Dr Katherine Cagney

Katherine works as a lecturer in the Department of Arts. She is the Programme Leader of BA (Hons) Psychology. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Open), a Diploma in Sociology and Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Psychology (1st Class) from the Open University. She received her doctorate in 2014. She is a chartered member of The British Psychological Society.

Currently Katherine teaches a broad range of psychology subjects to various undergraduate modules. These subjects include, Developmental Psychology, Individual Difference and Abnormal Psychology, Social Psychology, Introduction to Psychology and Lifespan Psychology. These subjects are delivered to a diverse group of students ranging from BA Arts, BA Psychology, BA Social Science, BA Social Care Practice and BA Early Childhood Care and Education. Katherine also teaches Life space interventions, an applied creativity module to BA Social Care Practice. Katherine is an experienced academic mentor to students from the BA Early Childhood Studies while on practice placement. Currently she is  working with students on the Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education. She is also an undergraduate and postgraduate supervisor.

Research

Katherine's research interests are interdisciplinary in nature. In particular the sociology of families and children coupled with a focus on developmental psychology. Family stories and family routines and rituals are of passionate interest and the focus of much of her work to date. Breastfeeding practices in and Irish context are also of keen interest and link to past professional experience.

Cultural geographies and children’s geographies are also important and have been the focus of national and international conference papers. In addition, much of  Katherine's research employs narrative methods as a qualitative methodology. This type of social research is a new and exciting field of social science inquiry. Oral history methods are another key area of interest and are the focus of her current research. Katherine along with her colleague from the School of Humanities was awarded funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland for radio documentary about the lives of people who have lived and worked in the College St. Campus buildings, the Good Shepherd convent and St. Dominic’s buildings.

Katherine is currently collaborating with Dr. Jacinta Byrne-Doran, Dept of Arts, School of Humanities on a Research Connexions 2022 Funded project on the representations of breastfeeding in children's books.

Katherine and Dr. Jacinta Byrne-Doran and Dept of Arts, School of Humanities are engaged in ongoing collaborating on an evaluation of their ERT (Enriching Reachable Tasks) Document; a tutorial support  resource adopted within their teaching

Professional Memberships

Chartered member of the British Psychological Society.

Member of Division of Academics, Researchers and Teachers in Psychology in the BPS.

Member of the Chrildren's Research Network

Member of the Athena Swan Commitee SETU

Member the Analysing Social Change Research Group