Professor Helena
Sheehan
Professor Emerita
Dublin City University
academic interests
- history
of
ideas
/
sociology
of
knowledge
/
contending
world
views
- history
of
marxism
- science
studies:
epitemology,
philosophy
of
scince
- media
studies: news, current affairs, television drama
new 
To the Crucible: An Irish
engagment with the Greek crisis and the Greek left in Irish
Left
Review, Greek
Left
Review, Counterpunch
(US), Links (Australia), Left
Unity (UK) 2013
The
International Lenin School at conference of Irish Association for
Russian, Central and Eastern European Studies March 2013
books
New Jersey: Humanities
Press, 1985 / 1993 (2 editions)
on
doras
The
Continuing Story of Irish Television Drama: Tracking the Tiger
Dublin:
Four
Courts
Press, 2004
extract
the
times: 1987-2002
full text on doras
"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
selected reviews
selected past articles
selected
chapters
pamphlets
translations of
various books and articles into French, German, Russian, Chinese,
Italian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Portugese, Italian, Greek,
Arabic
some recent papers,
guest lectures, multimedia conference presentations
- "An aisling for
our age" at Royal Irish Academy (February 2012)
- "The new left:
remembering and reflecting" at Occupy University (October 2011)
- "Marxism" at
JUST Ballymun (October 2011)
- "The occupy
movement" at Marxism 2011 (November 2011)
- "The future of
the left" at Marxism 2011 (Novemeber 2011)
- "Can the left
unite?" at Jim Connell School Kells (April 2011)
- "Marxist
historiography and the history of philosophy" at Higher Education
Academy conference at Peoples History Museum Manchester (February 2010)
- "What (if
anything) has marxism to offer to science studies?" at University
College London (March 2010)
- "How much
knowledge of religion or theology is necessary to make a case for
atheism?" at Atheist Ireland (October 2010)
- "A Hidden
Ireland" at University of Limerick (October 2010)
- "Marxism and
science" at Marxism 2010 (November 2010)
- Crossakiel 2009
- "Another
tv
drama
is
possible:
The
Wire"
at
Marxism
2008
conference
(November
2008)
- "Universities,
social
movements
and
market
forces:
the
fate
of
philosophy"
at
UCD
Philosophy
Society
(October
2008)
- "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)
- "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)
- "The West Wing and the wider world:
a transatlantic perspective on idealised America" at University of
Birmingham (October 2004) abstract
- "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)
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 
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 Birmingham,
University of Wales Cardiff, Princeton University, University of
London, University of Paris, Ireland Institute
degrees
PhD 1980
Trinity College, Dublin University
MA
1970 Temple University, Philadelphia
BS
1967 St Joseph's College, Philadephia
teaching
DCU School of Communications
- for BA in
Journalism & BA in Communication Studies
- for MA in
International Relations, MA in Political Communication, MA in
International Security & Conflict Studies, MA in International
Organisations
MA in Development
- 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
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 was again on sabbatical at University
of Cape Town. Based on this research, I have written "Contradictory
transformations: observations on the intellectual dynamics of South
African universities". I also spent time in Berlin and Dubrovnik
investigating the fate of marxism in Eastern Europe.
address 
