A common thread linking much of his research is a focus on the political uses of utopian thinking and imagination. He is recognized internationally as one of the leading scholars in this field. He has published in leading specialist outlets in his areas of expertise, including the peer-reviewed international academic journals Political Studies, Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, Utopian Studies, Anarchist Studies, Theory in Action, and the Journal of Contemporary Thought. He has also presented over 100 papers at major international academic conferences. Dr. Davis is a Series Editor of the Manchester University Press Contemporary Anarchist Studies book series and a founding member and current Co-Convenor of the U.K. Anarchist Studies Network, a specialist group of the UK Political Studies Association. He is currently a PI of the UCC Environmental Research Institute, Member of the Board of the College's Future Humanities Institute, Research Associate of ISS21, and Co-Convenor of the UCC Eco-Humanities Research Group.
Dr. Davis is an innovative and award-winning educator, and all his teaching is research-led. He is currently Director of the Department's MSc in International Public Policy and Diplomacy. Dr. Davis welcomes PhD students in any area of radical political thought, including radical democratic theory, utopian and anarchist studies, and contemporary ecological and anti-capitalist politics.
Throughout his career Dr. Davis has taken a strong interest in equality and social justice. At University College Cork he has been a leader and role model in the areas of EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion), in recognition of which he was awarded the university's Frank McGrath Perpetual Award for Equality and Welfare in its 2021 Staff Recognition Awards.
Dr. Davis earned his B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University in New York, and his D.Phil. in Politics from the University of Oxford.
In 2005, for example, he and Prof. Peter Stillman (Vassar College, USA) published the first collection of original essays devoted to the new utopian politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's multiple award-winning anarchist utopian novel The Dispossessed (1974). His own contribution argued that the novel is an achieved example of something that many defenders and critics of utopia alike have difficulty even imagining: namely, a genuinely dynamic and revolutionary utopia premised on an acceptance of the enduring reality of social conflict and historical change. More recently, he collaborated with Prof. Ruth Kinna (Loughborough University, UK) to assemble the first collection of original essays to explore the relationship between the anarchist and utopian traditions, focusing especially on the ways in which their long historical interaction from the Warring States epoch of ancient China to the present time has proven fruitful for emancipatory politics. Among the most notable findings of this wide-ranging analysis of ideas, literary texts, social movements, and communal experiments is that in stark contrast to the rationally fixed and transcendent utopias associated with escapism and/or domination, nearly all of the anarchist or anarchistic utopias examined are focused first and foremost on transforming the present as part of an organic process in which already existing historical tendencies are nurtured and built upon. Most of them call into question modern conceptions of progress, and recall the organic communities of the premodern past and the dissident present in order to inspire and inform contemporary libertarian struggles for a more humane future. They affirm the reality and worth of those natural and cultural forces that are the devalued and rejected 'other' of civilized domination, and in their nonliterary forms frequently exemplify a 'prefigurative' form of direct action politics demonstrating that libertarian utopias are not only eminently desirable but also immediately realizable.
Drawing on this and related research, including contemporary ecological, anti-capitalist, indigenous, degrowth, feminist, queer, and post-colonial perspectives, Dr. Davis is currently completing a research project (including a scholarly book manuscript, journal articles, and a series of book chapters) on the theme of 'Grounded Utopianism', emphasizing especially the differences between utopias associated with the imagination of and/or quest for perfection in some impossible future (transcendent utopia), and those associated with the encouragement of greater imaginative awareness of neglected or suppressed possibilities for qualitatively better forms of living latent in the present (grounded utopia).
Dr. Davis formerly served as Director of the Department's PhD programme (2015-18). He welcomes applications from prospective PhD students in any area of radical political thought. Proposals focusing on utopian studies, anarchist studies, indigenous politics, contemporary ecological and anti-capitalist politics, democratic and revolutionary theory, feminist and queer theory, or the politics of love and radical/revolutionary transformation are especially welcome. So, too, are proposals that combine theory and practice, academic rigour and the insights of contemporary activism. More information about the PhD in Government and Politics programme, including application procedures and sources of financial support, may be found on the PhD page of the Government and Politics Department website. Informal queries are also welcome, and may be sent to Dr. Davis at l.davis@ucc.ie.
Current teaching
2023-GV1204: Democracy, Ideology and Utopia
2023-GV3215: Politics of the United States of America
2023-GV3216: Contemporary Ecological and Anti-Capitalist Politics
2023-GV4409: Political Ideologies and Social Change
2023-GV6103: Re-Imagining Democratic Politics in a Changing World
Biography
Dr. Laurence Davis is a critical political theorist lecturing in the Department of Government and Politics at University College Cork. His primary research and teaching interests are in radical political thought and imagination, with an emphasis on bringing the perspectives of the Humanities to bear on the multiple and interlocking global crises of our time.A common thread linking much of his research is a focus on the political uses of utopian thinking and imagination. He is recognized internationally as one of the leading scholars in this field. He has published in leading specialist outlets in his areas of expertise, including the peer-reviewed international academic journals Political Studies, Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, Utopian Studies, Anarchist Studies, Theory in Action, and the Journal of Contemporary Thought. He has also presented over 100 papers at major international academic conferences. Dr. Davis is a Series Editor of the Manchester University Press Contemporary Anarchist Studies book series and a founding member and current Co-Convenor of the U.K. Anarchist Studies Network, a specialist group of the UK Political Studies Association. He is currently a PI of the UCC Environmental Research Institute, Member of the Board of the College's Future Humanities Institute, Research Associate of ISS21, and Co-Convenor of the UCC Eco-Humanities Research Group.
Dr. Davis is an innovative and award-winning educator, and all his teaching is research-led. He is currently Director of the Department's MSc in International Public Policy and Diplomacy. Dr. Davis welcomes PhD students in any area of radical political thought, including radical democratic theory, utopian and anarchist studies, and contemporary ecological and anti-capitalist politics.
Throughout his career Dr. Davis has taken a strong interest in equality and social justice. At University College Cork he has been a leader and role model in the areas of EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion), in recognition of which he was awarded the university's Frank McGrath Perpetual Award for Equality and Welfare in its 2021 Staff Recognition Awards.
Dr. Davis earned his B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University in New York, and his D.Phil. in Politics from the University of Oxford.
Research Interests
Dr. Davis's key research outputs have advanced the frontiers of the multidisciplinary field of utopian studies both by elucidating its political dimensions and by calling into question some of its fundamental philosophical presuppositions. Whereas many defenders and critics of utopianism alike have tended to conceive of utopia primarily as a transcendent and fixed 'ought' opposed to the 'is' of political reality and the 'was' of social history, he has argued in a wide range of journal articles and books that it may also be understood as an empirically grounded, dynamic and open-ended feature of the 'real world' of history and politics representing the hopes and dreams of those consigned to its margins.In 2005, for example, he and Prof. Peter Stillman (Vassar College, USA) published the first collection of original essays devoted to the new utopian politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's multiple award-winning anarchist utopian novel The Dispossessed (1974). His own contribution argued that the novel is an achieved example of something that many defenders and critics of utopia alike have difficulty even imagining: namely, a genuinely dynamic and revolutionary utopia premised on an acceptance of the enduring reality of social conflict and historical change. More recently, he collaborated with Prof. Ruth Kinna (Loughborough University, UK) to assemble the first collection of original essays to explore the relationship between the anarchist and utopian traditions, focusing especially on the ways in which their long historical interaction from the Warring States epoch of ancient China to the present time has proven fruitful for emancipatory politics. Among the most notable findings of this wide-ranging analysis of ideas, literary texts, social movements, and communal experiments is that in stark contrast to the rationally fixed and transcendent utopias associated with escapism and/or domination, nearly all of the anarchist or anarchistic utopias examined are focused first and foremost on transforming the present as part of an organic process in which already existing historical tendencies are nurtured and built upon. Most of them call into question modern conceptions of progress, and recall the organic communities of the premodern past and the dissident present in order to inspire and inform contemporary libertarian struggles for a more humane future. They affirm the reality and worth of those natural and cultural forces that are the devalued and rejected 'other' of civilized domination, and in their nonliterary forms frequently exemplify a 'prefigurative' form of direct action politics demonstrating that libertarian utopias are not only eminently desirable but also immediately realizable.
Drawing on this and related research, including contemporary ecological, anti-capitalist, indigenous, degrowth, feminist, queer, and post-colonial perspectives, Dr. Davis is currently completing a research project (including a scholarly book manuscript, journal articles, and a series of book chapters) on the theme of 'Grounded Utopianism', emphasizing especially the differences between utopias associated with the imagination of and/or quest for perfection in some impossible future (transcendent utopia), and those associated with the encouragement of greater imaginative awareness of neglected or suppressed possibilities for qualitatively better forms of living latent in the present (grounded utopia).
Publications
Book Chapters
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2021) | 'Anarchism' Laurence Davis (2021) 'Anarchism' In: Peter Marks, Fatima Vieira, and Jennifer Wagner Lawlor (eds). The Palgrave Handbook of Utopian and Dystopian Literatures. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. [Details] | |
| (2018) | 'Individual and Community' Laurence Davis (2018) 'Individual and Community' In: Carl Levy and Matthew Adams (eds). The Palgrave Handbook of Anarchism. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Utopia' Laurence Davis (2016) 'Utopia' In: Kathrin Fahlenbrach, Martin Klimke, and Joachim Scharloth (eds). Protest Cultures: A Companion. New York and Oxford: Berghahn. [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Anarchism' Laurence Davis (2014) 'Anarchism' In: Vincent Geoghegan and Rick Wilford (eds). Political Ideologies: An Introduction, 4th edition. London: Routledge. [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Anarchism and the Future of Revolution' Laurence Davis (2014) 'Anarchism and the Future of Revolution' In: Ruth Kinna (eds). The Continuum Companion to Anarchism. London and New York: Continuum Press. [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Everyone an Artist: Art, Labour, Anarchy, and Utopia' Laurence Davis (2014) 'Everyone an Artist: Art, Labour, Anarchy, and Utopia' In: Laurence Davis and Ruth Kinna (eds). Anarchism and Utopianism. Manchester: Manchester University Press. [Details] | |
| (2014) | 'Introduction' Laurence Davis (2014) 'Introduction' In: Laurence Davis and Ruth Kinna (eds). Anarchism and Utopianism. Manchester: Manchester University Press. [Details] | |
| (2013) | 'Dystopia, Utopia and Sancho Panza' Laurence Davis (2013) 'Dystopia, Utopia and Sancho Panza' In: Fatima Vieira (eds). Dystopia(n) Matters: On the Page, on Screen, on Stage. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Press. [Details] | |
| (2012) | 'Love and Revolution in Ursula Le Guin's Four Ways to Forgiveness' Laurence Davis (2012) 'Love and Revolution in Ursula Le Guin's Four Ways to Forgiveness' In: Jamie Heckert and Richard Cleminson (eds). Anarchism and Sexuality: Ethics, Relationships and Power. New York and Abingdon: Routledge. [Details] | |
| (2012) | 'True Journey is Return: Ursula Le Guin's The Dispossessed' Laurence Davis and Peter Stillman (2012) 'True Journey is Return: Ursula Le Guin's The Dispossessed' In: J.C. Davis and Miguel Angel Ramiro Aviles (eds). Utopian Moments: Reading Utopian Texts. London: Bloomsbury Academic. [Details] | |
| (2011) | 'History, Politics and Utopia: Toward a Synthesis of Social Theory and Practice' Laurence Davis (2011) 'History, Politics and Utopia: Toward a Synthesis of Social Theory and Practice' In: Patricia Vieira and Michael Marder (eds). Existential Utopia: New Perspectives on Utopian Thought. London and New York: Continuum Press. [Details] | |
| (2005) | 'The Dynamic and Revolutionary Utopia of Ursula K. Le Guin' Laurence Davis (2005) 'The Dynamic and Revolutionary Utopia of Ursula K. Le Guin' In: Laurence Davis and Peter Stillman (eds). The New Utopian Politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. [Details] | |
| (2005) | 'Introduction' Laurence Davis (2005) 'Introduction' In: Laurence Davis and Peter Stillman (eds). The New Utopian Politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. [Details] | |
| (2001) | 'Isaiah Berlin, William Morris, and the Politics of Utopia' Laurence Davis (2001) 'Isaiah Berlin, William Morris, and the Politics of Utopia' In: Barbara Goodwin (eds). The Philosophy of Utopia. London: Frank Cass. [Details] |
Edited Books
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2014) | Anarchism and Utopianism Laurence Davis and Ruth Kinna (Ed.). (2014) Anarchism and Utopianism Anarchism and Utopianism. Manchester: Manchester University Press. [Details] | |
| (2005) | The New Utopian Politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed Laurence Davis and Peter Stillman (Ed.). (2005) The New Utopian Politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed The New Utopian Politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. [Details] |
Peer Reviewed Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2023) | 'The Past and Future of Utopian Studies' Laurence Davis (2023) 'The Past and Future of Utopian Studies'. Utopian Studies, 34 (3):478-488 [Details] | |
| (2021) | 'Grounded Utopia' Laurence Davis (2021) 'Grounded Utopia'. Utopian Studies, 32 (3):552-581 [Details] | |
| (2020) | 'Anarchist Democracy and the Ideal of Communal Individuality' Laurence Davis (2020) 'Anarchist Democracy and the Ideal of Communal Individuality'. Theory In Action, 13 (1):70-79 [Details] | |
| (2020) | 'Anarchism and the Rewilding of Utopia' Laurence Davis (2020) 'Anarchism and the Rewilding of Utopia'. MediAzioni, 27 :330-342 [Details] | |
| (2016) | '历史、政治与乌托邦—走向社会理论与实践的综合' Laurence Davis (2016) '历史、政治与乌托邦—走向社会理论与实践的综合'. Foreign Theoretical Trends, No.5 :18-29 [Details] | |
| (2010) | 'History, Politics, and Utopia: Toward a Synthesis of Social Theory and Practice' Laurence Davis (2010) 'History, Politics, and Utopia: Toward a Synthesis of Social Theory and Practice'. Journal of Contemporary thought, 31 (Summer):79-94 [Details] | |
| (2010) | 'Social Anarchism or Lifestyle Anarchism: An Unhelpful Dichotomy' Laurence Davis (2010) 'Social Anarchism or Lifestyle Anarchism: An Unhelpful Dichotomy'. Anarchist Studies, 18 (1):62-82 [Details] | |
| (2009) | 'Morris, Wilde, and Le Guin on Art, Work, and Utopia' Laurence Davis (2009) 'Morris, Wilde, and Le Guin on Art, Work, and Utopia'. Utopian Studies, 20 (2):213-248 [Details] | |
| (2000) | 'Isaiah Berlin, William Morris, and the Politics of Utopia' Laurence Davis (2000) 'Isaiah Berlin, William Morris, and the Politics of Utopia'. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 3 (2/3 (Summer/Autumn)):56-86 [Details] | |
| (1996) | 'Morris, Wilde, and Marx on the Social Preconditions of Individual Development' Laurence Davis (1996) 'Morris, Wilde, and Marx on the Social Preconditions of Individual Development'. Political Studies, 44 (4):719-732 [Details] |
Blog
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2017) | 'Is Fascism making a comeback?', State of Nature, 4 December 2017: http://stateofnatureblog.com/one-question-fascism-part-two/. Laurence Davis (2017) 'Is Fascism making a comeback?', State of Nature, 4 December 2017: http://stateofnatureblog.com/one-question-fascism-part-two/. Blog [Details] |
Book Reviews
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2021) | Review of Political Uses of Utopia: New Marxist, Anarchist, and Radical Democratic Perspectives (New York: Columbia University Press, 2017), eds. S.D. Chrostowska and James D. Ingram, Utopian Studies, Volume 31, Number 3 (2021), 184-186. Laurence Davis (2021) Review of Political Uses of Utopia: New Marxist, Anarchist, and Radical Democratic Perspectives (New York: Columbia University Press, 2017), eds. S.D. Chrostowska and James D. Ingram, Utopian Studies, Volume 31, Number 3 (2021), 184-186. Book Reviews [Details] | |
| (2021) | Review of Journey Through Utopia (Oakland: PM Press, 2019), by Marie Louise Berneri, with a postscript by Kim Stanley Robinson, Utopian Studies, Volume 31, Number 3 (2021), 187-190. Laurence Davis (2021) Review of Journey Through Utopia (Oakland: PM Press, 2019), by Marie Louise Berneri, with a postscript by Kim Stanley Robinson, Utopian Studies, Volume 31, Number 3 (2021), 187-190. Book Reviews [Details] | |
| (2020) | Review of The Last Utopians: Four Late 19th Century Visionaries and Their Legacy (Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2018), by Michael Robertson, Nineteenth-Century Prose, Volume 47, Number 2 (Fall 2020), 212-217. Laurence Davis (2020) Review of The Last Utopians: Four Late 19th Century Visionaries and Their Legacy (Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2018), by Michael Robertson, Nineteenth-Century Prose, Volume 47, Number 2 (Fall 2020), 212-217. Book Reviews [Details] | |
| (2014) | Review of Utopia as Method: The Imaginary Reconstitution of Society (Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), by Ruth Levitas, Utopian Studies, Volume 25, Number 1 (2014), 227-230. Laurence Davis (2014) Review of Utopia as Method: The Imaginary Reconstitution of Society (Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), by Ruth Levitas, Utopian Studies, Volume 25, Number 1 (2014), 227-230. Book Reviews [Details] | |
| (2008) | Review of Rebel Alliances: The Means and Ends of Contemporary British Anarchisms (Edinburgh and Oakland: AK/Dark Star, 2006), by Benjamin Franks, Anarchist Studies, Volume 16, Number 2 (2008), 186-188. Laurence Davis (2008) Review of Rebel Alliances: The Means and Ends of Contemporary British Anarchisms (Edinburgh and Oakland: AK/Dark Star, 2006), by Benjamin Franks, Anarchist Studies, Volume 16, Number 2 (2008), 186-188. Book Reviews [Details] |
Electronic Article
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2017) | 'Only a bold and popular left radicalism can stop the rise of fascism', openDemocracy, 12 February 2017: https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/laurence-davis/only-bold-and-popular-left-radicalism-can-stop-rise-of-fascism. Laurence Davis (2017) 'Only a bold and popular left radicalism can stop the rise of fascism', openDemocracy, 12 February 2017: https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/laurence-davis/only-bold-and-popular-left-radicalism-can-stop-rise-of-fascism. Electronic Article [Details] |
Encyclopedia Entries
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2010) | 'William Morris', in George T. Kurian (ed.), Encyclopedia of Political Science. Laurence Davis (2010) 'William Morris', in George T. Kurian (ed.), Encyclopedia of Political Science. Washington, DC:CQ Press. Encyclopedia Entries. [Details] | |
| (2010) | 'Ideologies in Nineteenth Century Europe: Anarchism', in Alfred Andrea (ed.), World History Encyclopedia. Laurence Davis (2010) 'Ideologies in Nineteenth Century Europe: Anarchism', in Alfred Andrea (ed.), World History Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA:ABC-CLIO. Encyclopedia Entries. [Details] | |
| (2009) | 'The Abalone Alliance', in Immanuel Ness (ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest: 1500 to the Present. Laurence Davis (2009) 'The Abalone Alliance', in Immanuel Ness (ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest: 1500 to the Present. Oxford:Blackwell. Encyclopedia Entries. [Details] | |
| (2009) | 'Anarchism', in Gina Misiroglu (ed.), American Countercultures: An Encyclopedia of Nonconformists, Alternative Lifestyles, and Radical Ideas in U.S. History. Laurence Davis (2009) 'Anarchism', in Gina Misiroglu (ed.), American Countercultures: An Encyclopedia of Nonconformists, Alternative Lifestyles, and Radical Ideas in U.S. History. New York:M.E. Sharpe. Encyclopedia Entries. [Details] |
Newspaper Articles
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2017) | 'More popular democracy is the only effective antidote to Trumpism', 15-16 November 2017, published in both The Cork Independent and UCC News and Views: https://www.ucc.ie/en/news/archive/2017/op-ed-more-popular-democracy-is-the-only-effective-antidote-to-trumpism.html. Laurence Davis (2017) 'More popular democracy is the only effective antidote to Trumpism', 15-16 November 2017, published in both The Cork Independent and UCC News and Views: https://www.ucc.ie/en/news/archive/2017/op-ed-more-popular-democracy-is-the-only-effective-antidote-to-trumpism.html. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'President Trump and the new face of democracy', Irish Echo, 16-22 November 2016, p. 14. Laurence Davis (2016) 'President Trump and the new face of democracy', Irish Echo, 16-22 November 2016, p. 14. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Donald Trump's White House bid raises major questions about the future of democracy', Thejournal.ie, 1 October 2016: http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/trump-future-of-american-politics-3003716-Oct2016/. Laurence Davis (2016) 'Donald Trump's White House bid raises major questions about the future of democracy', Thejournal.ie, 1 October 2016: http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/trump-future-of-american-politics-3003716-Oct2016/. Newspaper Articles [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'This referendum will be remembered as a victory for equality, democracy and love', Thejournal.ie, 24 May 2015: http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/referendum-victory-for-equality-democracy-and-love-2119506-May2015/. Laurence Davis (2015) 'This referendum will be remembered as a victory for equality, democracy and love', Thejournal.ie, 24 May 2015: http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/referendum-victory-for-equality-democracy-and-love-2119506-May2015/. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'Marriage equality fight must be just the start', Evening Echo, 7 May 2015: http://pages.cdn.pagesuite.com/1/f/1f95f8ef-651c-45aa-8e88-03a74a5220b8/page.pdf. Laurence Davis (2015) 'Marriage equality fight must be just the start', Evening Echo, 7 May 2015: http://pages.cdn.pagesuite.com/1/f/1f95f8ef-651c-45aa-8e88-03a74a5220b8/page.pdf. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'What we talk about when we talk about love equality', The Sunday Times, 22 March 2015: http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/ireland/News/article1534603.ece. Laurence Davis (2015) 'What we talk about when we talk about love equality', The Sunday Times, 22 March 2015: http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/ireland/News/article1534603.ece. Newspaper Articles [Details] | |
| (2015) | 'The fight for gay marriage is only the start of a long struggle', Irish Examiner, 19 February 2015: http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/analysis/the-fight-for-gay-marriage-is-only-the-start-of-a-long-struggle-313385.html. Laurence Davis (2015) 'The fight for gay marriage is only the start of a long struggle', Irish Examiner, 19 February 2015: http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/analysis/the-fight-for-gay-marriage-is-only-the-start-of-a-long-struggle-313385.html. Newspaper Articles [Details] |
Online Multimedia
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2016) | 'President Trump and the new face of democracy in America', University College Cork News and Views, 9 November 2016 (with link to 10 November 2016 RTE Morning Ireland radio interview on the election result): https://www.ucc.ie/en/news/archive/2016/op-ed-president-trump-and-the-new-face-of-democracy-in-america.html. Laurence Davis (2016) 'President Trump and the new face of democracy in America', University College Cork News and Views, 9 November 2016 (with link to 10 November 2016 RTE Morning Ireland radio interview on the election result): https://www.ucc.ie/en/news/archive/2016/op-ed-president-trump-and-the-new-face-of-democracy-in-america.html. Online Multimedia [Details] | |
| (2016) | 'Trump and the future of democracy', University College Cork News and Views, 3 October 2016 (with link to 30 September 2016 Newstalk FM radio interview with Sean Moncrieff on 'The Crisis of Democracy'): http://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/Moncrieff/Highlights_from_Moncrieff/160030/A_Crisis_of_Democracy and http://www.ucc.ie/en/about/uccnews/fullstory-708238-en.html. Laurence Davis (2016) 'Trump and the future of democracy', University College Cork News and Views, 3 October 2016 (with link to 30 September 2016 Newstalk FM radio interview with Sean Moncrieff on 'The Crisis of Democracy'): http://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/Moncrieff/Highlights_from_Moncrieff/160030/A_Crisis_of_Democracy and http://www.ucc.ie/en/about/uccnews/fullstory-708238-en.html. Online Multimedia [DOI] [Details] |
Video recording / TV
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2017) | Speech delivered at the UCC LGBT Staff Network 10th anniversary celebration, YouTube, 9 November 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7cy9W-3CV0. Laurence Davis (2017) Speech delivered at the UCC LGBT Staff Network 10th anniversary celebration, YouTube, 9 November 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7cy9W-3CV0. Video recording / TV [Details] |
Professional Activities
Honours and Awards
| Year | Title | Awarding Body | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | CACSSS Research Support Fund Award | UCC CACSSS | |
| 2022 | CACSSS Research Support Fund Award | UCC CACSSS | |
| 2021 | Frank McGrath Perpetual Award for Equality and Welfare | University College Cork Staff Recognition Awards | |
| 2020 | Visiting Fellow, Mansfield College, University of Oxford | Mansfield College, University of Oxford | |
| 2019 | Academic Visitor, St. Antony's College, University of Oxford | St. Antony's College, University of Oxford | |
| 2018 | Kenneth M. Roemer Innovative Course Design Award | The North American Society for Utopian Studies | |
| 2018 | CACSSS Research Support Fund Award | UCC CACSSS | |
| 2015 | High Impact Research Dissemination Support Scheme Grant | University College Cork College of Business and Law | |
| 2014 | Invited Member, Anarchism and (Homo)Sexuality Research Network | London School of Economics and Leeds University | |
| 2014 | High Impact Research Dissemination Support Scheme Grant | University College Cork College of Business and Law | |
| 2013 | High Impact Research Dissemination Support Scheme Grant | University College Cork College of Business and Law | |
| 2008 | Research Affiliate, EU Marie Curie Project on European Peace and Protest Movements Since 1945 | European Union Marie Curie Project | |
| 2008 | EU Marie Curie Conference and Training Grant | European Union | |
| 1999 | Millennium Research Fund Award | National University of Ireland, Galway | |
| 1998 | President's Research Award | University College Dublin | |
| 1992 | Training Bursary | Royal Historical Society, U.K. | |
| 1992 | Overseas Research Student Award | Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals in London |
Professional Associations
| Association | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom | Co-Convenor, Anarchist Studies Network | 13-JUN-20 / | |
| Political Studies Association of Ireland | Co-convenor, Participatory and Deliberative Democracy Specialist Group | 04-NOV-19 / | |
| Utopian Studies Society/Europe | Elected Member of the Steering Committee | 01-JUN-06 / 15-JUL-22 | |
| American Political Science Association | Member | 01-JAN-15 / |
Conference Contributions
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2023) | Alternative Futures and Popular Protest 2023, Laurence Davis (2023) 'Grounded Utopianism and Anarcho-Indigenous Eco-Politics'. [Oral Presentation], Alternative Futures and Popular Protest 2023, University of Manchester, UK , 12-JUN-23 - 14-JUN-23. [Details] | |
| (2022) | Futures Thinking: From the Predictive to the Productive, Laurence Davis (2022) Invited Lecture: 'Real Utopias and Grounded Utopias'. [Invited Lectures (Workshops)], Futures Thinking: From the Predictive to the Productive, University College Dublin, Ireland , 20-OCT-22 - 21-OCT-22. [Details] | |
| (2022) | The 2022 Conference of the International Association for the Study of Irish Literatures: Intersectional Irelands, Laurence Davis (2022) Invited Lecture: 'Utopian Studies: Contemporary Irish-Based Research'. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], The 2022 Conference of the International Association for the Study of Irish Literatures: Intersectional Irelands, University of Limerick, Ireland , 25-JUL-22 - 29-JUL-22. [Details] | |
| (2022) | Anarchist Studies Network 7th International Conference: Anarchist Futures, Laurence Davis (2022) 'Anarchist Utopianism'. [Oral Presentation], Anarchist Studies Network 7th International Conference: Anarchist Futures, Loughborough University, UK , 24-AUG-22 - 26-AUG-22. [Details] | |
| (2022) | Opening Utopia: New Directions in Utopian Studies, Laurence Davis (2022) 'Utopian Pedagogies: From Practice to Theory' and 'Anarchism and the Politics of Utopia'. [Conference Organising Committee Member], Opening Utopia: New Directions in Utopian Studies, University of Brighton, UK , 13-JUL-22 - 15-JUL-22. [Details] | |
| (2021) | 21st International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society, Europe: Utopian Possibilities, Laurence Davis (2021) 'Utopia is Not an Ideology' and 'Walter Benjamin's Catastrophic Hope'. [Oral Presentation], 21st International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society, Europe: Utopian Possibilities, University of Porto, Portugal , 10-DEC-21 - 12-DEC-21. [Details] | |
| (2021) | Acting as If: Prefigurative Politics in Theory and Practice, Laurence Davis (2021) 'The Angel and the Porcupine: Anarchist Prefigurative Politics, Revolution, and Utopia'. [Oral Presentation], Acting as If: Prefigurative Politics in Theory and Practice, Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic , 23-OCT-21 - 24-OCT-21. [Details] | |
| (2021) | 6th Helion International Conference: Travel through the Paradoxes of Time, Utopia, and Fantasy, Laurence Davis (2021) Invited Lecture: 'The Porcupine and the Temporal Physicist: Le Guin's Non-Euclidean Utopianism'. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], 6th Helion International Conference: Travel through the Paradoxes of Time, Utopia, and Fantasy, Timisoara, Romania , 15-MAY-21 - 16-MAY-21. [Details] | |
| (2021) | Living in the End Times: Utopian and Dystopian Representations of Pandemics, Laurence Davis (2021) 'Keynote Lecture: The Angel and the Porcupine'. [Plenary Lecture], Living in the End Times: Utopian and Dystopian Representations of Pandemics, Cappadocia University, Turkey , 13-JAN-21 - 15-JAN-21. [Details] | |
| (2020) | Anarchist Studies Network 6th International Conference: Anarchy in Crisis, Laurence Davis (2020) 'Anarchism and the Rewilding of Utopia'. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Anarchist Studies Network 6th International Conference: Anarchy in Crisis, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK , 02-SEP-20 - 04-SEP-20. [Details] | |
| (2019) | 20th International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe: Utopia, Dystopia and Climate Change, Laurence Davis (2019) 'Plenary Lecture: Anarchism and the Domestication of Utopia'. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], 20th International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe: Utopia, Dystopia and Climate Change, Monash University Prato Centre, Tuscany, Italy , 01-JUL-19 - 05-JUL-19. [Details] | |
| (2018) | 2018 Annual Millennium Conference: Resistance and Revolution in World Politics, Laurence Davis (2018) 'Anarchism and the Future of Revolution'. [Oral Presentation], 2018 Annual Millennium Conference: Resistance and Revolution in World Politics, London School of Economics and Political Science , 27-OCT-18 - 28-OCT-18. [Details] | |
| (2018) | Anarchist Studies Network 5th International Conference: Decolonize!, Laurence Davis (2018) 'Individual and Community in Anarchist Thought'. [Oral Presentation], Anarchist Studies Network 5th International Conference: Decolonize!, Loughborough University, UK , 12-SEP-18 - 14-SEP-18. [Details] | |
| (2018) | 6th International Degrowth Conference for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Laurence Davis (2018) 'Degrowth and Anarchism'. [Oral Presentation], 6th International Degrowth Conference for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, Malmo, Sweden , 21-AUG-18 - 25-AUG-18. [Details] | |
| (2018) | 19th International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society, Europe: In Search of New Harmonies, Laurence Davis (2018) 'Grounded Utopianism and Revolutionary Change'. [Oral Presentation], 19th International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society, Europe: In Search of New Harmonies, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain , 09-JUL-18 - 12-JUL-18. [Details] | |
| (2018) | The Future of No Work? Critiques, Utopias, and Politics, Laurence Davis (2018) Invited Lecture: 'Imaginaries of Work in the Utopian Tradition'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], The Future of No Work? Critiques, Utopias, and Politics, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, Vienna, Austria , 17-MAY-18 - 17-MAY-18. [Details] | |
| (2017) | Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference 2017, Laurence Davis (2017) 'Populism and Popular Democracy in the Era of Trump'. [Oral Presentation], Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference 2017, Dublin City University . [Details] | |
| (2017) | Solidarity and Utopia: 18th Utopian Studies Society Europe Conference, Laurence Davis (2017) 'Democracy, Solidarity and Utopia in the Era of Trump'. [Oral Presentation], Solidarity and Utopia: 18th Utopian Studies Society Europe Conference, University of Gdansk, Poland . [Details] | |
| (2017) | Trump's America, Laurence Davis (2017) 'Progressive Populism in the Age of Trump'. [Oral Presentation], Trump's America, University College Dublin Clinton Institute . [Details] | |
| (2017) | Anarchism, Radicalism, Utopianism - Actors, Communes and Movements in Global History Perspectives, Laurence Davis (2017) Invited Seminar: 'Anarchism and Utopianism'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Anarchism, Radicalism, Utopianism - Actors, Communes and Movements in Global History Perspectives, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Konstanz, Germany . [Details] | |
| (2017) | 9th Annual UCC Journalism Society Conference, Laurence Davis (2017) Keynote Speaker: 'Politics and the Media'. [Keynote Speaker], 9th Annual UCC Journalism Society Conference, University College Cork . [Details] | |
| (2017) | Public Symposium on America in the Era of Trump, Laurence Davis (2017) 'The Politics of Populism'. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Public Symposium on America in the Era of Trump, University College Cork . [Details] | |
| (2016) | Seminar on Religion and Homosexuality, Laurence Davis (2016) 'Introduction'. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Seminar on Religion and Homosexuality, University College Cork, Ireland . [Details] | |
| (2016) | Roundtable on the U.S. Presidential Election, Laurence Davis (2016) 'The U.S. Presidential Election and the Crisis of Democracy'. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Roundtable on the U.S. Presidential Election, University College Cork, Ireland . [Details] | |
| (2016) | Anarchist Studies Network 4th International Conference: Anarcha-feminism, Laurence Davis (2016) 'Revolutionary Love'. [Oral Presentation], Anarchist Studies Network 4th International Conference: Anarcha-feminism, Loughborough University, UK . [Details] | |
| (2016) | Degrowth Conference 2016, Laurence Davis (2016) 'The Craft Utopia of William Morris'. [Oral Presentation], Degrowth Conference 2016, Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary . [Details] | |
| (2016) | 500 Years of Utopia: 17th International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society, Laurence Davis (2016) Plenary Lecture: '500 Years of Utopias: Developments, Transformations, and Trajectories'. [Plenary Lecture], 500 Years of Utopia: 17th International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal . [Details] | |
| (2015) | Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference 2015, Laurence Davis (2015) 'The Marriage Referendum and the Left in Ireland'. [Oral Presentation], Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference 2015, University College Cork, Ireland . [Details] | |
| (2015) | 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Laurence Davis (2015) 'Anarchism and the Democratization of Democracy'. [Oral Presentation], 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, San Francisco, California, U.S.A . [Details] | |
| (2015) | Lewis Glucksman Gallery'In Detail' Public Lecture, Laurence Davis (2015) 'From the Medieval Guild to the Ecotopian Future: William Morris and the Craft of Revolution'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Lewis Glucksman Gallery'In Detail' Public Lecture, University College Cork . [Details] | |
| (2015) | UCC Public Seminar: Perspectives on the Marriage Equality Referendum, Laurence Davis (2015) 'Love and Marriage'. [Oral Presentation], UCC Public Seminar: Perspectives on the Marriage Equality Referendum, University College Cork . [Details] | |
| (2014) | Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference 2014, Laurence Davis (2014) 'Anarchism and Radical Participatory Democracy'. [Oral Presentation], Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference 2014, National University of Ireland, Galway . [Details] | |
| (2014) | Anarchist Studies Network 3rd International Conference, Laurence Davis (2014) 'Anarchism and the Radical Democratic Tradition'. [Oral Presentation], Anarchist Studies Network 3rd International Conference, Loughborough University, UK . [Details] | |
| (2014) | Utopia and Nonviolence: 15th International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society, Laurence Davis (2014) 'Ideologies and Utopia'. [Oral Presentation], Utopia and Nonviolence: 15th International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society, Charles University in Prague . [Details] | |
| (2014) | Radical Americas Symposium, Laurence Davis (2014) 'The Radical Utopian Politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed'. [Oral Presentation], Radical Americas Symposium, University College London, UK . [Details] | |
| (2014) | 64th Annual International Conference of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom, Laurence Davis (2014) 'Anarchism and Radical Democracy'. [Oral Presentation], 64th Annual International Conference of the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom, Manchester, U.K . [Details] | |
| (2013) | 14th International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe, Laurence Davis (2013) 'Green Imperatives, Democratic Politics, and the Grounded Utopian Imagination'. [Oral Presentation], 14th International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe, New Lanark, Scotland . [Details] | |
| (2013) | School of Sociology and Philosophy Public Seminar on the Concept of Transformation, Laurence Davis (2013) 'The Concept of Utopia and Theories of Transformation'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], School of Sociology and Philosophy Public Seminar on the Concept of Transformation, University College Cork, Ireland . [Details] | |
| (2013) | 75th Anniversary Sociology Department Seminar, Laurence Davis (2013) 'Will the Real Democracy Please Stand Up? Debating Democracy, Active Citizenship, and the Politics of Work, Technology, and Social Equality at the Dawn of the 21st Century'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], 75th Anniversary Sociology Department Seminar, National University of Ireland Maynooth . [Details] | |
| (2013) | MA in Community Education, Equality and Social Activism Seminar, Laurence Davis (2013) 'Political Ideologies and Contemporary Social Movements: the Anarchist Turn'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], MA in Community Education, Equality and Social Activism Seminar, National University of Ireland Maynooth . [Details] | |
| (2012) | Second Anarchist Studies Network Conference, Laurence Davis (2012) 'Real Democracy and the Revolutions of our Time'. [Oral Presentation], Second Anarchist Studies Network Conference, Loughborough University, U.K . [Details] | |
| (2012) | Play and the Creation of Culture in the Modern World, Laurence Davis (2012) 'Art, Work, Politics and Play'. [Oral Presentation], Play and the Creation of Culture in the Modern World, Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland . [Details] | |
| (2011) | New Agendas in Social Movements Studies Conference, Laurence Davis (2011) 'The Irish Ship to Gaza and the Revolutions of our Time'. [Oral Presentation], New Agendas in Social Movements Studies Conference, National University of Ireland Maynooth . [Details] | |
| (2011) | 12th International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe, Laurence Davis (2011) 'Utopia and Social Movements'. [Oral Presentation], 12th International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus . [Details] | |
| (2010) | Sociology Department Seminar, Laurence Davis (2010) 'The So-Called Science of Sociology: Sociology, Political Theory, and the Elusive Quest for Scientific Method'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Sociology Department Seminar, University College Cork, Ireland . [Details] | |
| (2010) | Sociology Department Seminar, Laurence Davis (2010) 'The Political Economy of Love'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Sociology Department Seminar, National University of Ireland Maynooth . [Details] | |
| (2009) | 34th International Conference of the Society for Utopian Studies, Laurence Davis (2009) 'The Abolition of Work?'. [Oral Presentation], 34th International Conference of the Society for Utopian Studies, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, U.S.A . [Details] | |
| (2009) | Tenth International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe, Laurence Davis (2009) 'Morris, Wilde, and Le Guin on the Politics of Art'. [Oral Presentation], Tenth International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe, University of Porto, Portugal . [Details] | |
| (2009) | Alternative Futures and Popular Protest: 14th International Conference, Laurence Davis (2009) 'Murray Bookchin and the Euro-American Counterculture'. [Oral Presentation], Alternative Futures and Popular Protest: 14th International Conference, Manchester Metropolitan University, U.K . [Details] | |
| (2008) | Love in Our World: An International Conference, Laurence Davis (2008) 'Anarchy, Love and Revolution'. [Oral Presentation], Love in Our World: An International Conference, Manchester University, U.K . [Details] | |
| (2008) | First Anarchist Studies Network Conference, Laurence Davis (2008) 'Anarchism and the Political Theory of Revolution'. [Oral Presentation], First Anarchist Studies Network Conference, Loughborough University, U.K . [Details] | |
| (2008) | Confronting Cold War Conformity: Peace and Protest Cultures in Europe, 1945-1989, Laurence Davis (2008) 'The Anarchist Roots and Legacies of the Revolutionary Personalism of 1968'. [Oral Presentation], Confronting Cold War Conformity: Peace and Protest Cultures in Europe, 1945-1989, Marie Curie Summer School, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic . [Details] | |
| (2008) | 1968: Impact and Implications, Laurence Davis (2008) 'The Anarchist Revolutionary Legacies of 1968'. [Oral Presentation], 1968: Impact and Implications, Birkbeck College, University of London, U.K . [Details] | |
| (2008) | Rethinking Labour: Labour, Affect and Material Culture, Laurence Davis (2008) 'Pleasurable Labour'. [Oral Presentation], Rethinking Labour: Labour, Affect and Material Culture, University College Dublin, Ireland . [Details] | |
| (2007) | Fourth Annual Manchester Workshops in Political Theory, Laurence Davis (2007) 'Social Anarchism and Lifestyle Anarchism: A Bridgeable Chasm?'. [Oral Presentation], Fourth Annual Manchester Workshops in Political Theory, Manchester Metropolitan University, U.K . [Details] | |
| (2007) | Revolutions and Sexualities: Cultural and Social Aspects of Political Transformations, Laurence Davis (2007) 'Love and Revolution in Ursula K. Le Guin's Story Suite Four Ways to Forgiveness'. [Oral Presentation], Revolutions and Sexualities: Cultural and Social Aspects of Political Transformations, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland . [Details] | |
| (2007) | New World Coming: The Sixties and the Shaping of Global Consciousness, Laurence Davis (2007) 'Utopianism Then and Now: A Bridgeable Chasm?'. [Oral Presentation], New World Coming: The Sixties and the Shaping of Global Consciousness, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada . [Details] | |
| (2007) | M.A. Seminar on Utopias by Women, Laurence Davis (2007) 'Ursula K. Le Guin'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], M.A. Seminar on Utopias by Women, Instituto de Literatura Comparada Margarida Losa, Faculty of Letters, University of Porto, Portugal . [Details] | |
| (2006) | Third Annual Manchester Workshops in Political Theory, Laurence Davis (2006) 'Love and Revolution in Le Guin's Four Ways to Forgiveness'. [Oral Presentation], Third Annual Manchester Workshops in Political Theory, Manchester Metropolitan University, U.K . [Details] | |
| (2006) | Seventh International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe, Laurence Davis (2006) 'Anarchism, Utopia, and the Test of Art'. [Oral Presentation], Seventh International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, Tarragona, Spain . [Details] | |
| (2005) | Morris in the 21st Century: The 50th Anniversary Conference of the William Morris Society, Laurence Davis (2005) 'Art and Labour in the Political Writings of William Morris'. [Oral Presentation], Morris in the 21st Century: The 50th Anniversary Conference of the William Morris Society, Royal Holloway College, University of London, U.K . [Details] | |
| (2005) | Political Theory Seminar, Laurence Davis (2005) 'Guest Lecture: The Revolutionary Utopian Politics of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Dispossessed'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Political Theory Seminar, Queen's University Belfast, U.K . [Details] | |
| (2004) | 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Laurence Davis (2004) 'The Dialectic of Labour in the Political Thought of William Morris'. [Oral Presentation], 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A . [Details] | |
| (2003) | 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Laurence Davis (2003) 'Utopianism and the Permanence of the Political'. [Oral Presentation], 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A . [Details] | |
| (2002) | Philosophy Colloquium, Laurence Davis (2002) 'The Philosophy of Utopia'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], Philosophy Colloquium, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland . [Details] | |
| (2001) | 26th Annual Meeting of the Society for Utopian Studies, Laurence Davis (2001) 'Social Conflict, Historical Change, and the Utopian Imagination'. [Oral Presentation], 26th Annual Meeting of the Society for Utopian Studies, Buffalo, New York, U.S.A . [Details] | |
| (2001) | Second International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe, Laurence Davis (2001) 'Utopia and Social Theory'. [Oral Presentation], Second International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe, New Lanark, Scotland . [Details] | |
| (2000) | 25th Annual Meeting of the Society for Utopian Studies, Laurence Davis (2000) 'Utopian Political Thought: A Pluralist Defence'. [Oral Presentation], 25th Annual Meeting of the Society for Utopian Studies, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada . [Details] | |
| (2000) | First International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe, Laurence Davis (2000) 'Isaiah Berlin, William Morris, and the Politics of Utopia'. [Oral Presentation], First International Conference of the Utopian Studies Society Europe, Nottingham University, U.K . [Details] | |
| (1999) | International Conference on Nationalism, Identity, and Minority Rights: Sociological and Political Perspectives, Laurence Davis (1999) 'Liberals, Democrats, and Cultural Pluralists'. [Oral Presentation], International Conference on Nationalism, Identity, and Minority Rights: Sociological and Political Perspectives, Bristol University, U.K . [Details] | |
| (1999) | International Conference on Racism and the Challenges of Multiculturalism, Laurence Davis (1999) 'The Politics of Cultural Pluralism'. [Oral Presentation], International Conference on Racism and the Challenges of Multiculturalism, Rhodes University, South Africa . [Details] | |
| (1999) | M.Phil. in Ethnic and Racial Studies Seminar, Laurence Davis (1999) 'Liberalism and the Challenges of Democratic Cultural Pluralism'. [Invited Seminars/Guest Lectures], M.Phil. in Ethnic and Racial Studies Seminar, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland . [Details] | |
| (1999) | International Conference on a Millennium of Utopias: The Theory, History and Future of Utopias, Laurence Davis (1999) 'Is Utopian Political Thought Necessarily Totalitarian?'. [Oral Presentation], International Conference on a Millennium of Utopias: The Theory, History and Future of Utopias, University of East Anglia, U.K . [Details] |
Committees
| Committee | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCC Future Humanities Institute | Member of the Board | 2022 / | |
| Equality Committee, University College Cork | Member | 2015 / | |
| Academic Council Academic Staff Development Committee | Member | 2017 / 2022 | |
| CACSSS Graduate Studies Committee | Member | 2017 / 2018 | |
| Athena SWAN Main Steering Group | Member | 2016 / 2018 | |
| Board of Women's Studies | Member of the Board | 2018 / | |
| Irish Federation of University Teachers, Cork Branch Committee | Elected Member | 2017 / 2019 | |
| LGBT+ Staff Network, University College Cork | UCC LGBT+ Staff Liaison Officer and (former) Chair | 2015 / | |
| Graduate Studies Committee, Department of Government and Politics, University College Cork | Chair and Director of the PhD in Government and Politics | 2015 / 2018 | |
| Michael Harrington Book Award Committee, New Political Science Caucus of the American Political Science Association | Judge | 2015 / 2016 | |
| Research Cluster on Governance and Democracy, University College Cork | Founding Chair | 2012 / 2014 | |
| Internationalisation Committee, University College Cork | Co-chair of the Faculty Internationalisation Working Group | 2012 / 2013 | |
| International Research Quality Review-mandated Faculty Committee on Research Clusters, Department of Sociology, National University of Ireland, Maynooth | Chair | 2009 / 2010 | |
| Research Cluster on Critical Political Thought, Activism, and Alternative Futures, National University of Ireland, Maynooth | Founding Chair | 2009 / 2010 | |
| Curriculum Development Committee, B.A. Politics, National University of Ireland, Maynooth | Member | 2008 / 2010 | |
| Steering Committee of the North American Society for Utopian Studies | Membership Secretary | 2005 / 2008 |
Education
| Year | Institution | Qualification | Subject | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Oxford University | DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY | Politics (Political Theory) | |
| 1988 | Columbia University | BACHELOR OF ARTS | Political Science |
Outreach Activities
| Description | |
|---|---|
Scholars at Risk co-lead, University of Sanctuary Working Group (2019-present) | |
Overall Coordinator, Zapatista Journey of Life, Cork (2021) | |
Co-founder, Jewish Voice for Just Peace - Ireland (2014) | |
Member, Free University Network (2012-) | |
Coordinator and Media Spokesperson, Irish Ship to Gaza Campaign (2010-2012) | |
Co-founder, M.A. Degree in Community Education, Equality and Social Activism, NUI Maynooth (2009-2010) |
Journal Activities
| Journal | Role | To / From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interface | Co-Editor | - | |
| Utopian Studies | Referee | - | |
| Anarchist Studies | Referee | - | |
| Politics And Governance | Referee | - | |
| Studies In Social Justice | Referee | - |
Other Activities
| Description | |
|---|---|
Series Editor, Manchester University Press (formerly Bloomsbury) Contemporary Anarchist Studies Book Series (2012-present) | |
Manuscript Referee: Manchester University Press, Palgrave Macmillan, Routledge, Bloomsbury Academic, Pluto Press (ongoing) | |
Associate Member and Member of the Curriculum Design Group, Social Science Centre, Lincoln University, U.K. (2010-2019) | |
English-language Moderator, Research on Anarchism List (2014-2015) | |
Founding Member, U.K. Anarchist Studies Network (2005-present) | |
Founding Member, Labor Project, American Political Science Association (2005-present) |
Teaching Activities
Teaching Interests
Dr. Davis teaches across the full spectrum of the Department's undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, leading modules at first, second, third, fourth year and MA/MSc levels, supervising postgraduate and undergraduate dissertations and work placement students, and formerly (2020-22) directing the Department's flagship BSc Government and Political Science programme. He is currently Director of the Department's MSc in International Public Policy and Diplomacy. His chief teaching interests are in political theory and ideologies, democratic politics, contemporary ecological and anti-capitalist politics, and the politics of systemic social change. He also convenes and delivers the Department's modules on government and politics in the USA, and the politics of science and technology. Having previously taught politics at Oxford University, Ruskin College, the Stanford University Centre in Oxford, University College Dublin, the National University of Ireland Galway, and the National University of Ireland Maynooth, Dr. Davis has extensive experience over many years of teaching, assessment, counselling, research supervision, administration, module/course leadership, and course and curriculum development. He has a strong and longstanding interest in adult education, and in employing the tools of education to overcome social marginality.Dr. Davis formerly served as Director of the Department's PhD programme (2015-18). He welcomes applications from prospective PhD students in any area of radical political thought. Proposals focusing on utopian studies, anarchist studies, indigenous politics, contemporary ecological and anti-capitalist politics, democratic and revolutionary theory, feminist and queer theory, or the politics of love and radical/revolutionary transformation are especially welcome. So, too, are proposals that combine theory and practice, academic rigour and the insights of contemporary activism. More information about the PhD in Government and Politics programme, including application procedures and sources of financial support, may be found on the PhD page of the Government and Politics Department website. Informal queries are also welcome, and may be sent to Dr. Davis at l.davis@ucc.ie.
Current teaching
2023-GV1204: Democracy, Ideology and Utopia
2023-GV3215: Politics of the United States of America
2023-GV3216: Contemporary Ecological and Anti-Capitalist Politics
2023-GV4409: Political Ideologies and Social Change
2023-GV6103: Re-Imagining Democratic Politics in a Changing World
Current Postgraduate Students
| Student | Degree Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Mostafavi Fatemeh | Doctoral Degree | |
| Biedowicz Michal Piotr | Doctoral Degree | |
| Rose Michael Edward | Doctoral Degree |
Contact details
- Laurence Davis
- L.Davis@ucc.ie
- +353-21-490-3000
- Senior Lecturer in Government and Politics
- l.davis@ucc.ie
- 2.46 O'Rahilly Building
University College Cork
Cork
Ireland - +353-21-490-3472