The proposal submitted by the Institute for the Study of Social Change (ISSC) for funding under the Irish Government’s Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions, cycle 3 (PRTLI3) included as one of its four elements a substantial component dealing with an issue whose academic significance is matched by its public policy importance: identity and citizenship in Ireland in the context of economic, social and political change, both globally and in the more immediate arena of these islands. Research conducted under the auspices of the IDC Programme explores the relationships between changes in socio-political contexts at global, regional, national and local levels and the ways in which identities are constituted across three central themes:
- Constitutional and institutional reform in the island of Ireland, considering also the implications of new patterns of territorial politics in Great Britain, and their implications for identity and further institutional progress.
- New patterns of migration, and specifically of substantial immigration into the Republic of Ireland, posing unprecedented challenges for people’s sense of identity and requiring careful consideration of new concepts of citizenship.
- Self-perceptions of Irish people, in terms both of national identity and in relation to class, family, gender, community, religion, sport and lifestyle identities, vital issues in the context of the rapid pace of economic and social change in Ireland.
A central feature of the research programme is its collective and interdisciplinary character, which aims to maximise the added value that ensues from connecting diverse theoretical perspectives within an empirically oriented research programme, and which in turn feeds back to enrich theoretical reflection.
The programme is composed of a number of projects:
The project Intergenerational Transmission and Ethno-National Identity, which began March 1st 2004, is supported by the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation and is led by Dr Todd and Dr Orla Muldoon (Queens University Belfast). The project employs two research-coordinators at ISSC, Dr Nathalie Rougier and Dr Lorenzo Cañás-Bottos, and one at Queens, Dr Katrina McLaughlin.
Having only recently undergone the transition from a country of emigration to one of net in-migration, one of the most significant areas of change in contemporary Ireland is that linked to migration. The related social and institutional transformations taking place are dynamic and far-reaching. As such, the Migration and Citizenship Research Initiative has been established within the IDC Programme by an interdisciplinary team of UCD staff, associated postgraduates and national and international affiliates. The MCRI, led by Dr. Alice Feldman (Sociology) as part of a Government of Ireland Research Fellowship and Dr. Mary Gilmartin (Geography), is currently in its initial stages of development, and seeks to provide the infraestructure necessary for promoting excellence in migration-related scholarship, training and research contributions to policy and practice at national and international levels. Visiting scholars, researchers and those seeking project partnerships are invited to be part of these efforts.
Other projects associated with the IDC Programme:
Dr Alice Feldman, Diversity, Civil Society and Social Change in Ireland
This project explores the changing Irish social, civil and political landscapes catalysed by the comparatively recent and rapid ethnic diversification of Irish society. In addition to the data generated by the Contemporary Irish Identities project, it draws upon ongoing research addressing the development and mobilisation of new immigrant communities and changes in the NGO sector following the growth of activities related to anti-racism, immigrant solidarity and race equality. The forthcoming book advances an analytical framework based on a synthesis of identity, migration and social movement scholarship to examine the dynamic relationships between people, regimes and global forces with respect to ‘race-making’, state formation and positive social change. This study is being funded through a Government of Ireland Research Fellowship from the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences, 2004-05.
A related project, undertaken with Fidèle Mutwarasibo, of the Immigrant Council of Ireland and Dr Theresa O’Keefe, examines the local, national and global transformations catalysed by new patterns of in-migration to Ireland through a case study of Mosney, the state’s largest accommodation centre for asylum seekers.
Professor Tom Inglis, Ireland: Acting Globally, Thinking Locally
This study examines the social and cultural impact of globalisation on everyday life in a village in rural Ireland. Ireland has been identified as one of the most globalised societies in the world. Yet, at the same time, it is still one of the most religious, with a strong adherence to cultural traditions, and a loyal commitment to family and community. How has globalisation influenced the way people in the village work, live their lives, and see and understand themselves and the world in which they live? This study is being funded through a Government of Ireland Senior Research Fellowship from the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences, 2004-05.
