Our People

My research focuses on migration, governance and ethics. I am interested in inequalities faced by migrants in the labour market and in other parts of everyday life. I have published extensively on rural governance and regeneration, international migration and on research ethics and methodologies. I am an active member of various international research networks including the European Society for Rural Sociology (ESRS) and European Sociological Association. I am currently co-editor-in-chief of Sociologia Ruralis. I am an elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and a trustee of Plunkett UK.

My research is strongly oriented towards migration and I continue to conduct research with migrant communities in the UK. I have a practitioner background and prior to working in higher education I held various positions in the voluntary and community sector and within local government. I consistently collaborate with external partners including third sector organisations and local government.

I welcome inquiries from prospective PhD researchers on the issues identified above. I also welcome international visiting PhD researchers.

Google scholar: Click here.

ORCID: Click here.

I have obtained funding from research foundations, government third sector and industry. All of my research carries significant social and economic impact. For example, my Joseph Rowntree Funded research on migration led to various policy and advisory roles including advising the Northern Ireland government on a proposed Racial Equality Strategy, addressing a NI Assembly Committee and speaking at a central government lunchtime seminar series.

I am an elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. I am an active member of European Society for Rural Sociology (ESRS); and the European Sociological Association (ESA) (Research Network 38). I am co-editor of Sociologia Ruralis, a leading European journal for rural sociology and a trustee of Plunkett UK.

Previous projects

Nature Returns: Nature for People and Places in the Wansbeck Catchment (Natural England and Environment Agency) (2024-25) (with Sarah Best, NICRE). Exploring community use of green and blue spaces from sea to source.

The impact of Brexit on Women and Girls (Equality Commission, Northern Ireland) (2023-24) (with Katharine AM Wright) Evaluation of the impact of Brexit and policy recommendations.

Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain (Food Standards Agency) (2022). This research examined the implications of labour shortages across different parts of the food system. 

Review of Rural Development funding, Rural Community Network (Northern Ireland) (2022). This project identified how the UK government’s replacement funds for EU initiatives could meet the needs of rural communities in Northern Ireland.

Local Perspectives on Community and Economy (DEFRA). This project examined rural community development through exploring the 'lived experience' in terms of relationships between economy, society, local context, and service delivery (2020-22)

National Institute of Health Research: Applied Research Collaborations (2021-22) (with HAREF and Riverside Community Health Project). This project used the coronavirus pandemic as a prism through which to research health inequalities.

Diversified Rural: Understanding Differences Within and Between the UK and Ireland, (ESRC-Irish Research Council) (2021-22). This network examined how to reframe rural policy in a context of UK exit from the EU and post-pandemic rebuilding.

Transnational Theory Building for Researching the Global Countryside: Perspectives from Taiwan and the UK, ESRC (2021-22). This project examined how 'transnational theory' can advance understanding of the global, national and regional dynamics that are reshaping rural societies and economies around the world.

Non-Agricultural Seasonal Workers in Rural and Urban Scotland, (Scottish Government). This is mixed method project estimated the number of seasonal migrant workers in Scotland and examined their everyday lives including their working conditions and their future intentions in the context of Brexit.

HAMLETS. Immigration and Sustainable Development in Micro Villages (Recer Caixa), led by Ricard Morén Alegret (Department of Geography, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona). This project examined the contribution that (international and internal) immigrants make to the sustainable development of small rural municipalities in Catalonia.

Evaluation of ‘Going for Growth’, Friends of the Earth (January 2016 – March 2017). This research examined the capacity of the Going for Growth strategy to contribute to food security.

Supervision

I am interested in supervising research students on migration including forced migrants; economic mobility; seasonal workers and food systems; social integration; transnationalism. The other broad theme that I am keen to supervise is sustainability and rural development including projects focused on changing rural communities and society; sustainable development, participation and governance; rural planning and economic development. I welcome international visiting PhD researchers from other institutions.

Currently I am supervising the following students:

Rebecca Donaldson (FT) with Dobbernack, Shildrick, NCL

Sneha Solanki (FT) with Talbot, Bagelman, NCL (in partnership with The Maltings, Berwick)

Danlei Huang (FT) with Pasquetti, NCL and Repo, NCL

Emily Haworth (FT) with Sharp, NCL and Dobson, NCL

Ben Davies (FT) with Johnson, NCL and Taylor, NCL

Completed PhDs:

Federica Consentina 2025

Claire Boden, 2024

Raphaela Berding, 2024

Jake Pointer, 2024

Colin Watson, 2024

Adrienne Attorp, 2022

Claire O’Boyle, 2018

Carey Doyle, 2017

Aisling Murphy, 2014

Anne Rice, 2014

Jonathan Bell, 2013

Lori McVay, 2011

Other research activities

I regularly participate in academic conferences and have presented papers and organised working groups and panels at conferences of the European Rural Sociology Association, the American Rural Sociological Society, ESA and IMISCOE. I provide ethical review for the European Commission and scientific reviews for a range of Research Councils including the Swedish Research Council (Formas). I am regularly invited to review academic articles and books for a range of high impact journals. 

I am currently Head of Subject and not leading any modules.

Curriculum Development

I have co-led the development of new Masters taught programmes in International Security and Gender, both commenced 2025. I have also co-led the development of new Criminology programmes (to commence from 2027)

Teaching experience

Most recent modules include:

• SOC3098 Community and Conflict in the Countryside
• SOC8050 Migration, Mobilities and Inequalities
• SOC2070 Researching Social Life II

In the past I have taught UG Planning Students on a range of topics including European Planning Studies, Regeneration, Economics and Planning; and Work-Based Practice.

• Articles

  • Consentino F, McAreavey R, Peri I. Generational renewal in agriculture: What’s the problem represented to be? Deconstructing Policy Representations in Rural Development Programmes across Italian regions. Agriculture and Human Values 2026, 43, 25.
  • McAreavey R, Wright KAM, Donaldson R. Social Justice in Post-Conflict Societies: Lessons from Northern Ireland. British Journal of Sociology 2025, 76(3), 645-656.
  • Bosworth G, McAreavey R, Kennedy M. Social Innovation in Rural Development Policy: Strengthening Participation, Representation and Accountability. European Countryside 2025, 17(3), 412-430.
  • Asikainen H, McAreavey R. ‘We are here our hearts are there’ Rurality, belonging and walking together. Sociologia Ruralis 2025, 65(1), e12486.
  • Wright KAM, McAreavey R, Donaldson R. The Impact of Brexit on Women, Peace and Security in Northern Ireland: Spotlight on Violence Against Women. Journal of Common Market Studies 2024, 62(5), 1408-1416.
  • Morén-Alegret R, Milazzo J, McAreavey R, Keaveney K. Perceptions of sustainability in Ireland’s small villages during immigration times. Exploring discernments of social, economic, and environmental challenges in rural Cavan and Leitrim. Irish Geography 2024, 56(2), 91-122.
  • Berding-Barwick R, McAreavey R. Resilience and identities: the role of past, present and future in the lives of forced migrants. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 2023, 50(8), 1843-1861.
  • Caruso C, McAreavey R, Sirkeci I. Fuzzy edges of Social Capital: the migration-mobility nexus and social capital through the eyes of a local Third Sector Organisation. Voluntary Sector Review 2023, 14(3), 400-420.
  • Arora-Jonsson A, McAreavey R. From crisis to sustainability: The politics of knowledge production on rural Europe. Sociologia Ruralis 2023, 63(3), 771-792.
  • McAreavey R. Finding rural community resilience: Understanding the role of anchor institutions. Journal of Rural Studies 2022, 96, 227-236.
  • Phillipson J, Gorton M, Turner R, Shucksmith M, Aitken-McDermott K, Areal F, Cowie P, Hubbard C, Maioli S, McAreavey R, Souza-Monteiro D, Newbery R, Panzone L, Rowe F, Shortall S. The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Implications for Rural Economies. Sustainability 2020, 12(10), 3973.
  • Attorp A, McAreavey R. Muck, Brass and Smoke: Policy post-exceptionalism in the agri-food sector. Journal of Rural Studies 2020, 79, 302-310.
  • Mendoza C, Moren-Alegret R, McAreavey R. (Lifestyle) immigrant entrepreneurs in Southwest European small villages: Rethinking international immigration in dynamic rural places of Alt Empordà, Catalonia, Spain. Belgeo 2020, 1.
  • McAreavey R. Seasonal workers schemes: can they achieve social justice?. Europa XXI 2019, 37, 37-52.
  • McAreavey R, Krivokapic-Skoko B. In or out? Using boundaries as a means to understand the economic integration of transnational migrants in regional economies. Sociologia Ruralis 2019, 59, 329-349.
  • McAreavey R, Brown DL. Comparative Analysis of Rural Poverty and Inequality in the UK and the US. Palgrave Communications 2019, 5, 120.
  • McAreavey R, Argent N. Migrant integration in rural New Immigration Destinations: An institutional and triangular perspective. Journal of Rural Studies 2018, 64, 267-275.
  • Doebler S, McAreavey R, Shortall S. Is racism the new sectarianism? Negativity towards immigrants and ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland from 2004 to 2015. Ethnic and Racial Studies 2018, 41(14), 2426-2444.
  • McAreavey R. Migrant identities in a new immigrant destination: revealing the limitations of the ‘hard working’ migrant identity. Population, Space and Place 2017, 23(6), e2044.
  • Shortall S, McAreavey R. Gender, Migration and Development: Can advocacy groups be more of a hindrance than a help?. Social Sciences 2017, 6(2), 49.
  • Mayes R, McAreavey R. Encountering education in the rural: migrant women’s perspectives. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education 2017, 38(3), 416-428.
  • Doyle C, McAreavey R. Patterns and processes of recent migration to Northern Ireland. Irish Geography 2016, 49(1).
  • Doyle C, McAreavey R. Possibilities for change? Diversity in Post-Conflict Belfast (Special feature on Northern Ireland). City: analysis of urban trends, culture, theory, policy, action 2014, 8(4-5), 466-475.
  • McAreavey R. On Being Let Loose in the Field: The Execution of Professional Ethics. Sociologia Ruralis 2014, 54(1), 71-93.
  • McAreavey R. Resistance or Resilience? Tracing the Pathway of Recent Arrivals to a ‘New’ Rural Destination. Sociologia Ruralis 2012, 52(4), 488-507.

• Authored Book

  • McAreavey R. New Immigration Destinations: Migrating to Rural and Peripheral Areas. London: Routledge, 2017.

• Book Chapters

  • McAreavey R. What is the Rural?. In: Attorp A; Heron S; McAreavey R, ed. Rural governance in the UK: towards a sustainable and equitable society. London: Routledge/Taylor and Francis, 2023, pp.12-33.
  • Lin W, McAreavey R. Urban/rural. In: The Newcastle Social Geographies Collective, ed. Social Geographies: An Introduction. London: Rowman and Littlefield, 2021, pp.106-105.
  • Najib K, Finlay R. Religion. In: Authored by the The Newcastle Social Geographies Collective and edited by Rachel Pain and Peter Hopkins, ed. Social Geographies: An Introduction. London: Rowman & Littlefield, 2021.
  • McAreavey R. Kaleidoscopic relations in emerging destinations. In: Jeffrey H. Cohen and Ibrahim Sirkeci, ed. Handbook of Culture and Migration. Edward Elgar, 2021, pp.54-67.
  • McAreavey R. Agri-food workers: transnational connections in small towns and rural areas. In: Banksi, J, ed. Routledge International Handbook of Small Towns. Routledge, 2021, pp.296-309.
  • Pande R. Race. In: The Newcastle Social Geographies Collective; Pain, R; Hopkins, P, ed. Social Geographies An Introduction. London: Rowman and Littlefield International, 2020, pp.133-142.
  • Jones C, Richardson MJ. Justice. In: The Newcastle Social Geographies Collective, ed. Social Geographies: An Introduction. London: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020, pp.79-88.
  • Richardson M, Pande R, Ridley G. Gender. In: The Newcastle Social Geographies Collective; Pain, R; Hopkins, P, ed. Social Geographies An Introduction. London: Rowman and Littlefield International, 2020, pp.162-172.
  • Hopkins P, Pain R. Age. In: The Newcastle Social Geographies Collective, ed. Social Geographies: An Introduction. London: Rowman and Littlefield, 2020, pp.192-199.
  • McAreavey R. Unravelling the complexities of poverty in a New Immigration Destination: migrants in Northern Ireland. In: Gaisbauer, HP; Schweiger, G; Sedmak, C, ed. Absolute Poverty in Europe: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on a Hidden Phenomenon. Bristol: The Policy Press, 2019, pp.211-228.
  • McAreavey R. Understanding the association between rural ethnicity and inequalities. In: Shucksmith, M. & Brown, D. L, ed. Routledge International Handbook of Rural Studies. London and New York: Routledge, 2016, pp.477-494.
  • McAreavey R. Recent migrants to Northern Ireland: understanding new configurations of ‘community’. In: Murray, M. McKay, S. and Murtagh, B, ed. A Sense of Place: Multidisciplinary Essays in Honour of Malachy McEldowney. Belfast, UK: Institute Spatial & Environmental Planning, Queen's University Belfast, 2015.
  • McAreavey R. Minority and majority community integration in Northern Ireland: a matrix of tolerance. In: Honohan I; and Rougier N, ed. Tolerance and Diversity in Ireland, North and South. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2015, pp.114-134.

• Edited Books

  • Attorp A, Heron S, McAreavey R, ed. Rural governance in the UK: towards a sustainable and equitable society. London: Routledge/Taylor&Francis, 2023.
  • Hopkins P, Newcastle Social Geographies Collective, Pain R, Shaw R, Gao Q, Bonnett A, Jones C, Richardson M, Rzedzian S, Benwell MC, Lin W, McAreavey R, Stenning A, Blazek M, Pande R, Najib K, Finlay R, Nayak A, Ridley G, Mearns G, Bonner-Thompson C, McLaughlin J, Boussalem A, Iqbal N, Heslop J, Jarvis H, Burrows R, Bambra C, Copeland A, Tate S, Campbell E, Thompson M, James A, Raynor R, Cunningham N, Powells G, Herbert J, Hocknell S, ed. Social Geographies: An Introduction. London, UK: Rowman and Littlefield, 2021.

• Editorials

  • Arora-Jonsson S, McAreavey R, Waldenstrom C, Stiernstrom A, Sandstrom E, Asztalos Morell I, Kuns B, Gonzalez-Hidalgo M, Cras P, Alarcon-Ferrari C. Multiple dimensions of sustainability: Towards new rural futures in Euope. Sociologia Ruralis 2023, 63(3), 379-389.
  • McAreavey R, Argent N. New Immigration Destinations (NID) unravelling the challenges and opportunities for migrants and for host communities. Journal of Rural Studies 2018, 64, 148-152.

• Online Publication

  • McAreavey R. Doing Focus Groups and Interviews with Recent Migrants to Northern Ireland: A Dynamic Interplay of Ethics, Language and Access. Sage Publications Ltd, 2014. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/978144627305014533917.

• Reports

  • McAreavey R, Choudhary S, Obayi R, Attorp A, Barbulescu R, Martinez-Perez A, Nayak R. The impact of labour shortages on UK food availability and safety. York: Food Standards Agency, 2023. FS430887.
  • McAreavey R. Looking back to go forward. A review of Rural Development Funding Processes and Delivery. Cookstown, Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Rural Community Network and Northern Ireland Rural Women's Network, 2022.
  • Creamer C, Garod G, Jack C, Liddon A, McAreavey R, Meredith D, Sherry E, Shortall S, Shuttleworth I, Wallace M. After Brexit: 10 key questions for rural policy in Northern Ireland. Centre for Rural Economy, Newcastle University, 2017.
  • Irwin J, McAreavey R, Murphy N. The Social and Economic Mobility of Ethnic Minority Communities in Northern Ireland. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2014. In Preparation.
  • Wallace A, McAreavey R, Atkin K. Poverty and Ethnicity in Northern Ireland. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2013. In Preparation.