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Dr. Anne Holohan
Associate Professor, Sociology

Biography

Dr Anne Holohan is Associate Professor in Sociology. She is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, the London School of Economics and the University of California, Los Angeles, and from 2004-2006 was Marie Curie International Fellow at the University of Trento, Italy. Her research and teaching interests include organizations, digital sociology, gamification, conflict resolution and disaster management, globalization and comparative social change. Her books include Networks of Democracy: Lessons from Kosovo for Afghanistan, Iraq and Beyond published by Stanford University Press in 2005; and Community, Competition and Citizen Science: Voluntary Distributed Computing in a Globalized World, UK, Ashgate Publishing, 2013. From 2016-2019, she was PI and Coordinator of Gaming for Peace (GAP), a 2 million euro project funded under H2020 CSA and running from 2016-2019. GAP creates a curriculum of 'soft skills' (gender awareness, cultural awareness, communication) for peacekeeping personnel and embeds it in a role-playing digital game with assessment. In 2020-2022, Dr Holohan is PI of a grant from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs which supports the use of GAP by end user organizations and the collection of research data. She is PI of Transformation in Learning and Training (TiLT), which is developing curricula and digital role-playing games to mitigate individual and systemic biases around gender, race and ethnicity, in public organizations, delivered through an online platform.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Trochowska-Sviderok, K., Masakowski, Y. R., McFate, M., Holohan, A., Gender diversity management in NATO for sustainable security and peace., Security and Defence Quarterly, 45(1). https://doi.org/10.35467/sdq/183658, 45, (1), 2024 Journal Article, 2024 URL

Holohan, Anne (and Sara Singleton), The Case for 'Trust' as a Key Soft Skill for Peacekeepers, Journal of International Peacekeeping, 21, 2019, p224 - 225 Journal Article, 2019 TARA - Full Text

Do No Harm Lest Others Do Harm to You: Self Protection and Risk Management by Generation Y On Social Media in, editor(s)Jeremy Schulz Laura Robinson Aneka Khilnani John Baldwin Heloisa Pait Apryl A. Williams Jenny Davis Gabe Ignatow , Mediated Millennials. Studies in Media and Communication, Bingley UK, Emerald Insight, 2019, pp71 - 87, [Katarzyna Wodniak Anne Holohan] Book Chapter, 2019 URL

Holohan, Anne, 'Gaming for Peace Digital Role-Playing Game, with Assessment', Gaming for Peace H2020 Project 700670, Ireland, European Commission H2020, 2019, - Software, 2019 URL

Anne Holohan, Transformative Training in Soft Skills for Peacekeepers, International Peacekeeping, 2019 Journal Article, 2019 TARA - Full Text URL

'Do No Harm Lest Others Do Harm to You: Self Protection and Risk Management by Generation Y On Social Media' in, editor(s)Cotten, S.R., Robinson, L. & Schulz, J. , Mediated Millennials. Studies in Media and Communication Volume 19, USA, Emerald Publishing Limited, 2019, pp71 - 87, [Wodniak, K. & Holohan, A] Book Chapter, 2019

Holohan, Anne; Pyz, Justyna, Trochowska, Kamila, Gaming for Peace: Gender Awareness Training and the Polish Military, Security and Defence Quarterly, 4, (21), 2018, p41 - 57 Journal Article, 2018 TARA - Full Text

Anne Holohan, Peacebuilding and SSR in Kosovo: an Interactionist perspective , Global Crime, 17, (3), 2016 Journal Article, 2016

Cultures of Experimentation: Role Playing Games and Sexuality in, editor(s)Robinson, Laura; Jeremy, Schulz; Apryl Williams; Joy Hightower; Tim Hale; and Shelia Cotten. , New Media Cultures: Emerald Studies in Media and Communication: Communication and Information Technologies Annual, UK, Emerald Group Publishing Ltd: UK, 2016, [Devlin, Ciaran and Holohan, Anne] Book Chapter, 2016 TARA - Full Text

Holohan, Anne, Community, Competition and Citizen Science: Voluntary Distributed Computing in a Globalized World, UK, Ashgate Publishing, 2013, 146pppp Book, 2013

The Digital Home: a New Locus of Social Science Research in, editor(s)Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber , Handbook of Emerging Technologies in Social Research, Oxford University Press, 2011, pp647 - 666, [Anne Holohan, Jeanette Chin, Vic Callaghan, Peter Muhlau] Book Chapter, 2011

Kevin Feeney, Dave Lewis, Kris McGlinn, Declan O'Sullivan, Anne Holohan "Avoiding Big Brother Anxiety with Progressive Self-Management of Ubiquitous Computing Services" (ed.), The Fifth Annual International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems: Computing, Networking and Services (Mobiquitous 2008), July 21-25 2008, 2008 Proceedings of a Conference, 2008

Kevin Feeney, Dave Lewis, Kris McGlinn, Declan O'Sullivan, Anne Holohan. , Avoiding "big brother" anxiety with progressive self-management of ubiquitous computing services, International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems, Dublin, Ireland, 2008, Article No.: 47 , (Article No.: 47 ), ICST (Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering) , 2008 Conference Paper, 2008 DOI

Holohan, Anne and Anurag Garg, Collaboration Online: The Example of Distributed Computing, Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, 10, (4), 2005 Journal Article, 2005 URL

Holohan, Anne, Networks of Democracy: Lessons from Kosovo for Afghanistan, Iraq and Beyond, hardback and paperback, Stanford, Stanford University Press, 2005, 1 - 220pp Book, 2005

Holohan, Anne, The United Nations Development Program: From a Hierarchy to an Information Based Network Organization, The Proceedings of the 67th American Society for Information Science and Technology Annual Meeting, 41, 2004, p31 - 39 Journal Article, 2004

Holohan, Anne, Cooperation and Coordination in an International Intervention: : the Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Kosovo, Information Technologies and International Development , 1, (1), 2003, p19 - 39 Journal Article, 2003

Holohan, Anne, Haiti, 1990-1996: Older and Younger Journalists in the Post Cold War World, Media, Culture and Society, 25, (6), 2003, p737 - 755 Journal Article, 2003

Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications

Holohan, Anne, 'TiLT University Student Game', Transformation in Learning and Training, Dublin, Ireland, TiLT, 2021, - Software, 2021 URL

Anne Holohan, Anurag Garg and Enrique Leon, Emotions in Face to Face and E-Deliberation: A New Paradigm in Decision-Making and Problem Solving, 58th Annual Political Studies Association Meeting, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, April 1-3 2008, 2008 Conference Paper, 2008 URL

Anne Holohan, Carla de Tona, Andrew Whelan, Negotiating Access to Irish State and Society: The Role of Internet Cafes in Dublin, 'After the Celtic Tiger' Irish Social Science Platform Conference , Dublin City University, 11-12 Sept. 2008 , 2008 Conference Paper, 2008

Holohan, Anne, Working Lives: The Irish in Britain, paperback, London, The Irish Post/Eastman Press, 1995 Book, 1995

Research Expertise

Projects

  • Title
    • Transformation in Learning and Training (TiLT)
  • Summary
    • TILT is a research-based online platform that embeds curricula in computer games and is currently being developed in Trinity College Dublin to address individual and systemic biases within organisations. The problem of organizational bias is not just individual behaviours and attitudes. It is organizational and systemic biases. TILT recognizes that individuals have several aspects to their identities, and that we all live in systems and organizations that have assumptions and biases built in. TILT aims to help individuals and organisations develop this understanding through role play. The research-based curricula and learning objectives are delivered via an online platform through digital gaming storylines and dialogue, in which the player must make decisions in realistic situations designed to draw out and demonstrate identity-based biases. Thus, experiential knowledge is made available to, and usable by, organizations. The content of the training curriculum is drawn from two sources. Firstly, we use the extensive research and theories in social science on how biases are produced through the interaction of individual, organizational and systemic factors. Secondly, we draw on experiential data (in depth qualitative interviews) from a wide range of identities and organizational settings, using ethnographic methodology gathers nuanced experiences to build authentic scenarios for short role-playing digital game storylines/scenarios.
  • Funding Agency
    • Enterprise Ireland
  • Date From
    • 2021
  • Date To
    • 2022
  • Title
    • Gaming for Peace (GAP)
  • Summary
    • Dr Anne Holohan is Principal Investigator and Coordinator of 'Gaming for Peace', building a digital role-playing game to train personnel in Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding missions. Gaming for Peace is a digital role-playing game to train peacekeeping personnel in the soft skills of gender awareness, cultural awareness, communication, and empathy. 180 experienced peacekeeping personnel from 180 countries were interviewed, and these were drawn on and combined with state of the art research in soft skills to produce a curriculum. This curriculum was embedded in a storyline in a 2D digital role-playing game. Assessment to measure progress in the soft skills was developed for before, during, and after the game. A Skills Passport benchmarking the results of the assessment to international standards was developed. The 'Gaming for Peace' project was funded by a €2 million euros grant from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme. Led by Trinity, it brought together 15 collaborative partners from academia, military, police, civil actors and business, including the Irish Defence Forces, the PSNI, the Finnish military, the Polish military and Polish police, the Bulgarian military, the Portuguese State Police, Laurea University in Finland, the Ted Kennedy Institute at NUI Maynooth, HPS in Dublin, Upskill in Belfast, and Enquirya in the Netherlands.
  • Funding Agency
    • European Commission
  • Date From
    • 2016
  • Date To
    • 2019
  • Title
    • Gaming for Peace (GAP 31.5) Year Two
  • Summary
    • Gaming for Peace (GAP) has developed a curriculum in soft skills (gender awareness, cultural awareness, communication, empathy) for peacekeeping personnel (military, police, civilian). GAP has embedded this curriculum in a role-playing game with assessment in the game and before and after. There are supporting learning materials and a trainers manual so it can be delivered locally by peacekeeping organizations, providing universal, standardized training. The Stability Fund will assist the Consortium in the delivery of this training material, enabling data collection for further research.
  • Funding Agency
    • Irish Department of Foreign Affairs
  • Date From
    • 2021
  • Date To
    • 2022
  • Title
    • Gaming for Peace (GAP 31.5)
  • Summary
    • Gaming for Peace (GAP) has developed a curriculum in soft skills (gender awareness, cultural awareness, communication, empathy) for peacekeeping personnel (military, police, civilian). GAP has embedded this curriculum in a role-playing game with assessment in the game and before and after. There are supporting learning materials and a trainers manual so it can be delivered locally by peacekeeping organizations, providing universal, standardized training. The Stability Fund will assist the Consortium in the delivery of this training material, enabling data collection for further research.
  • Funding Agency
    • Irish Department of Foreign Affairs
  • Date From
    • Jan 1st 2020
  • Date To
    • December 31st 2020
  • Title
    • Changing Social Norms in the Digital Era: Students, Privacy and Sharing
  • Summary
    • This project provides an insight into the rules and norms behind generation Y social media presence and informs future research through an exploration of the norms underpinning digitally mediated interaction and behavior among college-age students in Ireland.
  • Funding Agency
    • Trinity College Dublin
  • Date From
    • 2015
  • Date To
    • 2017

Keywords

Conflict resolution ; digital sociology; Globalisation; INSTITUTIONS; Management, information technology, information systems; Organisation design, development, theory, behaviour; peacekeeping; Sociology of development, population society, development; sociology of gender

Recognition

Representations

Member, Big Data Forum, Department of An Taoiseach. A Consultative Forum on the societal issues arising from the continuing growth in generation and use of personal data. 2015