125260 VO Cultural Studies - MA M01 (2012S)

If Ireland has been invented by the Irish and English alike, as Declan Kiberd famously asserts in his 'Inventing Ireland', it has been reinvented many times over since the time of the Celtic Revival. In all these various re- and de-constructions, gender and identity issues play a crucial role, and impact on changing understandings of self and society. This lecture series explores and analyzes these changes in cultural and social constructions of Ireland through the study of representative cultural productions, including film, drama, and visual art. Its aim is to offer an introductory survey to key issues in the study of Irish Culture, covering topics such as: constructions of the nation; the rural/urban dichotomy; the relationship between gender, sexuality and national identity; masculinity, homosociality and ethnicity; the influence of theory (such as postcolonialism, feminism, postmodernism and post-nationalism); and the impact of globalisation on cultural production. The lectures will span a wide period, from the time of the Celtic Revival to Contemporary Ireland, paying specific attention to developments in Northern Ireland. The course is structured into two parts: the first part covers developments and changes in constructions of Ireland more chronologically, while the second part focuses on theoretical constructions and approaches to the study of Irish culture.