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Dr. Margret Fine-Davis

Visiting Research Fellow (Sociology)

 mfdavis@tcd.ie

 


Biography

Margret Fine-Davis, a social psychologist, is Senior Research Fellow (Emerita) and currently Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences & Philosophy, and Director of the Social Attitude and Policy Research Group. Her primary research interests are changing gender role attitudes and behaviour, attitudes to family formation and related social policy issues. She is author of the book, Gender Roles in Ireland: Three Decades of Attitude Change (Routledge, 2015), which synthesises her research over the last 35 years. Her most recent study, on attitudes to family formation, was published in July 2016 by Manchester University Press (Changing Gender Roles and Attitudes to Family Formation in Ireland). Dr Fine-Davis previously directed a collaborative cross-cultural study of work-life balance among working parents in Europe (Fine-Davis, M., Fagnani, J., Giovannini, D.,Hojgaard, L. and Clarke, H., Fathers and Mothers: Dilemmas of the Work-Life Balance - A Comparative Study in Four European Countries (Kluwer, 2004; Italian: Il Mulino, 2007), supported by the European Commission and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. From 2002-2005, she was Director of the Work-Life Balance project under the EU EQUAL Initiative, which piloted innovative forms of flexible working and examined attitudes to work-life balance and social inclusion. Margret Fine-Davis was a member of the Department of Psychology from 1980-89. She was a co-founder of the Centre for Gender and Women's Studies in 1990 and was its first Acting Director (1990-94); she was a member of the Centre's research and teaching staff until 2006 when she was invited to establish the Social Attitude and Policy Research Group in the School of Social Sciences and Philosophy.

Research Tags

  Childcare   Discrimination   Employment   Gender Equality in Employment   Gender role attitudes & behaviour   Gender Roles   Mental Health   Political Culture   Psychology of Women   Quality of Life   Social attitudes   Social indicators   Social Policy   Social Psychology   Survey research   Well-being   Women's studies   Work-life balance

Research Projects

 Loneliness among well-educated, single, urban middle aged men and women in Kazakhstan
 Changing Gender Role Attitudes and Behaviour: Implications for Family Formation in Ireland
 Equality and Diversity in the European Classroom: A Six Country Study (ALLTALL - All Teachers and Trainers as Lifelong Learners)
 An Evaluation of the FÁS Initiative for Parents in Receipt of the One Parent Family Payment
 Psychological Effects of Abortion on Women

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Representations

Details Date
Member of the Board, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital 2005 - 2014
Member of the Ethics Committee of the Board, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital 2007-2014
Member of the Research/Research Ethics Committee, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital 2006 - 2007
Member of the Research and Policy Subcommittee of the Board, Crisis Pregnancy Agency 2007 - 2011
Member of the Research Subcommittee of the Board, Crisis Pregnancy Agency 2003 to 2007
Member of the Board, Well Woman Centres 1996-2002
Member of the International Advisory Board, European Journal of Women's Studies. 1993- Present
Member of the Editorial Board, Social Indicators Research 1991-1996
Member of Supervisory Board, EU Grotius Project, The Legal Process and Victims of Rape, Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and the School of Law, Trinity College 1998
Member of National Advisory Group, EC European Network on Childcare 1987 -
Member, Organising Committee, and Co-Chair, Scientific Programme Committee, Third International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women, Trinity College, Dublin. 6-10 July, 1987. 1984-87
Member of the Government Working Party on Child Care Facilities for Working Parents (Independent member nominated by the Minister for Labour). 1981-83
Irish Representative, Working Group on Subjective Social Indicators, Statistical Office of the European Communities, Luxembourg. 1975-80
Irish Representative, Common Development Effort 13a [Co-ordinating Group for the Comprehensive Survey], Social Indicators Development Program, OECD, Paris. 1978-80
Irish Representative, Working Group on Values and Social Problem Indicators in Contemporary Europe, sponsored by the European Science Foundation. 1977-83

Languages

Language Skill Reading Skill Writing Skill Speaking
English Fluent Fluent Fluent
French Medium Medium Medium

Memberships

Membership of Professional Institutions, Associations, Societies

Details Date From Date To
International Society for Quality of Life Studies (ISQOLS)
American Psychological Association (Div. 9 SPSSI - Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues and Div. 35 Psychology of Women)
International Society for Political Psychology( ISPP)(Governing Council 1985-87)
European Network for Women's Studies (ENWS) (a Network of Scientific and Technical Co-operation of the Council of Europe) [Co-ordinator, 1995- ;Board Member,1993- ;Irish National Contact,1989-90]
Psychological Society of Ireland
Trinity Research Staff Association (TRSA) Founding member and Treasurer (2005 -)
Margret Fine-Davis, Changing Gender Roles and Attitudes to Family Formation in Ireland, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2016, v - 224pp, Book, PUBLISHED
Margret Fine-Davis, Gender Roles in Ireland: Three Decades of Attitude Change, London, Routledge, 2015, 1-242pp, Book, PUBLISHED
Gender Role Attitudes, Family Formation and Well-being in Ireland in, editor(s)L. Eckermann , Gender, Lifespan and Quality of Life: An International Perspective, New York and Heidelberg, Springer, 2014, pp203 - 227, [Margret Fine-Davis], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED
Margret Fine-Davis and Dinara Yessimova, Singlehood and Loneliness among Well-Educated, Middle Aged Men and Women: Findings from Ireland and Kazakhstan, 12th International Conference of the International Society for Quality of Life Studies (ISQOLS), Berlin, 15-18 September 2014, 2014, Conference Paper, PRESENTED
Margret Fine-Davis and Daniel Faas, Equality and Diversity in the Classroom: A Comparison of Students' and Teachers' Attitudes in Six European Countries, Social Indicators Research, 119, (3), 2014, p1319 - 1334, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Margret Fine-Davis, Changing Gender Roles, Family Status and Well-Being , 11th International Conference of the International Society for Quality of Life Studies (ISQOLS), Venice, 1-4 November 2012, 2012, Conference Paper, PRESENTED
Margret Fine-Davis, Attitudes to Family Formation in Ireland: Findings from the Nationwide Study, Dublin, Family Support Agency and Social Attitude and Policy Research Group, Trinity College, December, 2011, i, 144, Report, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text
Margret Fine-Davis, Attitudes to Family Formation in Ireland: Preliminary Findings: The Qualitative Study, Dublin, Social Attitude and Policy Research Group, Trinity College and Family Support Agency, September, 2009, 1, 223, Report, PUBLISHED
Fine-Davis, M., J. Fagnani, D. Giovannini, L. Hojgaard, and H. Clarke, Padri e madri: i dilemmi della conciliazione famiglia - lavoro: Studio comparativo in quattro paesi europei, (Ital. ed.), Bologna, Il Mulino, 2007, 1 - 418pp, Book, PUBLISHED
Margret Fine-Davis, Psychological Effects of Abortion on Women: A Review of the Literature, Dublin, Crisis Pregnancy Agency, December, 2007, (Report No. 20), 1, 49, Notes: [ISBN: 1-905199-20-1], Report, PUBLISHED  TARA - Full Text
  

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Fine-Davis, M., Craven, C. and Holzworth, A. - in collaboration with Mayer, G., Herrón, A., Sánchez, M., Novell, E., González, R., Martín T., Walker, J., Gooding, J., Carrolaggi, P., Simola, S., Manca, S, Kalnina, R and Upmane, M., Equality and Diversity in the European Classroom: A Six Country Study. Final Report to the EU Leonardo Da Vinci Programme. , Dublin and Palma, Trinity College Dublin and Balear de Desarrollo y Formación, Spain., September, 2007, 1, 170, Notes: [Also translated into French, Spanish, Italian and Latvian], Report, PUBLISHED
Fine-Davis, M., M. McCarthy, G. Edge and C. O'Dwyer, Work-Life Balance and Social Inclusion in Ireland: Results of a Nationwide Survey, Dublin, National Flexiwork Partnership(TCD, IBEC, ICTU, FAS, Age Action Ireland, Aware), December, 2005, i-vi; 1-150, Report, PUBLISHED
Fine-Davis, M., McCarthy, M., Edge, G. and O'Dywer, C., Mental Health and Employment: Promoting Social Inclusion in the Workforce., Dublin, National Flexi-work Partnership (TCD, IBEC, ICTU, FAS, Age Action Ireland, Aware), December, 2005, i-vii; 1-72, Report, PUBLISHED
Fine-Davis, M., O'Dwyer, C. McCarthy, M., Edge, G., O'Sullivan, M. & Wynne, K., Men in Childcare: Promoting Gender Equality in Children - Evaluation of a Pilot Project., Dublin, National Flexi-work Partnership (TCD, IBEC, ICTU, FAS, Age Action Ireland, Aware), September, 2005, 1-31, Report, PUBLISHED
Fine-Davis, M., McCarthy, M., O'Dwyer, C., Edge, G., & O'Sullivan, M. , The Effects of Flexible Working on Work-life Balance and Social Inclusion: An evaluation of a series of pilot projects. , Dublin, National Flexi-work Partnership(TCD, IBEC, ICTU, Age Action Ireland, Aware) , October, 2005, i-v; 1-51, Report, PUBLISHED
Fine-Davis, M., H. Clarke and M. Berry, Fathers and Mothers: Dilemmas of the Work, Life Balance - Conference Proceedings, Dublin: Centre for Gender and Women's Studies, Trinity College, June, 2002, Conference Paper, PUBLISHED
Fine-Davis, M. and H. Clarke, Ireland and Cross-National Comparisons, Fathers and Mothers: Dilemmas of the Work-Life Balance - Conference Proceedings, Dublin: Centre for Gender and Women's Studies, Trinity College, June, edited by Fine-Davis, M., H. Clarke and M. Berry , 2002, pp51 - 69, Conference Paper, PUBLISHED
Fine-Davis, M., Fagnani, J., Giovannini, D., Hojgaard, L. and Clarke, H., Fathers and Mothers: Dilemmas of the Work-Life Balance. Final Report to the European Commission and the Irish Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dublin, Centre for Gender and Women's Studies, Trinity College, 2002, Report, PUBLISHED
Fine-Davis, M., Balancing Work and Family in Ireland: Social Attitudes and Evolving Policy Debates, Private and Professional Spheres: Towards a Recomposition of Roles and Actions, Gembloux, November 8-9, 2001, Notes: [Hosted by Belgian Presidency of the EU], Conference Paper, PRESENTED
Fine-Davis, M., and Clarke, H., Mental Health and the Workplace: Challenges and Opportunities, Conference Proceedings and Recommendations, Centre for Gender and Women's Studies, Trinity College, Dublin, August, 2000, Conference Paper, PUBLISHED

  

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Research Interests

Description Of Research Interests

Dr Fine-Davis is a social psychologist with an interest in social attitudes, gender issues, social policy and well-being. Her primary research interests are changing gender-role attitudes and behaviour; attitudes to family formation; and social policy issues related to women's employment, including work-life balance and child care.