American Conference for Irish Studies
Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting
Conference Date: October 10-11, 2014
Location: George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Abstract Deadline: August 15, 2014
Submit to: Laura McCloskey, ACIS.GMU14@gmail.com
“Defining Irish Identity: Expressions of Cultural Nationalism”
The American Conference for Irish Studies Mid-Atlantic chapter welcomes abstracts for its upcoming meeting, to be held October 10-11, 2014 at the George Mason University campus in Fairfax, Virginia. While papers on all aspects of Irish studies are welcomed, topics relevant to the conference theme are particularly encouraged: “Defining Irish Identity: Expressions of Cultural Nationalism.”
This conference seeks to explore the many facets (and iterations) of Irish identity over time. In his 2007 book titled Nation States: The Cultures of Irish Nationalism, Dr. Michael Mays describes nationalism as: “both the great enigma of modern political life and the solid ground of contemporary cultural identity.”1 A land of internationally celebrated writers, artists, and politicians, Ireland has a rich history of cultural expression that has sought to define the Irish as a people while simultaneously creating a sense of place for Ireland within a larger global context.
Topics related to the theme of the conference could include, but are not limited to:
* The role of nationalist sentiments in Irish poetry, prose, and drama. (This could be considered broadly and need not be relegated to only modern and contemporary periods.)
* Images and stereotypes of Irish national identity.
* Nationalism as a catalyst for religious conflict in Northern Ireland.
* Nationalist rhetoric as it applies directly to the Troubles.
* Consideration of the changing population demographics in Ireland over time – both immigration and emigration. (This particular facet of the conference theme could lend itself to considerable interdisciplinary analysis.)
* Ireland and its political and economic identities within the European Union.
* The role of colonialism in defining Irish identity.
* Expressions of Irish identity as evidenced in artwork, music, and dance.
* The role of cultural tourism in the creation and proliferation of Irish symbology.
* Post-nationalism theory, cosmopolitanism, and the role of globalization in relationship to notions of Irish identity.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Paper and panel proposals, including a brief 50 word biography, should be emailed to Laura McCloskey at ACIS.GMU14@gmail.com no later than August 15, 2014.
All ACIS regional meeting attendees must be current members of ACIS, with dues paid in full.
Please address any questions regarding the conference to Laura McCloskey (lmcclosk@gmu.edu) in Counseling and Psychological Services at George Mason University. Please note that Laura is in frequent meetings throughout the day: email is generally the best method of contact. Please include ACIS 2014 in the subject line of your message.
Quote citation from above: 1. Michael Mays, Nation States: The Cultures of Irish Nationalism ( Lanham, Md: Lexington Books, 2007), 1.