Tag: Belfast

The Ways that the Past Impacts the Present: Personas and Identity

As I prepared to teach my study travel course on identity in Belfast and before I arrived, I had a preconceived notion, of course, about the places I would visit and what I would encounter. Most of these impressions, apart from the things that my daughter told me about her time in Belfast, came from either academics, novelists, or popular culture, music being a big part … Read More The Ways that the Past Impacts the Present: Personas and Identity

How Does Music Create A New Outlook? Punk in Northern Ireland During The Troubles

Ever since I discovered punk during my formative years, I have gravitated towards its political and social commentary, specifically the ways that it succinctly yet thoughtfully engages with issues impacting countless individuals. Just as rap served as a political and cultural response to the ways that the government disenfranchised and oppressed Black and Brown and lower class individuals in the urban landscapes of New … Read More How Does Music Create A New Outlook? Punk in Northern Ireland During The Troubles

Identity in Contested Space: The Troubles and the Invisible Border Syllabus

Near the end of Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast (2021), a coming-of-age story set at the start of The Troubles in Belfast, the nine-year-old protagonist Buddy talks with his grandfather at the hospital. During their conversation, Buddy tells his grandfather that his family may move “over the water” because his dad found work in England; however, his mom tells him that if they move there then the English … Read More Identity in Contested Space: The Troubles and the Invisible Border Syllabus