources of financial support, the risk associated with applying for funding through open competition can be particularly discouraging. Rescinding the restriction on the types of postgraduate programme which are eligible for Back To Education Allowance funding would represent a positive step. Moreover, as the vocational opportunities represented by the disciplines of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences are often actualised only through postgraduate specialisation, this policy change would enhance the employability of BTEA recipients.

Research skills are core to a holistic sociological education. They are also among the most marketable and transferable skills that graduates will acquire. Developing the research skills of postgraduate students will enhance the quality of postgraduate research and the availability of research skills among future educators. We highlight the importance of training graduate cohorts in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, in order to provide a basis for a sociologically-informed statistical analysis of social processes as well as the rich insights and depth of understanding provided by our strengths in qualitative methods. Graduate Research Education Programme funding has begun to impact the availability of supplementary programmes designed to upskill postgraduate students in these areas. The continued availability of funding programmes of this nature is key to the sustainability of any resulting improvements.

Finally, the introduction of sociology as a subject on the Leaving Certificate would significantly enhance the preparedness of incoming undergraduate students. Consequently, third level educators would be facilitated in further deepening and widening the content of undergraduate sociology programmes. A knock-on effect on the quality of postgraduate students would be anticipated. In addition, the availability of sociology as a named subject on the Leaving Certificate would enhance the status and profile of the discipline and would add to the employment options available to graduates. Certainly, it is anticipated that the introduction of Politics and Society as a Leaving Certificate subject will contribute towards these ends.