Spotlight Series - School of Social Sciences and Philosophy

You are here About Us > People > Spotlight Series

Welcome to the Spotlight Series, where we put the focus on the talented individuals who contribute to the School of Social Sciences and Philosophy here in Trinity College Dublin.

Each month, we sit down with a member of our research team to learn more about their areas of expertise, what the turning points have been in their career, and what inspires them in their daily lives.

Dr Larissa Meier

Assistant Professor in Sociology

Dr. Larissa Meier is an Assistant Professor in Conflict Sociology. She obtained her PhD in Political Science and Sociology from the Scuola Normale Superiore in Florence and completed her undergraduate studies at the Universities of Zurich and Hamburg. Before joining Trinity College Dublin, she was a postdoctoral researcher at Bielefeld University in Germany. Her research explores the causes and consequences of contemporary political conflicts, with a particular focus on social movements, political violence, and civil resistance.

What is your current area of research?

My work focuses on contemporary political conflicts and, in particular, on people who come together to advocate for social change despite the risks involved. At the moment, I am writing a book on high-risk human rights activism in Egypt, Colombia, Mexico, and Kenya. I also study far-right mobilization and resistance in Europe. One of the questions that drives me here is why societal grievances—long associated with left-leaning movements—now so often seem to be taken up by far-right actors.

What question or challenge were you setting out to address when you started this work?

When I began my career, I was primarily interested in violent conflicts and wanted to understand why “ordinary” people sometimes take up arms. As a student, I was deeply influenced by Christopher Browning’s book Ordinary Men, which showed how social ties and group pressure, rather than just hatred or ideology, can explain participation in conflict. This perspective motivated me to pursue similar questions in my own research.

Share a turning point or defining moment in your work as a researcher?

A defining moment came during my PhD fieldwork in Sri Lanka. Becoming an academic had never been a lifelong goal—I arrived here by trial and error. After finding work in international organizations unfulfilling, I thought research might be the right path, but the coursework-heavy first year of my PhD left me uncertain. This changed once I began collecting my own data and conducting interviews—still my favourite method today. That hands-on experience confirmed that this was meaningful work for me.

Briefly, what excites you about your research?

What excites me now is the same thing that first inspired me as a student at the University of Zurich: research helps me make sense of the society and world I live in, while also reflecting on my own thinking and behavior. It continually opens up new puzzles and questions, reminding me of how much there still is to discover.

What do you like to do when you are not working?

In contrast to academic life, I enjoy doing something creative, especially with my hands. I’m passionate about interior design and love spending hours rearranging furniture and decoration until everything feels “right.” I also knit, and at the moment I’m attempting a wool sweater to prepare for the Dublin winter. And then there are podcasts—I listen to them almost constantly, whether I’m cooking, cleaning, or walking.

What are you currently reading?

As I’m new to Ireland, I’ve turned to novels as a way of understanding society here. Currently I read Amongst Women by John McGahern, and I also bought Claire Keegans Small Things Like These. I believe fiction can sometimes offer deeper insights into social life—and especially women’s roles—than sociology alone.

If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?

Rather than the famous “celebrities” of history, I would love to talk to ordinary women and men who lived through times of major change. I am interested to understand why some people embrace such change while others respond with fear, anxiety, or alienation.

What would people be surprised to find out about you?

People are often surprised to hear that I am an introvert. It’s sometimes assumed that introversion means shyness, which I’m not. But I do enjoy solitude and often find large crowds and small talk difficult to navigate.

May 2026

Past Stories