Richard O'Leary
BA in History/Politics(UCD), MA (QUB), D.Phil (Oxford)
Lecturer in Sociology
Room 1.01, 1 College Park
Ext 3566; E-mail: r.oleary@qub.ac.uk
I joined the School in 2000, having previously been employed as a Prize Research Fellow at Nuffield College, University of Oxford (1998-00), a Researcher at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), Dublin (1992-94) and a Civil Servant in the Research Unit of the Department of Social and Family Affairs, Dublin (1990-92). My main research interests are in the following areas:
(i) Minority-majority relations and equality issues.
(ii) Sociology of Religion.
(iii) Chinese Studies.
Teaching interests
Sociology of Religion, Ethnicity, Social Research Methods. Equality Studies, Irish Studies, Chinese Studies
Educational qualifications:
D.Phil. (Oxford University, 1998, Sociology)
Graduate Diploma in Statistics (Trinity College, Dublin, 1991)
M.A. (Queen’s University, 1989, Social Anthropology)
Diploma in Chinese Studies (Beijing Language and Culture University, 1988)
B.A. (University College Dublin, 1986, History, Politics and Gaeilge)
Research:
Minority groups and equality Issues
I am interested in minority-majority relations generally but especially for ethno-religious minorities. I also research immigrant ethnic minorities (especially Chinese), linguistic minorities (e.g. comparative work on the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland) and I have recently begun research on sexual minorities.
Publications:
2007, Li Yaojun and R. O'Leary 'Progress in reducing Catholic Disadvantage in Northern Ireland' in Anthony Heath and Sin Yi Cheng (eds.) Ethnic Minority Disadvantage in the Labour Market: Comparative Perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press for the British Academy.
2003, Fjalar Finnas and R.O'Leary 'Choosing for the Children: The affiliation of the children in minority-majority group intermarriage' European Sociological Review, 19, 5, pp483-499
2002, R.O'Leary and F. Finnas 'Education, social integration and minority-majority group intermarriage' Sociology, 36,2, pp 235-54
2002, R O'Leary 'Single sex or coeducational schooling' Sociology Review , 12, 2,
1998, R.O'Leary, 'Female workers on long term sickness benefit in the Republic of Ireland: the relevance of their relationship with the labour market', Social Policy and Administration, 32, 3. pp245-262.
1996, R.O’Leary Co-education and Gender Equality, Dublin: Oak Tree Press (with D. Hannan, E. Smyth, J.McCullagh, D. McMahon) [Book]
1996, J.J Sexton and R O'Leary, 'An Analysis of the factors affecting the decline in the population of the minority religious communities in the Republic of Ireland' in Building Trust in Ireland: Studies Commissioned by the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, Belfast: Blackstaff Press, pp255-332.
1995, Richard Breen, Damian Hannan, R O'Leary. 'Returns to Education: Employers' perceptions and use of educational credentials' European Sociological Review, 11, 1. pp59-74.
Selected reports on minority & equality issues:
'Beyond Unemployment: Further Differences in Catholic and Protestant performance in the Northern Ireland Labour market' 2006, Belfast : Equality and Social Inclusion in Ireland project (with Yaojun Li)
Commissioned to write a report on staffing at Oxford University , Report incorporated into Peter North's Commission of Inquiry, Report, volume 2, 1997, Oxford : University of Oxford
Commissioned to write a report on religious minorities as a consultant to the Irish Government's Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, Dublin (1996, see publications).
'The Incidence of Women on Long-term Disability Benefit'. As a civil servant I wrote this report for the Public Accounts Committee of the Irish Parliament. 1993, Dublin : Department of Social Welfare
'Social services and the needs of the minority ethnic communities in Northern Ireland ', 1991, Belfast : Bryson House. Commissioned by the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work
Sociology of Religion
Much of my research on religion has been conducted with reference to the theoretical framework of modernization and secularization. I am particularly interested in religious minorities and this has included the Protestant minority in the Republic of Ireland, the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland, and Christian minorities in China. I have published extensively on religious intermarriage. I am a consultant for the EUREL network on religion and the law in Europe.
Publications:
2008, R O’Leary and L. Li Mainland Chinese Students and Immigrants in Ireland and their engagement with Christianity, Churches and Irish society. Dublin: DUFEM (major report)
2008, R O’Leary ‘Who are the believers in religion in China’ in Abby Day (ed.) Religion and the Individual. Aldershot:Ashgate.pp47-64.(with X, Lu and Yaojun Li)
2006, R.O'Leary and Beatrice Leung 'A survey of the views of Chinese priests and sisters on the Catholic Church in China ', Milan: Proceedings of the European China Catholic Colloquium.
2004, R O'Leary Patterns and Processes of Religious Change in Modern Industrial Societies: Europe and America, Lampeter: Edwin Mellen Press. (with Alasdair Crockett) [Book]
2004, R O'Leary 'Modernization and Religious intermarriage' in Patterns and Processes of Religious Change in Modern Industrial Societies, A. Crockett and R O'Leary (eds.) Lampeter: Edwin Mellen Press.pp117-138.
2004, R O'Leary and A. Crockett 'An empirically oriented comparative approach to the study of religious change' in Patterns and Processes of Religious Change in Modern Industrial Societies, A. Crockett and R O'Leary (eds.) Lampeter: Edwin Mellen Press. pp1-12.
2004, [in Chinese] R. O'Leary 'Modernization and Secularization' in Zhuo Xinping (ed) Religious Comparison and Dialogue, Beijing : Religious Culture Publishing House.pp178-190.
2004, R O'Leary, 'The relics of St Therese' in M. Peillon and M. Corcoran (eds.) Place and non-place: the reconfiguration of Ireland, pp 83-92, Dublin: Institute of Public Administration. pp83-92.
2001, R. O'Leary 'Modernization and Religious Intermarriage' British Journal of Sociology, 52, 4.
2000, R.O'Leary, 'Religious intermarriage in Dublin : the importance of status boundaries between religious groups' Review of Religious Research, 41, 4. pp471-487.
2000, R.O'Leary, 'Inter-Church Communion: The divergence of doctrine and practice' Studies, 89, 353. pp54-62.
2000, R O'Leary, 'The President's Communion' in E. Slater and M. Peillon (eds.) Memories of the present. Ireland, Dublin: Institute of Public Administration.
1999, R.O'Leary, 'Change in the rate and pattern of religious intermarriage in the Republic of Ireland' Economic and Social Review, 30, 2. pp119-132.
1996, J.J Sexton and R O'Leary, 'An Analysis of the factors affecting the decline in the population of the minority religious communities in the Republic of Ireland' in Building Trust in Ireland: Studies Commissioned by the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, Belfast: Blackstaff Press, pp255-332.
Chinese Studies.
The main focus of my research on China and the Chinese is on religion. I was a research visitor in 2004 at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Institute of World Religions , Beijing . I have a particular interest in the Catholic Church in China and this has extended to a study of the religion of Chinese immigrants in Ireland.
My other China-related research is historical work on the Irish in late Qing and Republican China - administrators, missionaries etc. I am currently working on research on Sir Robert Hart in China (1835-1911). Hart was the Inspector-General of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs.
I am a founder and current Secretary of the Association for Chinese Studies in Ireland (ACSI). www.chinesestudies.ie and a Committee member of the Asian Studies Ireland Association (ASIA).
Publications:
(forthcoming 2009) R.O’Leary ‘The Irish Mandarin: The career of Sir Robert Hart in China’ in Jerusha McCormack (ed.) China and the Irish, New Island Press in association with RTE.
2008, R O’Leary and L. Li Mainland Chinese Students and Immigrants in Ireland and their engagement with Christianity, Churches and Irish society. Dublin: DUFEM (major report)
2008, R O’Leary ‘Who are the believers in religion in China’ in Abby Day (ed.) Religion and the Individual. Aldershot:Ashgate.pp47-64.(with X, Lu and Yaojun Li)
2006, R. O'Leary 'Sir Robert Hart in China: the significance of his Irish roots', Modern Asian Studies, 40, 3, pp583-604.
2006, R.O'Leary and Beatrice Leung 'A survey of the views of Chinese priests and sisters on the Catholic Church in China', Milan : Proceedings of the European China Catholic Colloquium.
2004, [in Chinese] R. O'Leary 'Modernization and Secularization' in Zhuo Xinping (ed) Religious Comparison and Dialogue, Beijing : Religious Culture Publishing House.pp178-190.
