Niamh Gaynor
DR
Dr Niamh Gaynor holds a PhD in Sociology from Maynooth University, and an MSc in Rural Development and a BSc (hons) in Botany and Mathematics, both from University College Dublin. Following her MSc in 1994, Niamh lived for three years in Benin, West Africa where she worked on a GIZ (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) natural resource management project dealing with the challenges of climate change in the Sahel within a multi-ethnic community. On returning to Ireland in 1997, she worked with a number of development agencies and NGOs conducting field research and project evaluations in Africa and Central Europe. In 2004, she was awarded an IRC (Irish Research Council) PhD scholarship and she completed her PhD in 2008.
Niamh was appointed to DCU's School of Law and Government in 2009 where she is currently an Associate Professor. She teaches courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. At undergraduate level, courses taught include Introduction to Development and The Politics of sub-Saharan Africa. At post-graduate level, courses taught include International Development Practice, The Political Economy of Development, Politics and Development in Africa and Research Methods. Niamh has also served as MA programme Chair, BA Joint Honours Politics representative, and Teaching and Learning Coordinator within the School.
Niamh’s research focuses on how social and political inequalities are produced and reproduced. Her work to date has focused on exploring the conditions under which more marginalised groups and communities wield political 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, collaborating with NGOs and public agencies in this research. Her recent book (2022), Engendering Democracy in Africa: Women, Politics and Development is published by Routledge and is freely available on Open Access here. She is currently working on a co-edited book on the history of development education in Ireland. This is co-edited with Eilish Dillon (Maynooth University), Gerard McCann (Queen's University) and Stephen McCloskey (Centre for Global Education, Belfast) and will be published in Open Access by Bloomsbury in 2024.
Niamh serves on the editorial board of Policy and Practice - a Development Education Review. She also regularly serves as a reviewer for a wide range of international journals and book publishers.
Book
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Eilish Dillon; Niamh Gaynor; Gerard McCann; Stephen McCloskey (2024) Global Education in Ireland: Critical Histories and Future Directions. London: Bloomsbury. | |
| 2022 | Gaynor, N. (2022) Engendering Democracy in Africa: Women, Politics and Development. [Link] | |
| 2022 | Davies, J.S., I. Blanco, I. Chorianopoulos, N. Gaynor, S. Griggs, P. Hamel, R. Kiel, M. Pill and H. Sullivan (2022) New Development in Urban Governance: Rethinking Collaboration in the Age of Austerity. Bristol: Bristol University Press. | |
| 2021 | Antonella Acinapura, Niamh Gaynor, Bernie Grummell, Su-ming Khoo, Mags Liddy, Benjamin Mallon, Gabriela Martínez Sainz, Gerard McCann and Stephen McCloskey (2021) Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review: Fifteenth Anniversary Special Edition. Belfast: Centre for Global Education. | |
| 2017 | Jonathan Davies, Ismael Blanco, Ioannis Chorianopoulos, Niamh Gaynor, Steven Griggs, Pierre Hamel, David Howarth, Roger Keil, Madeleine Pill, and Helen Sullivan (2017) Governing in and Against Austerity: International Lessons from Eight Cities. Leicester, UK: De Montfort University. | |
| 2016 | Niamh Gaynor and Mairtin Cronin (2016) Community based approaches to tackling Gender-based violence in Malawi: Lessons and challenges of involving women and men. Ireland: ActionAid. | |
| 2014 | Gaynor, Niamh (2014) Community mobilisation in Ituri, DRC: Approaches, strategies, successes and challenges. : Trocaire. | |
| 2013 | Gaynor, Niamh (2013) Decentralisation, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Rwanda. : Trocaire. | |
| 2013 | Gaynor, Niamh (2013) Gouvernance locale, conflits et consolidation de la paix en Republique Democratique du Congo. : Trocaire. | |
| 2013 | Gaynor, Niamh (2013) Local governance, conflict and peacebuilding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. : Trocaire. | |
| 2011 | Gaynor, Niamh (2011) Opportunities for Citizen Participation in Local Governance in Burundi. : Trocaire. | |
| 2010 | Gaynor, Niamh and Anne O'Brien (2010) Drivers of Change?: Community Radio in Ireland. : Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. | |
| 2010 | Gaynor, Niamh (2010) Transforming Participation?: The Politics of Development in Malawi and Ireland, . : Palgrave Macmillan. |
Book Chapter
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Niamh Gaynor (2024) 'Contesting understandings and (re)claiming citizenship in Global Education' In: Global Education in Ireland: Critical Histories and Future Directions. London : Bloomsbury. | |
| 2024 | Niamh Gaynor; Eilish Dillon (2024) 'Global Education within Higher Education: Challenges and Contradictions in fuelling Ireland’s ‘knowledge economy’' In: Global Education in Ireland: Critical Histories and Future Directions. London : Bloomsbury. | |
| 2024 | Niamh Gaynor (2024) 'Future Directions and Global Lessons' In: Global Education in Ireland: Critical Histories and Future Directions. London : Bloomsbury. | |
| 2023 | Niamh Gaynor (2023) 'Local Civil Society Initiatives for Peacebuilding in North-East Congo' In: Civil Society Responses to Changing Civic Spaces. Basingstoke : Palgrave. [DOI] | |
| 2021 | Gaynor, N. (2021) 'Borders and violence in Burundi: Regional responses, global responsibilities' In: Handbook on Human Security, Borders and Migration. [Link] | |
| 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. | |
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Gaynor, Niamh (2016) 'The politics of democracy and the global institutions: lessons and challenges for community development'. POLITICS, POWER AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, . | |
| 2023 | Niamh Gaynor (2023) 'What does it mean to be an 'Active Citizen'? The Limitations and Opportunities posed by Different Understandings and Deployments of 'Citizenship''. Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review, . | |
| 2022 | Niamh Gaynor (2022) 'Africa’s lion economies and their gendered impacts: lessons from Asia'. Review of African Political Economy, 49 (173):498-506. [DOI] | |
| 2020 | Gaynor, N. (2020) 'Governing austerity in Dublin: Rationalization, resilience, and resistance'. Journal of Urban Affairs, 42 . [Link] [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 . [Link] [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 . | |
| 2017 | Gaynor, N.; O’Brien, A. (2017) 'Community radio, democratic participation and the public sphere'. Irish Journal of Sociology, 25 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2016 | Gaynor, N. (2016) 'The limits to community-based conflict resolution in North-East Congo'. Community Development Journal, 51 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2016 | Gaynor, N. (2016) 'Challenges to Decentralisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Beyond the Political Settlement'. Journal of International Development, 28 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2016 | Gaynor, N. (2016) 'Shopping to save the world? Reclaiming global citizenship within Irish universities'. Irish Journal of Sociology, 24 . [Link] [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, N. (2015) 'Poverty amid plenty: Structural violence and local governance in western Congo'. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 33 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 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 . | |
| 2014 | Gaynor, N. (2014) '‘A nation in a hurry’: The costs of local governance reforms in Rwanda'. Review of African Political Economy, 41 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2014 | Gaynor, N. (2014) 'Bringing the Citizen Back In: Supporting Decentralisation in Fragile States - A View from Burundi'. Development Policy Review, 32 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2014 | Gaynor, N. (2014) 'The tyranny of participation revisited: International support to local governance in burundi'. Community Development Journal, 49 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 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 . [Link] [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, Niamh (2011) 'Associations, Deliberation and Democracy: The Case of Ireland's Social Partnership'. Politics and Society, 39 :497-520. | |
| 2011 | Gaynor, N. (2011) 'In-active citizenship and the depoliticization of community development in Ireland'. Community Development Journal, 46 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2011 | Gaynor, N.; O'BRIEN, A. (2011) 'Community radio in Ireland: Defeudalising the public sphere?'. Javnost, 18 . [Link] | |
| 2011 | Gaynor, Niamh (2011) 'The global development project contested: The local politics of the PRSP process in Malawi'. Globalizations, 8 :17-30. | |
| 2010 | Gaynor, N. (2010) 'Between citizenship and clientship: The politics of participatory governance in Malawi'. Journal of Southern African Studies, 36 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2010 | Gaynor, N. (2010) ''But you can't compare Malawi and Ireland!' - shifting boundaries in a globalised world'. Development in Practice, 20 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2009 | Gaynor, N. (2009) 'Deepening democracy within Ireland’s social partnership'. Irish Political Studies, 24 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2024 | (2024) 'Peacebuilding, conflict and community development'. Community Development Journal, 59 (2):365-368. | |
| 2025 | (2025) 'Race, Gender, and the Immigrant Student: Aspiring Decolonisation in Irish Universities'. Social Studies-Irish Journal Of Sociology, . [DOI] |