SOCI 238 Irish Culture & Society I
This course is a dialectic between modern Irish society and Irish history, each examined from the sociological perspective. Early Irish History - This first part sets the context for the course by looking at how history has uniquely shaped modern Irish society. During this section we will explore Ireland up through and including the reformation and Cromwellian invasion. Sociology in Ireland - Next we introduce the discipline of sociology and start to examine Irish society from a sociological perspective. We will spend a significant amount of time examining the specific development of Irish culture. Modern Irish Society - In order to understand modern Irish society, we need to look at social institutions and social indices. Irish Culture - The values and beliefs of the Irish are reflected in their culture. For this section we need to return to some history to examine such issues as the Diaspora, the famine, and the revolutionary movements. Modern Irish society - It is here where we look more closely at the puzzle of Northern Ireland as well as the impact of the so-called Celtic Tiger on the Republic. It is also here where we need to examine the modern dimensions of race, class and gender in Ireland.