Professor Helena
Sheehan 
Dublin
City University
Jan to March 2007 at University
of Cape Town
academic interests
- history of ideas,
sociology of
knowledge
- alternative
epistemologies and
world views of our times
- history of marxism
- academic and
cultural
transformation
in South Africa
- science studies
- media studies,
television drama
teaching
DCU
School of Communications
- for BA in
Journalism
& BA
in Communication Studies
- for MA in
International Relations,
MA in Political Communication, MA in Globalisation, MA in Journalism
- for MSc
in Science Communication
- for BA in
Journalism, BA in Communication
Studies, BSc in Multimedia
- for MA in
Film & Television Studies
- archived course
websites
New Jersey: Humanities
Press,
1985 / 1993 (2 editions)
The
Continuing Story of Irish Television Drama: Tracking the Tiger
Dublin:
Four Courts Press, 2004
extract the times: 1987-2002
"A
Voice from the Dead" text
or extract
an
introduction to posthumous work of NI Bukharin Philosophical
Arabesques
New
York:
Monthly Review Press/ New York University Press, 2004
(as co-editor) Mapping
Irish
media: critical explorations
Dublin: UCD Press,
2007 launch
articles
/ chapters/ conference papers/ pamphlets
interviews
with Jeremy Cronin MP in South Africa April
2001 and January
2002
online
articles
work
in progress
books
The shifting shapes of tv
drama: storytelling and ideology in American society
The tides of academe:
the crosswinds
of mentalities, movements and markets in the history of knowledge
Navigating the zeitgeist:
a grand narrative 
articles
The
West Wing and
the wider world: a transatlantic perspective on idealised America
The Wire and the world: an
ideological analysis
Conflicting
transformations: some observations on the intellectual dynamics of
South Africa univeristies
some recent papers,
guest lectures, multimedia conference presentations
- "Why the new interest in marxism and
science?" at seminar on Marxism(s) and historiography of science at
Université Paris 7 (March 2008)
- "Identities, ideologies and
intellectuals" at Forging identities conference at DCU (February 2008)
- "Breakfast
roll man, public space and planet of slums" at Ireland Institute for
Historical and Cultural Studies (November 2007)
- "Marxism
and science: the historical drama, the contemporay conjucture" Historical Materialism conference
at SOAS, University of London (November 2007)
- "Marxism
and the natural sciences" at
Communist University of Britain at Ruskin House, Croydon (October 2007)
- "Marxism
in the 21st century" at Communist University of Britain at Ruskin
House, Croydon (October 2007)
- "The
centenary of Christopher Caudwell and the philosophical landscape of
the century" at Caudwell centenary conference sponsored by Marx
Memorial Library, London (October 2007)
- "The
assault on scientific rationality: historical analysis and
epistemological response" at conference on The assault on science:
Constructing a response, 13th congress of European Council of Skeptical
Organisations, Dublin (September 2007) poster
- "Philosophy
and science: connection, disconnection, consequences" public lecture
sponsored by Irish Skeptics Society (June 2007)
- "Marxism
and the interpretation of science" at Institute of Historical Research,
University of London (May 2007)
- "Marxism
and science: a sweep through the decades" at 34th annual philosophy of
science conference at Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik (April 2007)
- "Universities,
social movements and market forces" at All Africa House, University of
Cape Town (March 2007)
- "Identities,
ideologies, market forces and social sciences" at Dept of Sociology,
University
of Cape Town (Feb 2007)
- "Identities
and ideologies: Are sociologists stenographers of the surface?”
plenary
address at Sociological Association of Ireland postgraduate conference
(November 2006)
- "Are
the
humanities threatened by the increasing commercialisation of
universities?"
(debate with president of DCU) at humanities festival at DCU (May 2006)
- "Fair
City and our fair city: soap opera and social order” at conference
on Irish Media in Global and Local Contexts sponsored by Irish Media
Research
Network at DIT (June 2006)
- “JD
Bernal:
philosophy, politics and the science of science” at JD Bernal: Science
and Society sponsored by Institute of Physics in Ireland at Limerick
Institute
of Technology (June 2006)
- "Marxism
and science studies: from 1931 to now" conference on Scientists
and
Social Commitment at Science Museum London (September 2006)
- "The
influence
of marxism on science studies" at Princeton seminar on Geopolitics,
Marxism
& 75 Years of Science Studies at Princeton University (March 2006) abstract
& collage
- "Speaking
of the south: northern voices and southern realities" at conference on
Education for Development in a Globalising World at DCU (March 2006)
- "Teaching
philosophy in the 21st century" at Royal Institute of Philosophy,
Cardiff
(March 2004)
- "Cultures
and transformation in post-apartheid South Africa" at Cultures in
Conflict
conference at DCU (February 2002)
- "Philosophy
and transformation" at conference of Philosophical Society of Southern
Africa, University of Stellenbosch (January 2002)
- "Politics
and academe in the new South Africa" at DCU School of Communications
staff
seninar series (Nov 2001) and for MA in International Relations lecture
series (April 2002)
- "The
legacy
of the German Democratic Republic" at Trinity College
Dublin
for MPhil in Peace Studies course on Eastern Europe (January 2001)
- "The
rise
of the repressed: where does South Africa fit into the picture ?" at
All
Africa House, University of Cape Town (March 2001)
- "Transformation
and academe: alternative paths" at Centre for Higher Education
Development,
University of Cape Town (April 2001)
- "The
history
of philosophy: questions about class, race and gender" at Department of
Philosophy, University of Cape Town (March 2001)
- "The
history
of ideas and the other" at Cultures in Transition conference at
DCU
(February 2000)
- "Class:
defining it, debating it, dramatising it" at Understanding Class in
Ireland
conference at University College Dublin (December 1999)
past papers
delivered
at international conferences
• World Congress
of
Philosophy Boston 1998
• International Conference
on 150th Anniversary of Communist Manifesto Paris 1998
• Socialist Scholars
Conference
NY 1993
• Imagining Ireland
Conference
at Irish Film Centre 1993
• International Television
Studies Conference London 1988
• International Congress
of
Logic, Methodology & Philosophy of Science Hanover 1979
• International History of
Science Congress Bucharest 1981
• Conference of History
&
Philosophy of Science Royal Irish Academy 1982
• International Round
Table
Cavtat 1988 & 1989 Sarajevo 1988
other occasional
papers
/ guest lectures
Harvard University,
Boston
University, Temple University, New York University, University of
Pennsylvania,
University of Bridgeport, Fairfield University, Villanova University,
University
of Toronto, York University, University of London, University of Cape
Town,
TCD, UCD, UCC, UCG, QUB, Maynooth, Safarik University Presov, USSR
Academy
of Sciences, GDR Academy of Sciences, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences,
Hungarian Political Science Association, Tito Political School
Kumrovec,
Interuniversity Centre of Postgraduate Studies Dubrovnik, Goethe
Institut,
Renner Instiut Vienna, Brecht Forum, NY Marxist School, Socialist
Scholars
Conference, Philosophical Society of Southern Africa, Science and
Society (journal) , Irish Labour History Society, Society of Socialist
Social Scientists, People's College, Kilkenny VEC, Media Association of
Ireland, Irish Film Institute, RTE, Irish Philosophical Society,
Philosophical
Association of Ireland, Royal Irish Academy, Forfas, Comhlamh, Irish
Writers
Centre, Liberty Hall , European City of Culture (lecture series),
Dublin
Institute for Adult Education, Teacher's Club, Ballymun Job Centre,
Peadar
O'Donnell Centre for the Unemployed Galway, Arthouse Temple Bar,
Association of Irish Humanists, Irish School of Ecumenics, University
of
Wales Cardiff, Princeton University, University of London
degrees
PhD 1980
Trinity College, Dublin
University
MA
1970
Temple University, Philadelphia
BS
1967 St
Joseph's College, Philadephia
other professional positions / activities
During the 2000-2001
academic
year I was on sabbatical leave. During October 2000 I was in the
USA (Philadelphia and New York) and November 2000 in Cuba (Havana)
visiting
universities and attending conferences. From February to April 2001 I
was
in South Africa at University of Cape
Town
as a visiting scholar at the Graduate
School of the Humanities and a visiting associate at the Centre
for Higher Education Development and in residence at All
Africa House. I was doing research on academic
transformation
in South Africa. I produced a multimedia research report that I
presented
at DCU in Oct 2001. My interview
with Jeremy Cronin, MP done in April 2001 and follow up interview
done in January 2002 have caused considerable controversy within
South
Africa. I returned to South Africa for further research trips in 2002
and
2005. I was based at the University of the Witwatersrand in July-August
2002. During 2007 I am on sabbatical, based at University of Cape Town
from January to March 2007.
address 
Dr
Helena
Sheehan School of
Communications
Dublin City University Dublin
9
Ireland
