Two Worlds : A radio documentary on immigration and national identity in Ireland

Williams, Cayla (2018) Two Worlds : A radio documentary on immigration and national identity in Ireland. masters thesis, Griffith College Dublin.

	Text MAJMC-Cayla Williams (2018).pdf - Submitted Version Download (976kB)
	Other (Plain Text Bibliography) bibliography.txt - Bibliography Download (4kB)
	Audio MAJMC-Cayla Williams (2018).wav Download (264MB)

Abstract

Two Worlds is a radio documentary that illustrates the experiences of immigrants in Ireland as they negotiate their national identities after migration. This dissertation accompanies Two Worlds with a discussion of the existing research that informed the documentary and an examination of the documentary production and findings. This dissertation was produced in a radio documentary format as the nature of the narrative construction of identity is best suited to the aural medium of radio. Twenty-five minutes in length, the documentary highlights the key findings of the dissertation. In Two Worlds contributors’ stories emphasise the significance of culture and belonging to identity formation. The process of integration into Irish society requires the adoption of local cultural norms, and while adapting to the Irish culture and experiences of social inclusion facilitated belonging to and identification with Ireland, the rejection of local cultural norms and experiences of social exclusion fostered otherness and reinforced an immigrant identity. Ultimately, those who successfully integrated into Irish society found that adopting Irish cultural norms in order to integrate compromised their sense of ethnic national identities. Thus, immigrants in Ireland are posed with the challenge of integrating into Irish society while navigating their evolving identities in the process. This dissertation provides a platform for future works exploring national identity and immigration in Ireland and internationally. While narrow in scope, the design and findings of Two Worlds serve to inform future media products that may endeavour to examine the topic on a larger scale, perhaps incorporating a more diverse range of contributor demographics and experiences.

Actions (login required)

View Item