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Goldie, Paul (2019) 'Finding' the Female Irish Goldie, Paul (2019) ‘Finding’ the Female Irish Catholic Diaspora: a qualitative investigation of the experiences of women in Glasgow. PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/81505/ Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten: Theses https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] ‘Finding’ the Female Irish Catholic Diaspora: a qualitative investigation of the experiences of women in Glasgow Paul Goldie MSc Equality and Human Rights Masters in Social Research with Sociology Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology School of Social and Political Sciences College of Social Sciences University of Glasgow February 2020 2 Abstract There has been much scholarly interest in the Irish Catholic Question in Scotland in recent years. The research which has been conducted has been undertaken largely by quantitative sociologists who seek to ascertain whether structural disadvantages still impact on the life-chances of Catholics in Scotland, with the category Catholic being deployed as a synonym for the Irish in Scotland. However, to date there has been little in the way of qualitative studies examining the actual experiences of people from an Irish Catholic heritage. This study not only addresses this methodological imbalance, but offers a fresh approach to understanding this topic. Fieldwork began in 2015 and entailed 22 life history interviews with women of Irish Catholic heritage in Glasgow. Interviews were conducted using photo-elicitation techniques as this method is considered an effective way of gaining insight into participants’ ‘life-worlds’. The main aim of the thesis was to look at how the attribution of an Irish Catholic identity - by them or by others - had shaped their lives. This involved exploring issues surrounding identity both in a cultural and a group ‘sense’. Further, the thesis sought to explore how diasporic identities were produced, sustained, and experienced within Glasgow. The thesis found that there was a significant number and density of cultural networks within Glasgow which enabled 2nd and 3rd generation migrants to engage in activities which brought forth a strong identification with the island of Ireland. Secondly, it found that many who took part in the study were subject to pressures as to who to partner with, or marry. These pressures included experiences of bigotry, and family coercion to enter into relationships with coreligionists. Thirdly, underscoring all of this was the issue of prejudice. Many of the women who took part in the research talked of experiencing an aggressive secularism, a racialized nationalism and, most frequently, an anti-Catholic prejudice. Overall it became clear that an attribution of an Irish Catholic identity - whether through self-ascription or ascription by others – was a significant factor in shaping the everyday lives of participants. 3 Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................... 2 List of Figures ............................................................................... 5 List of Tables ................................................................................ 5 Acknowledgements ......................................................................... 6 Author’s Declaration ....................................................................... 7 1. Introduction .............................................................................. 8 1.1. Background .......................................................................... 8 1.2. Political climate .................................................................... 8 1.3. The Irish Catholic question ....................................................... 9 1.4. Coloniality of power, diaspora and identity ................................... 10 1.5. Importance of history ............................................................. 11 1.6. Diaspora and diasporic consciousness .......................................... 12 1.7. Aims, objectives and justification for the research .......................... 13 1.8. Originality of approach ........................................................... 14 1.9. Structure of the thesis ............................................................ 15 2. History ................................................................................... 19 2.1. Historical method ................................................................. 19 2.2. Introduction ........................................................................ 19 2.3. Context and background ......................................................... 21 2.4. The civilising mission and racialization of the interior ...................... 22 2.5. Rebellion, Cromwell and the Williamite wars ................................. 26 2.6. Treaty of Limerick and the intensification of Penal Laws ................... 28 2.7. Resistance to empire ............................................................. 30 2.8. Ireland: formal union and its place in empire ................................ 33 2.9. The famine and exodus ........................................................... 36 2.10. Migration to Scotland ............................................................ 37 2.11. Conclusion ........................................................................ 42 3. Literature Review ...................................................................... 45 3.1. Introduction ........................................................................ 45 3.2. Conceptual clarity: the elusive concept of sectarianism .................... 46 4 3.3. Proposal for a ‘new’ theoretical framework .................................. 58 3.4. Gender and patriarchy ............................................................ 66 3.5. Conclusion .......................................................................... 69 4. Methodology ............................................................................ 71 4.1. Introduction ........................................................................ 71 4.2. Review of the literature – arriving at a focus for the research ............. 73 4.3. Devising a research strategy ..................................................... 75 4.4. Data collection and interviewing ............................................... 84 4.5. Positionality and ethics ........................................................... 91 4.6. Participant list ..................................................................... 96 4.7. Data analysis ....................................................................... 98 4.8. Conclusion .......................................................................... 99 5. Making Visible the Invisible Lives of the Irish Catholic Diaspora in Glasgow . 102 5.1. Introduction ....................................................................... 102 5.2. Background ........................................................................ 104 5.3. Data analysis ...................................................................... 107 5.4. Conclusion ......................................................................... 132 6. Relationships ........................................................................... 137 6.1. Introduction ....................................................................... 137 6.2. Background ........................................................................ 139 6.3. Fieldwork data .................................................................... 140 6.4. Conclusion ......................................................................... 163 7. Understanding prejudice and forms of ‘everyday-othering’ .................... 167 7.1. Introduction ....................................................................... 167 7.2. Background ........................................................................ 168 7.3. Relevance within the data ...................................................... 169 7.4. Dealing with prejudice .......................................................... 176 7.5. The institutional environment .................................................. 187 7.6. Conclusion ......................................................................... 191 8. Conclusion .............................................................................. 195 8.1. Aim and research questions revisited ......................................... 196 8.2. Key findings ....................................................................... 197 8.3. The contribution and significance of this thesis ............................. 200 8.4. Implications for further research .............................................. 202 5 Appendix A: interview schedule ........................................................ 204 Appendix B: participant information form ............................................ 208 Appendix C: consent form ..............................................................
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