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SSJ10060

Academic Year 2025/2026

Inequality and Social Justice in Irish Society (SSJ10060)

Subject:
Social Justice
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Soc Pol, Soc Wrk & Soc Justice
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Micheal Collins
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Despite significant increases in income and wealth over the past two decades, Ireland is often described as one of the most deeply unequal societies within the European Union. Why has this happened? How do we explain the persistence of injustices in a relatively wealthy country like Ireland and how can we bring about change?

The aim of this course is to enable students to develop a critical understanding of inequalities in Irish society and to identify ways of addressing these. It will use a range of academic materials and sources from different disciplines, including online resources, to develop a critically informed orientation. The course will be taught through a series of lectures and seminars. The active participation of students will be encouraged through dialogue and discussion.

The course has three main objectives: 1) It will map inequalities in Ireland for different social groups to enable students to understand the scope and depth of injustices; 2) It will provide students with conceptual frameworks to enable them to analyse the roots of these inequalities; and 3) It will identify frameworks for action that will promote social justice and respect for all in Ireland.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this course students will have developed:
1. The ability to conceptualise the equality problems of Irish society within a coherent academic framework
2. The research and analytical skills for understanding how social injustices and inequalities can be understood and challenged
3. A sound knowledge of the research evidence on the levels and scope of inequality in Ireland
4. The ability to create, understand and interpret quantitative tables and charts on experiences of inequality
5. A recognition of the complexity of the equality/inequality issues facing Irish society and an understanding of the available policy responses to these challenges

Indicative Module Content:

The course will focus on four major types of inequalities and how each of these can be explained and addressed in Ireland: 1) Economic inequalities; 2) Cultural inequalities; 3) Political inequalities and 4) Affective inequalities.

To complement the above analysis the Course will explore the role of key institutions in the perpetuation of inequality and in creating a more equal society including the media, the educational system, and the healthcare system. It will also explore possible solutions to Inequality in Irish Society and pathways towards achieving these

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

24
Autonomous Student Learning

49
Lectures

24
Small Group

3
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Learning is through lecture attendance, preparation for tutorials, participation in tutorials (3 in total), course reading, completion of assignments and self-directed learning.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

No prior learning required.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Equivalents:
Inequality in Irish Society (EQUL10060)


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Exam (In-person): An in-person MCQ exam (60 minutes) to take place during the exam period. End of trimester
Duration:
1 hr(s)
 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
70
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Short assignment, entitled 'Examining Inequality', building on material covered in the initial lectures and tutorial. Week 7 Graded No
30
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Course Assignment Using Brightspace, students will be provided with individual feedback which includes the assignment grade and some individual comments. A document will also be made available with some overall comments on the assignments.

The majority of lectures will draw on the core texts listed below. References to the relevant chapter of these texts, plus other reading material, are listed by lecture topic in the course outline.

Core texts:

Collins, M.L. (2025) ‘Inequality’, in O’Hagan, J., F. O’Toole and C. Whelan (eds.) The Economy of Ireland, 15th edition, London: Palgrave Macmillan. See Chapter 12, p274-298.

Wilkinson, R. and Pickett, K. (2009) The Spirit Level: Why more equal societies almost always do better. London: Penguin.

Baker, J., Lynch, K., Cantillon, S., and Walsh, J., (2009) Equality: From Theory to Action, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Atkinson, A.B. (2015) Inequality: What can be Done? Harvard University Press.

Central Statistics Office (CS0) Measuring Ireland’s Progress. Annual online http://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/measuringirelandsprogress/

Social Justice Ireland (annual updates) Social Justice Matters 20xx. Dublin: Social Justice Ireland. https://www.socialjustice.ie/

TASC (annual updates) The State we are in: inequality in Ireland 20xx. https://www.tasc.ie

Name Role
Dr Micheal Collins Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Theresa Schilling Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 33 Mon 13:00 - 13:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 12:00 - 12:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 14:00 - 14:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 2 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 14:00 - 14:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 5 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 17:00 - 17:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 6 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 17:00 - 17:50
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