The wanderer is an iconic figure in Irish culture, ranging from ethno-cultural groups such as the Travellers to broader intellectual concepts such as the flaneur.  Sometimes, the voyage served a singular purpose: walking along mass paths or to hedge schools, for instance, was an anti-imperial act, subverting English authority.  Other times, the journey was recreational: modern-day tourist walks trace their roots to this source.  Walking has always, of course, been the primary mode of transport in pre-industrial eras.

Not surprising for a country with such rich artistic traditions, the humanities are central to Irish identity.  Most important for this panel, they are also present among the people, participatory, free, at street-level, in cities and towns.

Cultural contexts are of course unlimited, but the panel was conceived while thinking about Pierre Bourdieu’s three-dimensional concept of space as “perceived, conceived, and lived.”  The work of Saskia Sassen and Richard Sennet also played a role in conceptualizing how people confront, navigate, and comprehend spaces and social life.

The key focus simply needs to be on the function of the humanities in free, democratic, outdoor spaces in the Republic of Ireland.

Please submit an abstract (250-300 words) and a brief bio (<100 words) by October 10 through the conference portal: https://cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/21232.  The panel coordinator, Gavin Keulks (keulksg@wou.edu), would be happy to answer any questions.  Thank you.