Gendered and Classed: An Intersectional Approach to the Drama and Fiction of the Troubles
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen's University Belfast
Department Name: Sch of Arts, English and Languages
Abstract
This PhD thesis is an examination of the representation of gender among the working classes in the drama and fiction of the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland (1968-98). It takes an intersectional approach to the literature, in order to shed new light on the complexity of identity politics in Northern Ireland, examining the various power structures at play in the period, the relationship between ethnonationalism, gender and class and the role that literature has played in creating or challenging stereotypes.
So far, the focus on ethnonationalism in scholarship relating to Northern Ireland has drastically overshadowed matters surrounding gender and class. Commentators have continually noted how issues of gender inequality have been side-lined both in studies of the Troubles and in the Peace Process, while others have lamented the fact that social class has been overlooked or ignored in the politics of the province. Moreover, while studies in intersectionality (those that examine the overlap of identity categories, such as gender, class, race, etc.) have gained significant momentum in the academe, they have rarely been extended to Northern Ireland. Yet, studies have shown that working-class areas were most impacted by the Troubles, and others have identified the gendered construct of ethnonational identities in Northern Ireland. Therefore, the conflict has always been gendered and classed. This research will redress this gap in the literature, examining the specific intersections of gender, class and ethnonational identities so that we may better understand the complexities of identity politics in Northern Ireland.
Utilising drama and fiction as cultural texts, written to record and represent working-class lives, my research aims to address:
1) How are power relations represented along class and gender lines?
2) To what extent are representations of gender and class affected by ethnonational identity?
3) How have drama and fiction challenged or reinforced stereotypes of northern Irish working-class men and women?
The research approach will be predominantly literary, examining both renowned and lesser-known primary texts but will also involve an exploration and analysis of unexplored and uncatalogued archival material from Belfast's Linen hall Library, such as volumes of original scripts and drafts of pieces of community drama. Furthermore, original interviews will be conducted with key writers and dramatists, gaining new and critical personal insights into the significance of gender and class in their work. A key component of this research is that it will examine both femininity and masculinity and the relationship between them, from a micro to macro level, applying and testing theories surrounding gender and power in an inclusive and non-binary way. In addition, in comparing gender and class identities across the divide, it seeks to uncover commonalities in experience that can unite, rather than divide, the two communities in Northern Ireland. Finally, it will examine the power that writers have in challenging how Northern Irish identities are perceived, from both external and internal audiences, in essence challenging the very differences that have divided the country since partition.
This thesis will pick up where the nascent studies of class in Northern Ireland have left off, providing a potentially ground-breaking analysis of gender among the marginalised working-class in marginalised (from Britain and from the Republic of Ireland) Northern Ireland. It is time to re-examine the literature and build on a growing body of scholarship that is repositioning gender and class in history.
So far, the focus on ethnonationalism in scholarship relating to Northern Ireland has drastically overshadowed matters surrounding gender and class. Commentators have continually noted how issues of gender inequality have been side-lined both in studies of the Troubles and in the Peace Process, while others have lamented the fact that social class has been overlooked or ignored in the politics of the province. Moreover, while studies in intersectionality (those that examine the overlap of identity categories, such as gender, class, race, etc.) have gained significant momentum in the academe, they have rarely been extended to Northern Ireland. Yet, studies have shown that working-class areas were most impacted by the Troubles, and others have identified the gendered construct of ethnonational identities in Northern Ireland. Therefore, the conflict has always been gendered and classed. This research will redress this gap in the literature, examining the specific intersections of gender, class and ethnonational identities so that we may better understand the complexities of identity politics in Northern Ireland.
Utilising drama and fiction as cultural texts, written to record and represent working-class lives, my research aims to address:
1) How are power relations represented along class and gender lines?
2) To what extent are representations of gender and class affected by ethnonational identity?
3) How have drama and fiction challenged or reinforced stereotypes of northern Irish working-class men and women?
The research approach will be predominantly literary, examining both renowned and lesser-known primary texts but will also involve an exploration and analysis of unexplored and uncatalogued archival material from Belfast's Linen hall Library, such as volumes of original scripts and drafts of pieces of community drama. Furthermore, original interviews will be conducted with key writers and dramatists, gaining new and critical personal insights into the significance of gender and class in their work. A key component of this research is that it will examine both femininity and masculinity and the relationship between them, from a micro to macro level, applying and testing theories surrounding gender and power in an inclusive and non-binary way. In addition, in comparing gender and class identities across the divide, it seeks to uncover commonalities in experience that can unite, rather than divide, the two communities in Northern Ireland. Finally, it will examine the power that writers have in challenging how Northern Irish identities are perceived, from both external and internal audiences, in essence challenging the very differences that have divided the country since partition.
This thesis will pick up where the nascent studies of class in Northern Ireland have left off, providing a potentially ground-breaking analysis of gender among the marginalised working-class in marginalised (from Britain and from the Republic of Ireland) Northern Ireland. It is time to re-examine the literature and build on a growing body of scholarship that is repositioning gender and class in history.
