WiSe 20/21: PS-Introduction to Cultural Studies: Memory and Conflict in Northern Ireland
Kübra Özermis
Kommentar
Between 1968 – 1998 Northern Ireland was shaken by a conflict between Irish Catholics, who were demanded emancipation and civil rights, Protestant Unionist who defended the status-quo and the British army who initially should have ensured peace between the two parties but became quickly involved in the escalation of violence. Decades of paramilitary violence on both sides and military violence defined the lives of people in Northern Ireland and even spilled over to Great Britain and mainland Europe. While outwardly the conflict, sometimes even referred to as a civil war, seemed to evolve around religious differences, the actual dimension of the disparities between “Catholics” and “Protestants” runs deeper than mere religious identities. Disputes about the colonial past, the partition of Ireland, the position of Catholics in Northern Irish society and the British rule in Ireland all contributed and to some extent still contribute to the sectarian conflict. The Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998, ended the armed conflict, yet the division in Northern Irish society still remains and threatens to flare up, particularly at the face of a possible hard border in Ireland as a consequence of Brexit.
In this seminar, students will gain an overview as to how collective identity and memory are situated within the context of the Northern Irish conflict. We will be looking at how disputes over past events not only impacted the formation of collective memory and identity but also directly contributed to the conflict. We will analyse how at the peak of the armed conflict diverging views on the past not only resurfaced but intensified the conflict between the two communities. Likewise, it will be important to see how events that took place during the “Troubles” are not only approached differently by each community respectively but seem to form the platform for the continuation of division and dispute. In order to form an understanding of how the conflict was shaped by memory, identity and trauma students will critically engage with concepts of cultural memory and identity. For a better understanding of how these concepts impact Northern Irish society we will be looking at various forms of cultural representation, such as literature, street art and commemoration culture in each session.
This seminar will be taught online which is why there will be a combination of attending Webx classes and contributions to discussions on Blackboard.
Schließen14 Termine
Regelmäßige Termine der Lehrveranstaltung