Biography
I am Director of the BA Sociology and Social Policy and PI of the Unplanned Pregnancy and Abortion Care Study (UnPAC) at the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin.
My research focuses on the social politics of reproduction and sexuality which has generated high impact publications including lead authored articles in Gender & Society and Qualitative Research. My research areas include abortion and crisis pregnancy, sexual socialisation and inter-generational relations. My current research is a study of women's experiences of using unplanned pregnancy supports and abortion care services in Ireland since legalisation of abortion in January 2019, funded by Irish Government's Health Service Executive Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme.
My research agenda displays methodological innovation and scholarly excellence and my publications span both substantive areas and methodological papers in high impact journals and edited collections. My commitment to trans disciplinary and creative research practices saw me join the Creative Arts Practice Research Theme Steering Group in TCD and a collaboration with Prof Evangelia Rigaki in the School of Music to translate material from my PhD research concerning women concealing pregnancy into an Opera Performance The Pregnant Box (Conlon and Rigaki, 2014) for Trinity College Dublin Discover Research Night 2014.
I am a member of the Organising Committee of the annual Irish International Narrative Studies Conference and hosted the conference in TCD in May 2019 as part of the Irish Narrative Studies Group in collaboration with colleagues from NUI Maynooth, Dublin City University and IT Sligo. I serve on the Board of the Centre for Gender, Feminisms and Sexualities at University College Dublin
I teach across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and supervise Masters and PhD students. I teach in both mediums of classroom and online education on substantive subject areas and research methodologies. Core module curricula I have designed and taught include: Introduction to Social Policy; Principles of Social Policy [online]; Families and Society; Ageing and Intergenerational Relations; Research Design and Research Methodologies for Practitioners.
My research has featured in both national and international print media including the Irish Times, The London Independent and Le Monde. I have been interviewed about my research on current affairs news programmes including RTE's Morning Ireland and the Pat Kenny Show and Newstalk's The Right Hook. I have featured on TV current affairs programmes including RTE's PrimeTime and Virgin Media's Ireland AM.
I welcome inquiries and applications from PhD applicants in the areas of sexuality, reproductive politics, inter-generational relations and sexual socialisation.
Publications and Further Research Outputs
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Greene Jo, Butler Éadaoin, Conlon Catherine, Antosik-Parsons Kate, Gomperts Rebecca, Seeking online telemedicine abortion outside the jurisdiction from Ireland following implementation of telemedicine provision locally, BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health, 48, (4), 2022, p259 - 266
Spillane, A., Taylor, M., Henchion, C., Venables, R. and Conlon, C. , Early abortion care during the COVID-19 public health emergency in Ireland: Implications for law, policy, and service delivery. , International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 154, 2021, p379 - 384
Bras S., Gomperts R., Kelly M., Aiken A.R.A., Conlon C., Accessing abortion outside jurisdiction following legalisation of abortion in the Republic of Ireland, BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health, 47, (3), 2021, p200 - 204, p200-204
Foley G, Timonen V, Conlon C, Elliott O'Dare C., Interviewing as a vehicle for theoretical sampling in grounded theory, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20, 2021, p1 - 10
Mullally A., Horgan T., Thompson M., Conlon C., Dempsey B., Higgins M.F., Working in the shadows, under the spotlight " Reflections on lessons learnt in the Republic of Ireland after the first 18"months of more liberal Abortion Care, Contraception, 102, (5), 2020, p305 - 307, p305-307
Elliott O'Dare, C., Timonen, V. and Conlon, C., Doing intergenerational friendship: Challenging the dominance of age homophily in friendship, Canadian Journal of Aging - La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 2020
Conlon C, Timonen V, Elliott O'Dare C, O'Keeffe S, Foley G., Confused about theoretical sampling? Engaging theoretical sampling in diverse grounded theory studies, Qualitative Health Research, 30, (6), 2020, p947 - 959
Sampling and conceptualization in Grounded Theory in, editor(s)Järvinen, M Mik-Meyer, N , Qualitative analysis - eight approaches , London, Sage, 2020, pp223 - 242, [Conlon, Catherine]
Elliot O'Dare, C, Timonen, V and Conlon, C., Doing' intergenerational friendship: challenging the dominance of age homophily in friendship'' , Canadian Journal on Aging/La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , 2020, p1 - 14
Elliott O'Dare, C., Timonen, V. and Conlon, C., Intergenerational friendships of older adults: Why do we know so little about them?, Ageing & Society, 2019, p1 - 16
O'Dare, CE, Timonen, V, Conlon, C, Escaping 'The Old Fogey': Doing Old Age through Intergenerational Friendship , Journal of Ageing Studies, 48, 2019, p67 - 75
Timonen V, Foley G, Conlon C., Challenges when using Grounded Theory: A pragmatic introduction to doing GT research, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 17, (1), 2018, p1 - 10
Quilty, A, Kennedy, S, Conlon, C, The Abortion Papers: Volume 2, Cork, Cork University Press, 2016, 1 - 331pp
Conlon, C., Carney, G., Timonen, V. and Scharf, T., 'Emergent Reconstruction' in Grounded Theory: Learning from Team-Based Interview Research, Qualitative Research, 15, (1), 2015, p39 - 56
The Fragility of Respectability for Lone Mothers in, editor(s)Quilty, A, Kennedy, S and Conlon, C , Abortion Papers Ireland Vol II, Cork, Attic/Cork University Press, 2015, pp228 - 243, [Conlon, C]
Timonen, V. and Conlon, C., Beyond Mannheim: Conceptualising how people 'talk' and 'do' generations in contemporary society, Advances in Life Course Research, 24, 2015, p1 - 9
Conlon, C., Timonen, V., Carney, G. and Scharf, T., Women (re-)negotiating care across family generations: Intersections of gender and socioeconomic status, Gender & Society, 28, (5), 2014, p729 - 751
Conlon, C., Timonen, V., Scharf, T. and Carney, G., Consumption of care and intergenerational relations in the Irish context, Families, Relationships and Societies, 3, (1), 2014, p139 - 142(4)
Evangelia Rigaki creator/composer, Libretto: W.N. Herbert, Catherine Conlon, 'The Pregnant Box', Trinity College Dublin, Front Square, 2014, -
Carney, G., Scharf, T., Timonen, V. and Conlon, C., 'Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt': Solidarity between generations in the Irish crisis, Critical Social Policy, 34, 2014, p312 - 332
Timonen, Virpi, Conlon, Catherine, Scharf, Thomas and Carney, Gemma, Family, state, class and solidarity: Re-conceptualising intergenerational solidarity through the Grounded Theory approach, European Journal of Ageing, 10, (3), 2013, p171 - 179
Timonen, V., Scharf, T., Conlon, C. and Carney, G., Intergenerational solidarity and justice in Ireland: Towards a new national dialogue, Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 10, (3), 2012, p317 - 321
Carney, GM, Scharf, T, Timonen, V, Conlon, C, The Civic Culture of an Ageing State: Inferences from a Grounded Theory of Intergenerational Solidarity in Ireland, Gerontologist, 52, 2012, p143 - 143
Friel, S, Conlon, C, What is the extent of Food Poverty in Ireland, European Journal of Public Health, 13, (4), 2004, p133 - 140
Mahon, E, C.Conlon and L.Dillon , Women and Crisis Pregnancy in Ireland , Dublin , Dept of Health , 1998
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications
Conlon, Catherine, Unplanned Pregnancy and Abortion Care (UnPAC) Study, Health Service Executive, Dublin, July, 2022, p1 - 298
Conlon, C, Supporting Parents Communicating with Children Aged 4-9 Years about Relationships, Sexuality and Growing Up, 27, Dublin, HSE, January, 2018, p1 - 112
O'Dare, CE, Timonen, V, Conlon, C, Forum Article Intergenerational Friendship: Challenging the Dominance of Age Homophily in Friendship, Ageing and Society, 2017, p1 - 16
The Fragility of Respectability of Lone Mothers in, editor(s)Quilty, A, Kennedy, S, Conlon, C , The Abortion Papers Ireland: Volume 2, Cork, Attic Press, 2015, pp228 - 243, [Conlon, C]
Scharf, T., Timonen, V., Conlon, C. and Carney, G., Changing Generations - Findings from new research on intergenerational relations in Ireland, Dublin and Galway, Trinity College Dublin and National University of Ireland Galway, April, 2013, 20 pp.
Conlon, C, O'Connor, J and Ni Cathain, S, Attitudes to Fertility, Sexual Health and Motherhood amongst a Sample of Migrant Women Living in Ireland, Dublin, Crisis Pregnancy Agency, 2012
Conlon, C, The situation concerning homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation in Ireland: Sociological Country Report, Dublin, Publisher European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, March, 2009
Walsh, J, Conlon, C, FitzPatrick, B, Hansson, U, Enabling Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Individuals to access their Rights under Equality Law, Belfast, The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland And The Equality Authority, November, 2007, p1 - 193
Conlon, C, Concealed Pregnancy: A case-study approach from an Irish setting, Dublin, August, 2006, p1 - 204
Barry, U, Conlon, C, Murphy, S, National expert assessment of the gender perspective in the National Report on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2006 - The Irish National Report, 2006
Barry, U, Tiernan, S, Conlon, C, Work-Life Balance: The Irish National Report, 5, 2, Dublin, UCD School of Social Justice, March, 2005, p1 - 34
Conlon, C, Mixed Methods research of Crisis Pregnancy Counselling and Support Services, 12, Dublin, Crisis Pregnancy Agency , January, 2005, p1 - 126
Friel, S, Conlon, C, Policy Response to Food Poverty in Ireland , Dublin, Saint Vincent dePaul, April, 2004, p1 - 154
Barry, U, Conlon, C, O' Conor, J, "Making work pay" : debates from a gender perspective - the Irish national report, 2004
Barry, U, Conlon, C, Gender equality perspective on Ireland's National Employment Action Plan 2004, 2004
Parsons, S, O'Connor, J, Conlon, C, A Whole New World: a Feminist Model of Community and Lifelong Learning , Dublin, Women's Education Research and Resource Centre, 2004
Friel, S, Conlon, C, Poster Topic: Social and Socio-Demographic Inequalities: What is the extent of food poverty in Ireland?, European Journal of Public Health, 13, 2003
Barry, U, Conlon, C, Murphy, S, Gender Impact Assessment , Dublin, Gender and Employment Research Network, 2000
Conlon, C, Women- The Picture of Health: A Review of Research on Women's Health in Ireland, Dublin, The Women's Health Council, 1999, p1 - 88
Mahon, E., Conlon C., Dillon L., Women and Crisis Pregnancy, Dublin, Stationery Office, 1998
Research Expertise
Description
My research focuses on the social politics of reproduction and stands out for advanced application of qualitative methodologies. I am the leading expert on understanding how regulating abortion shapes experiences of seeking and accessing abortion care which I am currently applying to advance the concept of reproductive citizenship. In 2022 I was awarded a HEA North-South Research Programme Project Award to apply my novel conceptualisation of Reproductive Citizenship empirically on a comparative all-Island basis. My articulation of reproductive citizenship earned me an invitation from University of Newcastle to join an international research consortium addressing the place of reproductive justice in the just transition. We are one of nine consortia shortlisted by the British Academy for three Global Convening Programme 2023 awards. My research is strongly impacting national reproductive health policy. The HSE commissioned me to study service user experiences of newly legalised abortion healthcare during 2019-2021 with findings informing service planning and implementation. The Department of Health designated this study the service user data strand informing the 2022 statutory review of legislation regulating abortion. In February 2022 I was appointed Expert Academic Advisor to the Independent Chair of the Review by the Department of Health. My research is generating a steep citations trajectory, high impact publications, competitive research awards, invitations to collaborate in international consortia, translation into policy and media and excellent potential. I have been awarded over €500,000 in grants since entering post in 2015 as well as a Provosts Project Award 2021. My outputs feature across top ranking social science and inter-disciplinary journals e.g., Qualitative Research (IF: 3.14), Qualitative Health Research (IF: 3.0) and Gender & Society (IF: 2.8), indicative of their broad intellectual scope and appeal. My citations are rising steeply: a 5-fold increase on Google Scholar citations between 2017 and 2022 brings my h-index to 14.Projects
- Title
- Research with Parents
- Summary
- Commissioned by the Health Service Executive (HSE) Crisis Pregnancy Programme, this project explores how parents of children aged 4-9 communicate with their children regarding the body, relationships and sexuality. The project employs Constructivist Grounded Theory principles using focus group interviews in a project intended to inform the commissioning body in developing policies and initiatives promoting positive sexual health and well-being.
- Funding Agency
- Health Service Executive (HSE) Crisis Pregnancy Programme
- Date From
- December 2013
- Date To
- April 2015
- Title
- Changing Generations
- Summary
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow on Changing Generations research project. Atlantic Philanthropies funded inter-Institutional project involving Social Policy and Ageing Research Centre, School of Social Work and Social Policy, TCD (Prof Virpi Timonen (PI) and Dr Catherine Conlon) and Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, NUI Galway (Prof Tom Scharf (PI) and Dr Gemma Carney). The project explored intergenerational solidarity in Ireland through Constructivist Grounded Theory methods using 100 qualitative interviews with women and men aged 18-102. Prof Kathy Charmaz who pioneered the method was International Adviser to the project. I lead authored three of the six peer reviewed publications generated by this project to date.
- Funding Agency
- Atlantic Philanthropies
- Date From
- July 2011
- Date To
- July 2013
Recognition
Awards and Honours
UCD Ad Astra Doctoral Research Scholarship
Crisis Pregnancy Agency Phd Scholarship
Memberships
International Federation of Abortion and Contraception Professionals (FIAPAC)
British Sociological Association
Sociological Association of Ireland