Niamh Gaynor
Dr

Niamh Gaynor is an Associate Professor specialising in the politics of inequality and development, citizen participation and democracy, and evolving forms of governance, both formal and informal. She holds a BSc in Botany and Mathematics; an MSc in Rural Development; and a PhD in Sociology. Niamh has worked in DCU since 2008. Previously she worked in international and community development in Africa and Ireland.
Niamh teaches courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. At undergraduate levels, she has taught courses in 'Introduction to Development' and 'Politics of sub-Saharan Africa'. At post-graduate level, she has taught courses in 'Development Theory and Practice', 'The Political Economy of Development', 'Politics and Development in Africa' and 'Research Methods'. She has also taught courses in 'Media and Development', 'Community Development' and 'Social Analysis' at Maynooth University.
Niamh’s research specialises in how social and political inequalities come to be produced and reproduced. Her work to date has focused on exploring the conditions under which more marginalised groups and communities wield an influence at local and national levels. She has conducted field research in a wide range of African countries (most recently, Burundi, DRC, Rwanda and Malawi), as well as in Ireland. In collaboration with ActionAid, Niamh is currently (2020-2021) working on an IRC funded project on the potential for political engagement among women's community groups and networks in Kenya. This research forms part of a broader book she is writing which is provisionally entitled 'Engendering Democracy: Women, Politics and Development in Africa'. This is due to be completed and published by Routledge in 2022.
Niamh serves on the editorial board of ‘Policy and Practice - a Development Education Review’. She also regularly serves as reviewer for a wide range of international journals and book publishers.
Niamh teaches courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. At undergraduate levels, she has taught courses in 'Introduction to Development' and 'Politics of sub-Saharan Africa'. At post-graduate level, she has taught courses in 'Development Theory and Practice', 'The Political Economy of Development', 'Politics and Development in Africa' and 'Research Methods'. She has also taught courses in 'Media and Development', 'Community Development' and 'Social Analysis' at Maynooth University.
Niamh’s research specialises in how social and political inequalities come to be produced and reproduced. Her work to date has focused on exploring the conditions under which more marginalised groups and communities wield an influence at local and national levels. She has conducted field research in a wide range of African countries (most recently, Burundi, DRC, Rwanda and Malawi), as well as in Ireland. In collaboration with ActionAid, Niamh is currently (2020-2021) working on an IRC funded project on the potential for political engagement among women's community groups and networks in Kenya. This research forms part of a broader book she is writing which is provisionally entitled 'Engendering Democracy: Women, Politics and Development in Africa'. This is due to be completed and published by Routledge in 2022.
Niamh serves on the editorial board of ‘Policy and Practice - a Development Education Review’. She also regularly serves as reviewer for a wide range of international journals and book publishers.
Book
Book Chapter
Year | Publication | |
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2022 | Niamh Gaynor (2022) 'The limits of the local: Successes and limitations of civil society initiatives for peacebuilding in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo' In: Civil society responses to changing civic spaces. Basingstoke : Palgrave. | |
2021 | Niamh Gaynor (2021) 'Borders and Violence in Burundi: Regional Responses, Global Responsibilities' In: Handbook on Human Security, Borders and Migration. MA, United States : Edward Elgar. | |
2021 | Niamh Gaynor (2021) 'Development Education in Politically Interesting Times' In: Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review: Fifteenth Anniversary Special Edition. Belfast : Centre for Global Education. | |
2021 | Niamh Gaynor (2021) 'Why the Migrant ‘Crisis’ is an Opportunity: Remittances, Aid and Global Responsibility' In: Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review: Fifteenth Anniversary Special Edition. Belfast : Centre for Global Education. | |
2019 | Niamh Gaynor (2019) 'Beneath the veneer: Decentralisation and post-conflict reconstruction in Rwanda'' In: Post-conflict Reconstruction and Local Government. UK : Routledge. | |
2018 | Adrian Bua, Ismael Blanco, Ioannis Chorianopoulos, Jonathan Davies, Niamh Gaynor, Steven Griggs, David Howarth (2018) 'The Urban Governance of Austerity in Europe' In: The Routledge Handbook of International Local Government. London : Routledge. | |
2016 | Gaynor N. (2016) 'The politics of democracy and the global institutions: Lessons and challenges for community development' In: Politics, Power and Community Development. | |
2015 | Niamh Gaynor (2015) 'Globalising Higher Education: Challenges and Contradictions' In: Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review. Belfast : Centre for Global Education. | |
2018 | Bua, A.;Davies, J.;Blanco, I.;Chorianopoulos, I.;Cortina-Oriol, M.;Feandeiro, A.;Gaynor, N.;Griggs, S.;Howarth, D.;Salazar, Y. (2018) 'The urban governance of austerity in Europe' In: The Routledge Handbook of International Local Government. [Link] [DOI] |
Peer Reviewed Journal
Year | Publication | |
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2022 | Niamh Gaynor (2022) 'Africa’s Lion economies and their gendered impacts: Lessons from Asia'. REVIEW OF AFRICAN POLITICAL ECONOMY (ONLINE), . [DOI] | |
2020 | Gaynor, N (2020) 'Neoliberalism, deliberation and dissent: Critical reflections on the ‘community activation’ turn in Ireland’s community development programme'. Community Development Journal, 55 (4):645-661. | |
2019 | Niamh Gaynor (2019) 'Why the migrant ‘crisis’ is an opportunity: Remittances, aid and global responsibility'. Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review, 29 . | |
2019 | Gaynor N.;Cronin M. (2019) ''A woman's place...': Community-based approaches to gender-based violence in Malawi'. Community Development Journal, 54 (2):254-272. [DOI] | |
2017 | Gaynor N.;O’Brien A. (2017) 'Community radio, democratic participation and the public sphere'. Irish Journal of Sociology, 25 (1):29-47. [DOI] | |
2016 | Gaynor N. (2016) 'The limits to community-based conflict resolution in North-East Congo'. Community Development Journal, 51 (2):268-284. [DOI] | |
2016 | Gaynor N. (2016) 'Shopping to save the world? Reclaiming global citizenship within Irish universities'. Irish Journal of Sociology, 24 (1):78-101. [DOI] | |
2014 | Gaynor N. (2014) '‘A nation in a hurry’: The costs of local governance reforms in Rwanda'. Review of African Political Economy, 41 :S49-S63. [DOI] | |
2011 | Gaynor, Niamh (2011) 'Associations, Deliberation and Democracy: The Case of Ireland's Social Partnership'. Politics and Society, 39 :497-520. | |
2009 | Gaynor N. (2009) 'Deepening democracy within Ireland's social partnership'. Irish Political Studies, 24 (3):303-319. [DOI] | |
2017 | Gaynor, Niamh (2017) 'Beneath the veneer: Decentralisation and post-conflict reconstruction in Rwanda'. Third World Quarterly, Advance access: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23802014.2016.1333450 . | |
2016 | Gaynor N. (2016) 'Challenges to Decentralisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Beyond the Political Settlement'. Journal of International Development, 28 (2):198-213. [DOI] | |
2016 | Niamh Gaynor (2016) 'Rounds Pegs in Square Holes? Development Education, the Formal Sector and the Global Knowledge Economy'. Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review, Forthcoming . | |
2015 | Gaynor, Niamh and Anne O'Brien (2015) 'Community radio, democratic participation and the public sphere'. Irish Journal of Sociology, Advance access: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/manup/ijs/pre-prints/content-MUP_IJS_00002 . | |
2015 | Gaynor N. (2015) 'Poverty amid plenty: Structural violence and local governance in western Congo'. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 33 (3):391-410. [DOI] | |
2015 | Gaynor, Niamh (2015) 'Shopping to Save the World?: Reclaiming Global Citizenship within Higher Education '. Irish Journal of Sociology, Advance access: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/manup/ijs/pre-prints/content-MUP_IJS_00003 . | |
2014 | Gaynor N. (2014) 'Bringing the Citizen Back In: Supporting Decentralisation in Fragile States - A View from Burundi'. Development Policy Review, 32 (2):203-218. [DOI] | |
2014 | Gaynor, N (2014) ''A nation in a hurry': the costs of local governance reforms in Rwanda'. Review of African Political Economy, 41 :49-63. [DOI] | |
2014 | Gaynor N. (2014) 'The tyranny of participation revisited: International support to local governance in burundi'. Community Development Journal, 49 (2):295-310. [DOI] | |
2014 | Gaynor, Niamh (2014) 'Supporting Decentralisation in Fragile States: A View from Burundi'. Development Policy Review, 32 :203-218. | |
2012 | Gaynor N.;O'brien A. (2012) 'Because it all begins with talk: Community radio as a vital element in community development'. Community Development Journal, 47 (3):436-447. [DOI] | |
2012 | O'Brien, Anne and Niamh Gaynor (2012) 'Voice of the People? Objectives Versus Outcomes for Community Radio in Ireland'. THE RADIO JOURNAL, 10 :145-160. | |
2011 | Gaynor N. (2011) 'In-active citizenship and the depoliticization of community development in Ireland'. Community Development Journal, 46 (1):27-41. [DOI] | |
2011 | Gaynor N.;O'BRIEN A. (2011) 'Community radio in Ireland: Defeudalising the public sphere?'. Javnost, 18 (3):23-38. | |
2011 | Gaynor, Niamh (2011) 'The global development project contested: The local politics of the PRSP process in Malawi'. Globalizations, 8 :17-30. | |
2011 | Gaynor N. (2011) 'Associations, deliberation, and democracy: The case of ireland's social partnership'. Politics and Society, 39 (4):497-519. [DOI] | |
2011 | Gaynor N. (2011) 'The global development project contested: The local politics of the PRSP process in Malawi'. Globalizations, 8 (1):17-30. [DOI] | |
2011 | Gaynor, N;O'Brien, A (2011) 'COMMUNITY RADIO IN IRELAND: "DEFEUDALISING" THE PUBLIC SPHERE?'. Javnost, 18 :23-37. | |
2010 | Gaynor N. (2010) 'Between citizenship and clientship: The politics of participatory governance in Malawi'. Journal of Southern African Studies, 36 (4):801-816. [DOI] | |
2010 | Gaynor N. (2010) ''But you can't compare Malawi and Ireland!' - shifting boundaries in a globalised world | 'Mas vocênão pode comparar Malauí com Irlanda!': Mudando fronteiras em um mundo globalizado'. Development in Practice, 20 (3):342-353. [DOI] | |
2009 | Gaynor, N (2009) 'Deepening Democracy within Ireland's Social Partnership'. Irish Political Studies, 24 :303-319. [DOI] | |
2020 | Gaynor N. (2020) 'Governing austerity in Dublin: Rationalization, resilience, and resistance'. Journal of Urban Affairs, 42 (1):75-90. [DOI] |
Other Journal
Conference Publication
Conference Contribution
Reports
Certain data included herein are derived from the © Web of Science (2022) of Clarivate. All rights reserved.
Professional Associations
Honors and Awards
Research Interests
The politics of development, participation and governance - in Africa and in Ireland; civil society and community; media and development.