Teaching

SO4056 - Hate Crime: Roots, Realities, and Redress

Module Leader: Dr Amanda Haynes

The purpose of this module is to explore the phenomenon of hate crime through a sociological and legal lens. Specifically the module aims to unpack hate crime as a social construct; to examine is structural roots; to explore the social consequences of legal formulations and legislative lacunae; to critically evaluate the potential for legal, civic, and educational solutions; to familiarise the student with the field of hate studies as an interdisciplinary project drawing on both sociology and legal scholarship and to critically interrogate the hate crime paradigm. 

LA4063 - LGBT Rights, Resistance, and Redress: Gender, Sexuality and the Law in Ireland 

Module Leader: Dr Jennifer Schweppe

This course is designed to help students acquire the conceptual tools and affective dispositions required to engage in LGBT-inclusive analyses of Irish legislation and policy. The module first seeks to help students adopt a critical approach to traditional binary conceptions of gender and sex, as well as to heteronormativity, providing a foundation for informed analysis of historical and contemporary Irish legislation. In particular, students will be encouraged to consider the impact on LGBT inclusion of anti-discrimination and criminal legislation. Students will engage with key moments in the evolution of LGBT-rights in Ireland, up to and including the passing of the Marriage Act 2015 and the Gender Recognition Act 2015.

LA6192 - Hate Crime

Module Leader: Dr Jennifer Schweppe

The purpose of this module is to conduct a socio-legal enquiry into the phenomenon of hate crime. It will explore the concept of hate, and concepts of hate crime internationally, highlighting the differences between hate crime, hate incidents and hate speech. It will interrogate the prevalence of hate crime in an Irish context, critically exploring the difference in official and unofficial reporting rates. It will look at the forms hate crime can take, and the impact of hate crime on its victims. Following this victim-centric approach, the module will then go on to examine the concept of hate through the lens of the criminal law, evaluating legislative models for addressing hate, and asking whether we need to criminalise the hate element of a crime. It will also examine the policing of hate, particularly in the context of changes introduced following the publication of the Macpherson Report in the United Kingdom. It will finally query the manner in which we address hate behaviour post-conviction.

The European Centre for the Study of Hate encourages applications from prospective students interested in pursuing postgraduate studies at the University of Limerick.

While the Group is interested in all aspects of hate, hate crime and the study of hate, we are particularly interested in hearing from potential PhD students who are interested in researching one of the following

• Access to Justice for Minoritised Communities
• Hate Crime in Minoritised Communities               
• Frontline Responses to Victims of Hate
• Third Party Monitoring of Hate Crime
• Educative Interventions for Hate Crime
• Legal Frameworks for Addressing Hate Crime

Prospective applicants should submit a two page research proposal to ECSH@ul.ie. All applications should be accompanied by a CV and transcript. If you have queries regarding funding and/or scholarships within the Arts Humanties and Social Sciences faculty please see its website.