Anthropology of Collective Memory Explores Ireland

Spring Break 2016 group travels to explore course themes

Brigittine French, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, led her Anthropology 395 students, accompanied by Casey Oberlin, Assistant Professor of Sociology to Dublin, Ireland for a week during spring break. Professor French notes:

"The course addresses forms of collective memory from theoretical and ethnographic perspectives. It locates memory in the social world, in the relevance of the past for the present, and in on-going struggles to represent and commemorate meaningful histories. It begins by addressing foundational theories. It builds upon them to consider: the relationship between nationalism and memory, the limits and possibilities of representing violence, the on-going contestation of public memories, and embodied performances of memory."

The travel to Ireland provided students with opportunities to examine the major themes of the course. Upon the completion of the course, students will present scholarly posters or creative visual representations of their research in Ireland for a symposium during the final week of the semester.

Aside from touring around Dublin, there were excursions to:

 Newgrange, Glendalough and Glasnevin Cemetery