Angelos Bollas

Sociology

Assistant Lecturer

Biography

I am an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Maynooth University. Prior to this position, I worked at Dublin City University, University College Dublin, the University of Sheffield, and the University of Manchester. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from The American University of Greece (DEREE College), a Bachelor's degree in English from The University of London (Goldsmiths University), a Master's degree in Teaching from Leeds Beckett University, a Master's degree in Sexuality Studies from DCU, a Master's degree in Modern English Literature from Mary Immaculate College, a Master's degree in Sociology from UCD, and a PhD from DCU.

I have authored peer-reviewed journal articles on topics related to Masculinity and Sexuality Studies for journals such as the Journal of Homosexuality, the Journal of Bisexuality, the Journal of Popular Television, the Journal of Popular Film and Television, and Sexuality & Culture. I have edited a special issue on the representation of HIV/AIDS in the TV series It's a Sin (2021, Channel 4) for the Journal of Popular Television. I am the author of three books: Contemporary Irish Masculinities: Male Homosociality in Sally Rooney's Novels (Routledge), Sexualised Governmentalities: Critical Perspectives on Homosexism (Springer), and Fashionable Queerness: Straight Appropriation of Queer Fashion (Emerald). I am the co-editor HIV/AIDS in Memory, Culture, and Society (Palgrave Macmillan, with Dr Alicia Castillo Villanueva), and I am the editor of the Routledge Companion to Sally Rooney which will be published by Routledge at the end of 2024/beginning of 2025

My research is broadly defined within sexuality, masculinity studies, and health. In particular, I research male homosociality, the role of sexuality in the socialisation of men, the ways in which cultural discourses contribute to societal responses to sexualities, and sexuality-related issues in health (and) education. I also conduct research that focuses on representation of masculinities in mainstream media, and the significance of such representations for the sociocultural context within which they occur. Additionally, I write about representations of sex, with an interest in non-normative sex and the way this is framed and presented in cultural productions. Another area of interest to me has been gender and sexuality in education.

Research Interests

My research has so far focused on a range of areas all of which have masculinities as a common factor. In my most recent book, for example, I argue that sexual practices form the basis of in-group discrimination among gay men. My previous book offered an examination of male homosociality as it is portrayed in Irish cultural products, and my next book focuses on celebrity culture and fashion with attention to evaluating whether heterosexual male celebrities' usage of queer fashion choices challenge or support hetero-patriarchal gender scripts.

I have also written about social suffering and its relationship to the HIV/AIDS experience. The area of social suffering is one that I am currently working on, designing a mixed-methods project where I explore gendered societal responses to social suffering, interrogating cis-heteropatriarchal normative understandings of suffering and the ways in which people respond to it.

 

Book

Year Publication
2024 Bollas, A. (2024) Fashionable Queerness: Straight Appropriation of Queer Fashion. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited. [Link]
2024 Bollas, A. (2024) Sexualised Governmentalities: Critical Perspectives on Homosexism. Cham: Springer. [Link]
2023 Bollas, A. (2023) Contemporary Irish Masculinities: Male Homosociality in Sally Rooney. New York: Routledge. [Link]

Book Chapter

Year Publication
2024 Bollas, A.; Castillo Villanueva, A. (2024) 'Viral Echoes: Revisiting the Cultural Memory of HIV/AIDS' In: HIV/AIDS in Memory, Culture and Society. Basingstone : Palgrave Macmillan. [Link]
2024 Bollas, A. (2024) 'Beyond the spectacle: Rethinking media representations of HIV/AIDS and social suffering' In: HIV/AIDS in Memory, Culture and Society. Basingstone : Palgrave Macmillan. [Link]
2023 Bollas, A. (2023) 'LGBTQI+ Sexualities and a Diversity-Focused Approach in English for Academic Purposes' In: Diversity and Inclusion in English Language Education. London : Routledge. [Link]
2020 Bollas, A. (2020) 'A Framework Toward Inclusive Practices in ELF: The Example of LGBTQI+ Identities' In: English for 21st Century Skills. London : Express Publishing. [Link]

Edited Book

Year Publication
2024 Castillo Villanueva, A.;Bollas, A (Ed.). (2024) HIV/AIDS in Memory, Culture and Society. Basingstone: Palgrave Macmillan, [Link]

Peer Reviewed Journal

Year Publication
2024 Bollas, A. (2024) 'HIV/AIDS, Disability, and Viral Masculinities'. Sexuality and Culture, . [Link] [DOI]
2023 Bollas, A. (2023) 'Men, Sides, and Homosexism: A Small-Scale Empirical Study of the Lived Experiences of Men Who Identify as Sides'. Journal of Homosexuality, 71 (8):1867-1879. [Link] https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2023.2208250
2023 Bollas, A. (2023) 'Viral representations: It’s a Sin'. Journal Of Popular Television, 11 (2):135-153. [Link] https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv_00099_1
2023 Bollas, A. (2023) 'Hegemonic Monosexuality'. Journal of Bisexuality, 23 (4):441-455. [Link] https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2023.2248126
2022 Bollas, A. (2022) 'Normal People (2020) and the New Post-Celtic Irish Man'. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 50 (2):50-59. [Link] https://doi.org/10.1080/01956051.2022.2033156
2022 Bollas, A. (2022) 'Viral Representations in Pose (2018–2021)'. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 50 (3). [Link] https://doi.org/10.1080/01956051.2022.2110559
2021 Bollas, A. (2021) 'A critical discussion of inclusive approaches to sexualities in ELT'. ELT Journal, 75 (2). [Link] https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccaa075
2021 Bollas, A. (2021) 'Masculinities on the Side: An Exploration of the Function of Homosexism in Maintaining Hegemonic Masculinities and Sexualities'. Sexuality and Culture, 25 . [Link] https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09848-3

Other Journal

Year Publication
2021 Bollas, A. (2021) 'Homoterrorism: Definition, Application, Subversion' Fast Capitalism, 18 (1) :26-35. [Link] https://doi.org/10.32855/fcapital.2021.01

Editorial

Year Publication
2023 Bollas, A. (2023) It’s a Sin: Introduction to a Special Issue. [Editorial] [Link] https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv_00097_2

Edited Journal Issue

Year Publication
2023 Bollas, A.; Morgan, A.; Ledin, C.; Shankar, L. (2023) It's a Sin. [Edited Journal Issue] [Link] https://doi.org/10.1386/jptv_00097_2

Magazine Article

Year Publication
2024 Bollas, A. (2024) What Irish author Sally Rooney's novels teach us about masculinity. [Magazine Article] [Link]
Certain data included herein are derived from the © Web of Science (2024) of Clarivate. All rights reserved.

Professional Associations

Description Function From / To
Sociological Association of Ireland Committee Member (Membership) -

Honors and Awards

Date Title Awarding Body
02/10/2022 Teaching & Learning Award (nomination) University College Dublin

Teaching Interests

I have experience designing and teaching modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the areas of Sociology of Health; Sex, Gender and Sexuality; Social Inequality and Social Class; Race, Sociology of Media; Cultural Sociology; Visual Sociology; and, Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods.

I am a Universal Design for Teaching and Learning (UDL) practitioner and apply UDL principles in the modules I design, and in 2022 I was nominated for a Teaching & Learning award. I am currently completing a MA in Learning Design & Technology. 

At Maynooth University, I teach:

  • Social Theory
  • Fieldwork Methods
  • Sociology of Health
  • Sociology of the Family