Prof Aislinn O'Donnell
Biography
Aislinn is Professor of Education in the Department of Education and is also a member of the Centre for Public Education and Pedagogy.
She received her PhD from the University of Warwick in 2001, having undertaken her studies under the supervision of Keith Ansell Pearson. Her PhD was examined by Paul Gilroy and Christine Battersby. She was awarded both AHRB funding and University of Warwick Funding. She was awarded a Master in Philosophy from University College Dublin where her thesis was supervised by Richard Kearney. She spent a year in Georgetown University on a non-degree postgraduate scholarship studying Government and Philosophy. She is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin where she was awarded a BA Mod in Politics and Sociology and where she was elected Scholar in 1993. She also spent an ERASMUS year in the Institut D'Etudes Politiques in Strasbourg where she studied Politics and Sociology.
Through a series of educational and pedagogical projects, both funded and unfunded, and in her teaching of philosophy of education, Aislinn came to situate her work and research in the field and tradition of education. She has worked with different students from primary education to adult education, and has also worked closely with teachers and other educational practitioners on a number of art and philosophy projects. She is particularly interested in building connections and co-creating research between educational practitioners across the continuum of education, including youth work, and in developing collaborative research in teacher education. During her career, she has developed a series of projects and practices that bring together theory and practice in education in creative ways.
Her research and writing explore aesthetics, sensibility, materiality and affect in pedagogies and education. She is particular interested in ecological approaches to both philosophy and education that open up different contextually sensitive and creative ways of thinking about and understanding the human. As part of this she has developed a number of art and philosophy project in different sites of practice, such as schools and prisons, working with artists, philosophers and curators. These involve developing a range of creative pedagogical practices and her current research involves developing approaches and criteria to evaluate what is of value, rather than what is simply measurable, in these practices. This is also part of participatory action research approach adopted in the EDURAD: Educational Responses to Extremism project.
Mobilising a philosophical lens, Aislinn also engages in researching the ways in which silencing, legacies of violence, willed ignorance, and blind-spots have shaped social, philosophical, political and educational imaginaries. Her research and practice is influenced by writing in race theory, feminist theory and queer theory, in terms of both engaging in critique, and in developing new ways of imagining. She is involved in research and writing that seeks to articulate educational responses to extremism and radicalisation, responses distinct from those with a security lens. In this regard, her work engages with democracy, pluralism, and education, focusing on the cross-section of political theory and educational theory, with a particular focus on belonging and imagining. She has an ongoing interest in prison education, and some of her writing and research has been developed as a response to her experience and engagement with the space of the prison and people who are incarcerated.
She received her PhD from the University of Warwick in 2001, having undertaken her studies under the supervision of Keith Ansell Pearson. Her PhD was examined by Paul Gilroy and Christine Battersby. She was awarded both AHRB funding and University of Warwick Funding. She was awarded a Master in Philosophy from University College Dublin where her thesis was supervised by Richard Kearney. She spent a year in Georgetown University on a non-degree postgraduate scholarship studying Government and Philosophy. She is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin where she was awarded a BA Mod in Politics and Sociology and where she was elected Scholar in 1993. She also spent an ERASMUS year in the Institut D'Etudes Politiques in Strasbourg where she studied Politics and Sociology.
Through a series of educational and pedagogical projects, both funded and unfunded, and in her teaching of philosophy of education, Aislinn came to situate her work and research in the field and tradition of education. She has worked with different students from primary education to adult education, and has also worked closely with teachers and other educational practitioners on a number of art and philosophy projects. She is particularly interested in building connections and co-creating research between educational practitioners across the continuum of education, including youth work, and in developing collaborative research in teacher education. During her career, she has developed a series of projects and practices that bring together theory and practice in education in creative ways.
Her research and writing explore aesthetics, sensibility, materiality and affect in pedagogies and education. She is particular interested in ecological approaches to both philosophy and education that open up different contextually sensitive and creative ways of thinking about and understanding the human. As part of this she has developed a number of art and philosophy project in different sites of practice, such as schools and prisons, working with artists, philosophers and curators. These involve developing a range of creative pedagogical practices and her current research involves developing approaches and criteria to evaluate what is of value, rather than what is simply measurable, in these practices. This is also part of participatory action research approach adopted in the EDURAD: Educational Responses to Extremism project.
Mobilising a philosophical lens, Aislinn also engages in researching the ways in which silencing, legacies of violence, willed ignorance, and blind-spots have shaped social, philosophical, political and educational imaginaries. Her research and practice is influenced by writing in race theory, feminist theory and queer theory, in terms of both engaging in critique, and in developing new ways of imagining. She is involved in research and writing that seeks to articulate educational responses to extremism and radicalisation, responses distinct from those with a security lens. In this regard, her work engages with democracy, pluralism, and education, focusing on the cross-section of political theory and educational theory, with a particular focus on belonging and imagining. She has an ongoing interest in prison education, and some of her writing and research has been developed as a response to her experience and engagement with the space of the prison and people who are incarcerated.
Research Interests
Aislinn was co-PI on EDURAD, an ISF-P funded project seeking to develop educational responses to extremism in partnership with University of Linz, CSI (Cyprus), FUAS (Germany) and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. She led the ERASMUS+ project The Enquiring Classroom (2016-2018) partnering with MIC (Limerick), Sodertörn (Sweden) and Ellinogermaniki Agogi (Greece). Together with Felicity Colman (UAL), Vera Bühlmann (U. Wien) and Iris van der Tuin (University of Utrecht), she was co-PI on the Horizon 2020 project Ethics of Coding: A Report on the Algorithmic Condition from 2016-2017. She partnered on Embracing Cultural Diversity in the Classroom (2018-2020) project funded by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission & Creative Ireland led by Chester Beatty Library with partners - MIC, NUIM, Intercultural Education Service NI & Heritec.
She has developed a number of creative research and teaching projects. Together with gallery educator and curator, Katy Fitzpatrick, she has created a collaborative project called Art and Philosophy in the Classroom. She has an ongoing practice introducing community philosophy and other educational initiatives through an inter-disciplinary lens to prison and probation projects.
She is co-Chair of the Society of Women in Philosophy (SWIP-Ireland), Vice-Chair of the Irish Penal Reform Trust and was on the Management Committee of the COST Network (IS1307) “How Matter comes to Matter”. She is also a member of the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) Irish Network.
She has developed a number of creative research and teaching projects. Together with gallery educator and curator, Katy Fitzpatrick, she has created a collaborative project called Art and Philosophy in the Classroom. She has an ongoing practice introducing community philosophy and other educational initiatives through an inter-disciplinary lens to prison and probation projects.
She is co-Chair of the Society of Women in Philosophy (SWIP-Ireland), Vice-Chair of the Irish Penal Reform Trust and was on the Management Committee of the COST Network (IS1307) “How Matter comes to Matter”. She is also a member of the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) Irish Network.
Research Projects
Peer Reviewed Journal
Year | Publication | |
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2022 | O'Donnell, A. et al (2022) 'Philosophy of education in a new key: Future of philosophy of education'. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 54 (8):1234-1255. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2022 | Aislinn O'Donnell (2022) 'Sharing the world without losing oneself: education in a pluralistic universe'. Discourse-Studies In The Cultural Politics Of Education, 43 (5):666-685. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2018 | O'Donnell, A (2018) 'Spinoza, experimentation and education: How things teach us'. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 50 :819-829. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2018 | O’Donnell A. (2018) 'Experimentation in Institutions: Ethics, Creativity, and Existential Competence'. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 37 (1):31-46. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2017 | Aislinn O'Donnell (2017) 'Anti-Heroic Education: For the Scavengers and the Gleaners'. 5 (2):17-38. [Full-Text] | |
2017 | Aislinn O'Donnell (2017) 'The Matter of Thinking: Material Thinking and the Natural History of Humankind'. 6 (1):39-54. [Link] [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2017 | Aislinn O'Donnell (2017) 'Shame is already a revolution: The politics of affect in Gilles Deleuze'. 11 (1). [Link] [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2017 | O’Donnell A. (2017) 'Pedagogical injustice and counter-terrorist education'. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 12 (2):177-193. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2016 | O’Donnell A. (2016) 'Securitisation, Counterterrorism and the Silencing of Dissent: The Educational Implications of Prevent'. British Journal of Educational Studies, 64 (1):53-76. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2016 | Todd S.; Jones R.; O'Donnell A. (2016) 'Introduction: Shifting education's philosophical imaginaries: relations, affects, bodies, materialities'. Gender and Education, 28 (2):187-194. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2016 | O’Donnell A. (2016) 'Contagious ideas: vulnerability, epistemic injustice and counter-terrorism in education'. Educational Philosophy and Theory, :1-17. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2015 | O'Donnell A. (2015) 'Curriculum as Conversation: Vulnerability, Violence, and Pedagogy in Prison'. Educational Theory, 65 (4):475-490. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2015 | O'Donnell A. (2015) 'Contemplative Pedagogy and Mindfulness: Developing Creative Attention in an Age of Distraction'. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 49 (2):187-202. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2014 | O'Donnell A. (2014) 'Another Relationship to Failure: Reflections on Beckett and Education'. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 48 (2):260-275. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2013 | O'Donnell A. (2013) 'Unpredictability, Transformation, and the Pedagogical Encounter: Reflections on What is Effective in Education'. Educational Theory, 63 (3):265-282. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
2012 | O'Donnell A. (2012) 'Thinking-in-concert'. Ethics and Education, 7 (3):261-275. [DOI] [Full-Text] |
Book Chapter
Published Report
Year | Publication | |
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2019 | Aislinn O'Donnell, Lovisa Bergdahl, Patricia Kieran, Stephanos Cherouvis, Elisabet Langmann (2019) The Enquiring Classroom Handbook. European Commission ERAMUS+, . [Link] [Full-Text] | |
2019 | Aislinn O'Donnell, Lovisa Bergdahl, Patricia Kieran, Stephanos Cherouvis, Elisabet Langmann (2019) The Enquiring Classroom Theoretical Framework. European Commission - ERASMUS+, . [Link] | |
2018 | Colman, F., O’Donnell, A., Bühlmann, F & I. Van der Tuin (2018) Ethics of Coding: A Report on the Algorithmic Condition. European Commission, . [Link] | |
2012 | Aislinn O (2012) The NCAD Fine Art Programme in Portlaoise Prison: Historical Chronology. NCAD, . [Link] |
Article
Year | Publication | |
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2016 | Aislinn O'Donnell (2016) Epistemic Injustice and the Policing of the Artworld. [Article] [Link] [Full-Text] |
Catalog
Year | Publication | |
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2019 | Aislinn O'Donnell (2019) An Alchemical Proposition - Time to Think: Subtracting the Citizen Artist from the Command to Be Active. [Catalog] | |
2018 | Aislinn O'Donnell (2018) Our Common World: Incarceration and Exile. [Catalog] [Link] | |
2013 | Aislinn O'Donnell (2013) Who will refuse me the right to listen. [Catalog] [Link] [Full-Text] | |
2013 | Aislinn O'Donnell (2013) On Listening, if you wish. [Catalog] [Link] [Full-Text] |
Educational Article
Year | Publication | |
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2018 | O’Donnell, A (2018) Why Schools must give up the myth of success. [Educational Article] [Link] |
Electronic Publication
Year | Publication | |
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2022 | O (2022) Sharing the World: Educational Responses to Extremism. [Electronic Publication] [Link] |
Invited Review Articles
Year | Publication | |
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2019 | Aislinn O'Donnell (2019) Muslims, Schooling and Security: Trojan Horse, Prevent and Racial Politics by Shamim Miah. [Invited Review Articles] [Link] |
Manual
Year | Publication | |
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2014 | Aislinn O'Donnell, Positive Now and the All-Ireland Network of PLHIV (2014) HIV: Our Responsibilities. [Manual] [Link] [Full-Text] |
Newspaper Articles
Year | Publication | |
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2020 | O’Donnell, A (2020) Does Philosophy have a Problem with Race?. [Newspaper Articles] [Link] | |
2018 | Aislinn O'Donnell (2018) Why we need community philosophy. [Newspaper Articles] [Link] | |
2015 | Aislinn O'Donnell (2015) Teaching Children about World Religions and Ethics could help counter Islamophobia’. [Newspaper Articles] [Link] |
Artwork
Year | Publication | |
---|---|---|
2013 | Aislinn O'Donnell (2013) The Impossible Conversation. [Artwork] [Link] [Full-Text] |
Certain data included herein are derived from the © Web of Science (2024) of Clarivate. All rights reserved.
Committees
Education
Outreach Activities
Organisation | Type | Description | |
---|---|---|---|
COST Network 'New Materialisms': TATE Training School’ | Civic Society | COST Network 'New Materialisms' TATE Training School’: Delivered 'Art Matters'. An art and philosophy public workshop at TATE in collaboration with Katy Fitzpatrick. http://www.tate.org.uk/about/projects/art-matters-contemporary-art-and-philosophy-children [Link] | |
Positive Now and All-Ireland Network of People Living with HIV | Civic Society | Positive Now and All-Ireland Network of People Living with HIV: Workshops and collaborative writing and production of booklet "HIV: Our Responsibilities". http://positivenow.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/HIV-Our-Responsibilities.pdf [Link] | |
Studio 468 | Civic Society | Studio 468 and Common Ground "Citizen Artist" programme: Witness, interlocutor and engagement in developing public events in collaboration. http://www.commonground.ie/studio-468-cit-for-proposals/ | |
Philosophy Ireland | Civic Society | PHILOSOPHY Ireland: Founding member of new grassroots network Philosophy Ireland that seeks to promote philosophy in schools and in communities on the island of Ireland. www.philosophyireland.ie [Link] | |
Dublin Ships Project | Civic Society | Dublin Ships Project: Collaboration with four schools commissioned by Dublin City Council (Ruari O'Cuiv and Liz Coman) in response to Cliona Harmey's public art commission. Working in collaboration with Cliona Harmey (artist), Martina Galvin (artist) and Katy Fitzpatrick (gallery educator and curator) and the following schools: St Lawrence’s Girls National School, St Lawrence’s Boys National School (Sheriff Street), St Joseph’s National School (East Wall) and St Patrick’s Girls National School (Ringsend). http://slides.com/dubships/deck/fullscreen?token=1-S51GSa#/ [Link] | |
PALLS (Probation and Linkage in Limerick Scheme) | Civic Society | PALLS (Probation and Linkage in Limerick Scheme): Taught philosophy in the project over the period of 2011-2014. | |
Portlaoise Prison | Civic Society | Portlaoise Prison: Taught philosophy in the prison to both social and Republican prisoners from 2010-2015 | |
PACE | Civic Society | PACE: Taught philosophy to people on day release from prison and on the community scheme from 2010-2011. | |
Project 2020 | Civic Society | Project 2020: Art and Philosophy Project in Collaboration with Dublin City Council and The Lab, Dublin City Gallery. Collaboration with children and teachers from Rutland St NS and Gaelscoil Mhuire, Parnell Square. | |
FASNET - Dublin Aids Alliance | Civic Society | FASNET - Dublin Aids Alliance: Pedagogical project supported by GradCAM and Dublin Aids Alliance. Developed "Two Laws" project with students on Special Community Employment scheme from 2009-2010. | |
Nghathal Youth Club, Manipur | Civic Society | Nghathal Youth Club, Manipur: Developed funding proposals and collaborated on development of music project to respond to HIV and drug use in Churchandpur, North-East India. Secured funding from range of funders including MTV Staying Alive Foundation and UNODC. http://www.mtvstayingalive.org/video/nghathal-youth-club/ [Link] | |
EVA International | Civic Society | EVA International 2016: 8 week art and philosophy project with children from Scoil Mhathair De and Le Cheile after school project, engaging with the 2016 EVA Biennial exhibition curated by Koyo Kouoh "Still (the) Barbarians". [Link] | |
EVA International | Civic Society | EVA international 2014: 8 week art and philosophy project with children from Scoil Mhathair De, Limerick, engaging with the 2014 EVA Biennial exhibition curated by Bassam El-Baroni, "Agitationism". https://www.youtubef.com/watch?v=P0e0N6TIEcM [Link] | |
Wicklow Imaginaries | Civic Society | Wicklow Imaginaries: A Collaborative Art and Philosophy Project with Katy Fitzpatrick (Gallery Educator and Curator), Fiona Hallinan (Artist) and Jennie Guy (Curator), St Mary's and St Gerard's NS, Enniskerry and Educate Together NS, Bray. Wicklow Council and Arts Council Funded. | |
Soilse | Civic Society | SOILSE: Designed and taught six-week philosophy programme to people in recovery from drug use. |