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Irish Identity - research phd

  • 17-12-2010 10:58am
    #1
    identity_study
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭


    Hi!

    (I posted the same thread in "Humanities". Though I shouldn't do it. Sorry if it bothers any of you.)

    First of all: I am new to this forum.
    Second of all:My name's Martin, and I'm working on my Phd thesis on Irish Identity.
    In some time in the future I will be preparing for the research part of my thesis. If any of you would like to help with the research (survey) - please contact me. Some time next year I will be sending my survey to poeple in Ireland, so I need as many contacts as possible.

    Third of all: The thread I am starting now and your comments are going to help me with my research.

    Firstly, I would like to know: What is Irishness? How do you describe it? What are the elements that makes Irishness?
    Secondly, I would like to know: Are you proud that you are Irish? What are the elements of Irish pride (and I don't mean the bread smile.gif)
    What things you are proud the most? And why?

    I know that there are a lot of questions. But what I would like to get from you - is a discussion on those topics (Irish Identity, Irishness and Irish Pride).

    Thank you.
    If you have any questions. Or if you want to help me with my future research. E-mail me on: identity@ireland.com

    Martin
    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    JuliusCaesar
    Registered Users Posts: 4,882 ✭✭✭JuliusCaesar


    This won't be any help to you! I think the fact that I'm Irish is an accident of birth, so it's not something I'm particularly proud of. However, being brought up in Ireland has had an impact on how I live my life and my attitudes. No I'm not a Catholic nor have I ever been, nor do I come from a Catholic family.


  • #3
    Cannibal Ox
    Registered Users Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭Cannibal Ox


    What's your theoretical framework and methodology? I thought about doing something similar last year so I'm interested in how you're doing it.


  • #4
    pip pop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭pip pop


    Elements of makeup! I use this quote.
    Of all the nations on the globe, the Irish, as a people are universally admitted to posses, in a pre-eminent degree, those finer sensibilities of the human heart, which, were they but wisely controlled, would exalt man above the level of ordinary humanity, and make him, as it were, a being of another species The numerous instances adduced in all periods of their history, of ardent and enterprising zeal, in every case wherein personal honor or national glory may be involved, are in themselves sufficient to establish this assertion. But while granting their pre-eminence as to the possession of those feelings, and the capability of the feelings themselves to be refined and sublimated to the very acme of cultivation, we may still doubt wheatear the mere possession of them be not less a blessing than a curse.
    Am I proud?...
    I'm ancestral Irish and am proud of it and everyone of us should be if we want to keep "irishness" alive and well.But sadly i find others to be ignorant of the word, as the above say's and what i deduce from it is that we flourish when we are doing the right thing, that to some may be the spreading of the word of Jesus or fighting for our survival both blessings and curses are rendered from these things. But in all the negative circumstances the world has throwing at this people while on this island of ours we have been able to say proudly anymore sir! Atlas another blessing But atlas tis may prove that we are doomed as an ancestral lot and soon will be a no longer as we were.


  • #5
    identity_study
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭identity_study


    Cannibal Ox wrote: »
    What's your theoretical framework and methodology? I thought about doing something similar last year so I'm interested in how you're doing it.

    To be honest - my framework and methodology is being changed (almost every time I think of it)
    Haven't been much into it lately, because had some other projects to write.

    But basically I was thinking to put it in the relation "Continuity and Change" and search for the things, elements of Irish Identity that constitutes continuity (a sort of a core of Identity) and those things that make identity change...
    I wanted to put it in the relation with sport (Gaelic Games) - that are among things that constitutes Irishness since many many years (or even ages) - THOUGH it may be argued (of course) that this is sort of an invented tradition.

    Methodology - Survey + Interviews + Desk Research and maybe a case study

    Probably, wasn't much of a help ... But as I said .... I was off this project for about six months now, and as soon as I finish my other one, I will get back to this - starting with a "good and solid" methodology chapter

    If anyone of you - reading this post - could help me with carrying out the survey I would be solemnly grateful.
    Maybe sb is a student - I was thinking about doing a survey among young Irishmen and women about their views on Irish identity.

    Regards
    For more information contact me on my e-mail:
    identity@ireland.com


  • #6
    identity_study
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭identity_study


    JuliusCaesar wrote: »
    This won't be any help to you! I think the fact that I'm Irish is an accident of birth, so it's not something I'm particularly proud of. However, being brought up in Ireland has had an impact on how I live my life and my attitudes. No I'm not a Catholic nor have I ever been, nor do I come from a Catholic family.

    That's actually interesting.
    Can I ask you a question?
    Do you feel Irish?
    Or if I put it in a different way: If you were to describe yourself, describe who you are, what would be the most important (gender, race, nationality, region/city you come from, age group, your occupation, family/marital status)?


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  • #7
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,038 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    identity_study wrote: »
    That's actually interesting.
    Can I ask you a question?
    Do you feel Irish?
    Or if I put it in a different way: If you were to describe yourself, describe who you are, what would be the most important (gender, race, nationality, region/city you come from, age group, your occupation, family/marital status)?

    I don't think I could say that any of those were any more important than the others. (I am not Irish by birth so I don't know if this is relevant to the discussion).

    'Describe who I am' - my first name describes who I am, my married name describes what I am.

    'Who' in terms of my sense of self - none of those though possibly my age would influence it more than any of the others, as it reflects how my personality has changed.

    However I could attempt to say which are less important, not necessarily in any sort of order - race, region I am from, nationality. Apart from my age, these are the only things in the list I have not had any control over.


  • #8
    Cat Melodeon
    Registered Users Posts: 1,617 ✭✭✭Cat Melodeon


    You make an assumption on Irish pride - many people (self included) see nationality as an accident of birth, not something to be proud of in and of itself. I feel good when I see Irish people and the Irish nation do good things - involvement with international aid, charities, sporting achievements, cultural contributions like film & literature. That is a form of tribalism, I don't see it as a matter of pride. Equally, I feel ashamed to be Irish when I see racism and anti-Traveller sentiment thrown around like it is acceptable, when I see drunken Irish idiots abroad, when our politicians and businessmen act in corrupt ways, when our banking system is shown to the international community to be broken and our government inept, when I'm at a GAA match and fellow supporters shout abuse at the other team and the other supporters - non-sporting behaviour (by sports fans and by the ruling elite) is not Irish.


  • #9
    identity_study
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭identity_study


    You're right. I am making an assumption based on the research: ISSP National Identity I & II

    That's where I got my assumption about Irish pride from

    You say:
    You are happy when .... so in different situations - but you're saying you're not proud - so is it really just happiness? (nothing more?)


    As far as some of you say that you're Irish by accident of birth.
    To add more: by accident of birth you were raised in Ireland with its culture and tradition, so we can say that in some ways that influenced you life. But then - do you feel Irish or u feel man/woman, human being or sth/sb else?

    What I am trying to do here, is to explain and verify (and polemize with)the results of ISSP studies on National Identity in Ireland.


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