Dr Paul Ryan

    Sociology

    Lecturer

    TSI Building
    2nd Fl
    2.30
    (01) 474 7153

    Biography

    I joined the Department of Sociology as an Irish Research Council Post-doctoral Fellow in 2007 becoming a Lecturer in 2010. I have previously lectured at the Department of Social Sciences and Law in the Dublin Institute of Technology and the Department of Sociology in University College Dublin from where I was awarded a PhD in 2005.

    My main research and teaching interests lie within the sociology of the family & personal life, sexuality and the law. I have taught modules:on • Culture and Everyday Life (First Year), Contemporary Social Theory (Third Year), Sex, Law and Society (Third Year) • Fieldwork Methods (Second Year), Media, Culture & the Construction of Crime (Second Year) & Qualitative Research Methods (MA)

    Research Interests

    My main research interests lie within the sociology of the family & personal life, sexuality and the law. My earlier work has focused on LGBTI communities and the history of the movement from the decriminalisation of homosexuality to the successful campaign for gay marriage in 2015, highlighting the creation of new categories of sexual citizens and the consequences for those sexual relationships that remained outside the regulation of the state.

    My Post-doctoral research, and first book, combined a documentary analysis and a life history study of letters sent to the popular agony aunt, Angela Macnamara in the 1960s and 70s. The analysis revealed how families navigated intimate decisions about dating, fertility and sexuality within the confines of a religious and legal structure, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of Irish family life.  

    My current research explores sex work and regulatory regimes governing prostitution within a European context.      I published Male Sex Work in the Digital Age (London: Palgrave) in 2019 exploring how migrant male sex workers' use of social media has created both a flexible and ambiguous understanding of commercial sex in Ireland. The work illustrates how male sex workers use their micro-celebrity on social media (Grindr, Instagram) to construct a brand that can be converted into financial advantage within the sex industry. The digital identities that are created provide the  photographic and video material that are broadcast on new subscription platforms like OnlyFans.

    I completed a project (with Dr. Kathryn McGarry) funded by HIV Ireland in 2020 exploring the possible consequences of new legislation (Criminal Law Sexual Offences Act 2017) on sex workers’ health and well-being. There is a specific focus on migrant female and trans sex workers and their level of engagement in sexual health services and practices such as condom use and HIV testing.

    I have two current research projects:

    I am working with Dr. Kathryn McGarry on a project funded by the HSE and the National Office for Suicide Prevention (2021-22) developing prevention strategies for sex work communities affected by poor mental health, minority stress and suicide. 

    I am also working on a project 'Moving Beyond Impossible Conversations: Sex Work and Knowledge Production in Europe' with Dr. Isabel Crowhurst (University of Essex) and Dr. Giulia Garofalo Geymonat (Università Ca' Foscari Venezia).

    I welcome inquires from prospective PhD students interested in these research areas.

     

    Research Projects

      Project Role Funding Body / Program Description Start Date End Date Award (€)
    'Commercial Sex in the UK & ROI: Current Knowledge and Future Challenges PI Irish Research Council (IRC) / Government State Bodies 08-MAR-21 12-DEC-22 9500
    How can sex worker experiences inform and develop Government suicide prevention strategies? PI Health Service Executive / Grant Scheme for Collaborative Research Projects This proposal for collaborative research between the ISWRN, SWAI and HIV Ireland is in response to the National Office for Suicide Prevention call for proposals as part of the implementation of the Government Suicide Prevention Strategy Connecting for Life 2015-2020. Drawing on the key concept of connection as part of the Government strategy, this research aims to understand connection in relation to sex worker mental health and well-being. This proposal follows on from a recently published report from ISWRN researchers, HIV Ireland and SWAI focused on the health and well-being of sex workers in Ireland (McGarry and Ryan, 2020). Key recommendations arising this report dovetail well with the objectives for this proposal, namely: 1. To explore the issue of mental health, mental health risks and suicide prevention with sex workers 2. To develop a toolkit for suicide prevention and mental health harm reduction with and for sex workers 3. To strengthen connections amongst sex workers and empower sex working communities in suicide prevention work To this end, our guiding research question is “How can sex worker experiences inform and develop Government suicide prevention strategies?” 08-MAR-21 07-MAR-22 6780
    Narrative Design and Player Conduct in Online Video Game Playing Communities PI Enterprise Ireland / Innovation Vouchers 10-JUN-19 03-AUG-19 6500
    Exploring the impact of the sex purchase ban on the health and well-being of sex workers in Ireland PI / Government State Bodies 01-MAR-19 31-OCT-19 8000
    Knowledge Production on Prostitution and Sex Work Contexts and Processes across Europe PI / Non Commercial 02-JUN-17 22-SEP-17 1000
    challenges and opportunities to develop a wider knowledge of Teaching and Learning scholarship amongst lecturers of sociology in Ireland PI / Government State Bodies 02-FEB-15 26-OCT-15 5000

    Books

      Year Publication
    2019 Male Sex Work in the Digital Age: Curated Lives.
    Ryan P. (2019) Male Sex Work in the Digital Age: Curated Lives. [DOI] [Details]
    2013 Asking Angela Macnamara: an Intimate history of Irish lives.
    Ryan, P. (2013) Asking Angela Macnamara: an Intimate history of Irish lives. Dublin: Irish Academic Press. [Details]

    Book Chapters

      Year Publication
    2021 'Sex worker management of their health and well-being in the context of criminalisation'
    McGarry, K, Ryan, P, Berry, A. and Guarani, B. (2021) 'Sex worker management of their health and well-being in the context of criminalisation' In: Lynch, O., Windle, J. and Ahmed, Y (eds). Nothing about us without us: Giving voice to diversity in Criminological Research. Bristol: Policy Press. [Details]
    2020 ''The Gay Marriage Referendum in an Age of Neo-Liberalism''
    Ryan, P. (2020) ''The Gay Marriage Referendum in an Age of Neo-Liberalism'' In: Boucher, G & Watson, I (eds). Ireland: A Sociological Profile and Irish Society: Sociological Perspectives. Dublin: UCD Press. [Details]
    2020 'Contested Knowledge: Victim Narratives, Autobiography and the Rise of Neo-Abolitionist Prostitution Policy in Ireland'
    Ryan, P. (2020) 'Contested Knowledge: Victim Narratives, Autobiography and the Rise of Neo-Abolitionist Prostitution Policy in Ireland' In: Cullen P and Corcoran M (eds) (eds). The production of gendered knowledge. Dublin: UCD Press. [Details]
    2017 'Conducting sex work research in a politically contentious climate: Lessons from Ireland'
    Ryan P.;Huschke S. (2017) 'Conducting sex work research in a politically contentious climate: Lessons from Ireland' In: Sexualities Research: Critical Interjections, Diverse Methodologies, and Practical Applications. London: Routledge. [DOI] [Details]
    2017 'Ireland: The Rise of Neo-Abolitionism and the New Politics of Prostitution'
    Ryan, P & Ward, E (2017) 'Ireland: The Rise of Neo-Abolitionism and the New Politics of Prostitution' In: Jahnsen, S. and Wagenaar, H (eds). Assessing Prostitution Policies in Europe. Milton Park: Routledge. [Details]
    2013 'The Pursuit of Gay and Lesbian Sexual Citizenship Rights, 1980-2011'
    Ryan, P. (2013) 'The Pursuit of Gay and Lesbian Sexual Citizenship Rights, 1980-2011' In: Sexualities and Irish Society: A Reader. Dublin: Blackhall Press. [full-text] [Details]
    2012 '‘What I Knew was What I Learnt on the Street! Irish Drug Using Sex Workers Accounts of How They Contracted HIV and Hepatitis C'
    Whitaker, T., Ryan, P. and Gemma Cox (2012) '‘What I Knew was What I Learnt on the Street! Irish Drug Using Sex Workers Accounts of How They Contracted HIV and Hepatitis C' In: K. Metodiev (eds). Immunodeficiency. London: InTech. [Details]
    2007 'Coming out of the dark: a decade of gay mobilisation in Ireland 1970-80'
    Ryan, P. (2007) 'Coming out of the dark: a decade of gay mobilisation in Ireland 1970-80' In: Social Movements and Ireland. Manchester: Manchester University Press. [Details]
    2004 'Ireland: disinterested commentary, but how effective?'
    Cinneide, SO;Ryan, P (2004) 'Ireland: disinterested commentary, but how effective?' In: OECD and European Welfare States. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. [Details]

    Edited Books

      Year Publication
    2022 Sex Work, Labour and Relations - New Directions and Reflections
    Sanders, T, Ryan, P. & McGarry, K (Ed.). (2022) Sex Work, Labour and Relations - New Directions and Reflections London: Palgrave. [Details]

    Peer Reviewed Journals

      Year Publication
    2021 'I miss being honest' sex workers accounts of silence and disclosure with health care providers in Ireland'
    Ryan, P;McGarry, K (2021) 'I miss being honest' sex workers accounts of silence and disclosure with health care providers in Ireland'. Culture, Health and Sexuality, [DOI] [Details]
    2016 '#Follow: exploring the role of social media in the online construction of male sex worker lives in Dublin, Ireland'
    Ryan P. (2016) '#Follow: exploring the role of social media in the online construction of male sex worker lives in Dublin, Ireland'. Gender, Place, and Culture, 23 (12):1713-1724 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2011 '‘Stigmatization Among Drug-Using Sex Workers Accessing Support Services’'
    Whitaker, T, Ryan, P. & Cox, G (2011) '‘Stigmatization Among Drug-Using Sex Workers Accessing Support Services’'. Qualitative Health Research, 21 (8):1086-1100 [full-text] [Details]
    2011 'Love, lust and the Irish: Exploring intimate lives through Angela Macnamara's problem page, 1963-1980'
    Ryan, P (2011) 'Love, lust and the Irish: Exploring intimate lives through Angela Macnamara's problem page, 1963-1980'. Sexualities, 14 :218-234 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2010 'Asking Angela: Discourses about Sexuality in an Irish Problem Page, 1963-1980'
    Ryan, P (2010) 'Asking Angela: Discourses about Sexuality in an Irish Problem Page, 1963-1980'. Journal of the History of Sexuality, 19 :317-339 [full-text] [Details]
    2006 'Researching Irish Gay Male Lives: Reflections on Disclosure and Intellectual Autobiography in the Production of Personal Narratives'
    Ryan, P. (2006) 'Researching Irish Gay Male Lives: Reflections on Disclosure and Intellectual Autobiography in the Production of Personal Narratives'. Qualitative Research, 6 [full-text] [Details]
    2003 'Coming Out, Staying In: The Personal Narratives of some Irish Gay Men'
    Ryan, P. (2003) 'Coming Out, Staying In: The Personal Narratives of some Irish Gay Men'. Irish Journal of Sociology, 12 [full-text] [Details]

    Other Journals

      Year Publication
    2013 'Reappraising the Irish Sexual Repression Narrative of the 1960s: Was Ireland Different?'
    Ryan, P. (2013) 'Reappraising the Irish Sexual Repression Narrative of the 1960s: Was Ireland Different?' History Ireland, 20 . [full-text] [Details]

    Conference Contributions

      Year Publication
    2021 Queering Intimate-Partner and Dating Violence, University College Dublin and the University of Helsinki.
    Ryan, P. (2021) Queering Intimate-Partner and Dating Violence, University College Dublin and the University of Helsinki. [Oral Presentation], Coercive Control Practices in the Dating Lives of Queer Brasilian Sex Worker in Dublin, Ireland, Dublin [Details]
    2021 CSW65 (2021) | Commission on the Status of Women.
    Ryan, P. (2021) CSW65 (2021) | Commission on the Status of Women. [Oral Presentation], The Impact of Sex Work Criminalisation on the Health needs of Women In Ireland, Virtual Conference [Details]
    2020 The Society of for the Scientific Study of Sexuality Virtual conference 2020: Special Interest Group (SIG): Pornography, Technology, and Sex Work.
    Ryan, P. (2020) The Society of for the Scientific Study of Sexuality Virtual conference 2020: Special Interest Group (SIG): Pornography, Technology, and Sex Work. [Oral Presentation], Migrant male sex workers in Ireland: micro-celebrity, bespoke porn, and the rise of OnlyFans, Virtual Conference [Details]
    2019 12th North South Criminology Conference.
    McGarry, K, Ryan, P, Berry, A. and Guarani, B. (2019) 12th North South Criminology Conference. [Oral Presentation], Sex worker management of their health and well-being in the context of criminalisation, University College Cork [Details]
    1998 American Sociological Association.
    Ryan. P (1998) American Sociological Association. [Oral Presentation], 'Masculinity and Gaelic Identity', San Francisco [Details]
    1998 International Sociological Association.
    Ryan, P. (1998) International Sociological Association. [Oral Presentation], 'Personal Narratives in Qualitative Research', Montreal [Details]
    1997 Sociological Association of Ireland.
    Ryan, P. (1997) Sociological Association of Ireland. [Oral Presentation], Masculinity and the GAA, Westport [Details]
    2019 ‘Nothing about us without us’ crime, justice and marginalised voices: North South Criminology Conference.
    Ryan, P. & McGarry, K. (2019) ‘Nothing about us without us’ crime, justice and marginalised voices: North South Criminology Conference. [Oral Presentation], Sex worker management of their health and well being in the context of criminalisation, University College Cork [Details]
    2018 Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference.
    Ryan, P. (2018) Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference. [Oral Presentation], Two stories about sex work: representativeness and narrative hegemony in the late modern age, IT Sligo [Details]
    2018 Conference of Irish Geographers.
    Ryan, P. (2018) Conference of Irish Geographers. [Oral Presentation], The use of new social media to challenge and redefine social and legal definitions of male sex work in Ireland, Maynooth University [Details]
    2017 ISSACS XI International Conference: Breaking Boundaries. Sexuality, Gender, Reproduction, Health and Rights.
    Ryan, P. (2017) ISSACS XI International Conference: Breaking Boundaries. Sexuality, Gender, Reproduction, Health and Rights. [Oral Presentation], Wish List: Exploring Client Internations with Male Sex Work Online Profiles, Bangkok [Details]
    2017 Displacing Sex for Sale COST Conference.
    Ryan, P. (2017) Displacing Sex for Sale COST Conference. [Oral Presentation], Exploring the Contexts and Conditions of Knowledge Production on Prostitution and Sex Work’, Aalborg University, Copenhagen [Details]
    2016 10th North South Criminology Conference,.
    Ryan, P. (2016) 10th North South Criminology Conference,. [Oral Presentation], Regulating Male Sex Work in a Digital Age, Maynooth University [Details]
    2016 Sociological Association of Ireland Postgraduate Conference, Plenary Presentation.
    Ryan, P. (2016) Sociological Association of Ireland Postgraduate Conference, Plenary Presentation. [Plenary Lecture], ‘#Follow: exploring the role of social media in the online construction of male sex worker lives’, Dublin [Details]
    2015 Troubling Prostitution: Exploring intersections of sex, intimacy and labour, COST Action IS1209 Conference.
    Ryan, P. (2015) Troubling Prostitution: Exploring intersections of sex, intimacy and labour, COST Action IS1209 Conference. [Oral Presentation], ‘Sexual Entrepreneurs? ‘Locating Migrant Male Sex in Contemporary Debates on Prostitution Policy in Ireland, Vienna [Details]
    2014 Colloquia Series Gender, Culture & Society.
    Ryan, P. (2014) Colloquia Series Gender, Culture & Society. [Oral Presentation], Locating Migrant Male Sex Workers in Contemporary Debates on Prostitution Policy in Ireland, University of Limerick [Details]
    2014 Merriman Summer School.
    Ryan, P. (2014) Merriman Summer School. [Oral Presentation], The Emotional Lives of Irish Men, Ennis, Co. Clare [Details]
    2011 IASSCS VIII Conference: Naming and Framing: The Making of Sexual (In) Equalit.
    Ryan, P. (2011) IASSCS VIII Conference: Naming and Framing: The Making of Sexual (In) Equalit. [Oral Presentation], ‘Exploring the performance of masculinities in the lives of Irish drug using sex workers’, Madrid [Details]
    2011 ’American Sociological Association Annual Conference.
    Ryan, P. (2011) ’American Sociological Association Annual Conference. [Oral Presentation], Exploring the emergence of democratic parenting through the pages of an Irish problem page, 1963-80, Las Vegas, NV [Details]
    2009 Sociological Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Galway,.
    Ryan, P. (2009) Sociological Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Galway,. [Public presentations], Love, Lust and the Quest for the Affectionate Irish Male in Angela Macnamara’s Problem Page 1963-80’, Galway, Ireland [Details]
    2009 Turning Personal Conference, Morgan Centre for the Study of Relationships and Personal Life, Univers.
    Ryan, P. (2009) Turning Personal Conference, Morgan Centre for the Study of Relationships and Personal Life, Univers. [Oral Presentation], The Informalisation of Emotions in the Intimate Lives of Older Irish Men', Manchester, UK [Details]
    2005 American Sociological Association Annual Conference,.
    Ryan, P. (2005) American Sociological Association Annual Conference,. [Oral Presentation], The Coming-Out of the Gay Movement in Ireland, 1970–80, Philadelphia, PA [Details]
    2003 European Sociological Association Annual Conference.
    Ryan, P. (2003) European Sociological Association Annual Conference. [Oral Presentation], ‘Researching Sexuality: Reflections on Power and Reflexivity in the production of Personal Narrative, Murcia, Spain [Details]

    Published Reports

      Year Publication
    2020 Sex worker lives under the law: a community engaged study of access to health and justice in Ireland.
    McGarry, K.& Ryan, P. (2020) Sex worker lives under the law: a community engaged study of access to health and justice in Ireland. HIV Ireland, Dublin. [Details]

    Magazine Article

      Year Publication
    2011 Exploring the Performance of Masculinities in the Lives of Irish Drug Using Sex Workers.
    Ryan, P;Cox, G;Whitaker, T (2011) Exploring the Performance of Masculinities in the Lives of Irish Drug Using Sex Workers. ABINGDON: Magazine Article [Details]

    Reviews

      Year Publication
    2010 Asking angela: Discourses about sexuality in an irish problem page, 1963-1980.
    Ryan P. (2010) Asking angela: Discourses about sexuality in an irish problem page, 1963-1980. Reviews [DOI] [Details]

    Outreach Activities

      Description

    RTE 17/01/2017 Morning Ireland ‘The Politics of Divorce twenty years on’ Link

    Newstalk FM 17/01/2017 The Politics of Divorce Twenty Years on’ Link

    Mildlands Radio 103 28/05/2016 CSO Figures on Fertility & Divorce

    Newstalk 17/05/2016 Gay Marriage

    RTE 06/05/2012 The History Show The Sixties in Ireland Special, Link

    RTE 25/11/2011 RTE Radio One John Murray Show discussing Asking Angela Macnamara Link

    Newstalk 09/01/2012 Sean Moncrief Show on Newstalk discussing Asking Angela Macnamara Link

    TV3 31/01/2013 Tonight with Vincent Browne Regulating the Sex Industry Link