PhD Study : Memory-politics, gender and the Irish border: Reponses to the difficult heritage of mother and baby homes on the island of Ireland

Summary

As narratives begin to emerge that reveal the trauma and abuse experienced in many homes for unmarried mothers across the island of Ireland, this project explores the differing approaches to memory-politics on both sides of the border. The stories of these homes and those who were banished to them, is an all-island experience and a shared heritage. After partition, mother and baby homes continued to operate on both sides of the border and there is evidence to suggest that women and girls traversed across it to give birth in a different jurisdiction. Yet responses to this period have been decidedly different. While the Irish State in the Republic grapples with the historic role of its institutions in hiding and silencing women, and how it will address and confront this difficult heritage, north of the border there is still much to be done to fully comprehend the gendered experiences, mobilities and memories of unmarried mothers and their children. In November 2021 the Stormont Executive finally commissioned a public inquiry into the role of its institutions in the 20^th Century. The material cultures however of this complex and hidden past have not been fully documented. The stories of women and girls who crossed a political border after 1920 to give birth in a different jurisdiction suddenly belong in a very different commemorative landscape and many are still hidden from view.

Memory-work across the island is taking place against profound socio-political change. Demands for gender equality culminated in the Republic voting overwhelmingly to back a referendum on abortion in 2018 while in Northern Ireland rights were finally granted to give women the right to access abortion services only after it was pushed through by English MPs in 2019 who argued that healthcare rights should be extended to women in Northern Ireland having existed in other parts of the UK for decades. This PhD proposal aims to unpack the dynamics of memory-work that seeks to redress and acknowledge the past on both sides of the border and to examine the reasons why such divergent approaches exist. It has five objectives:

1. To document the historical trajectory of mother and baby homes following the partition of the island in the 1920s;
2. To map the built heritage and material culture of former homes on both parts of the border;
3. To examine regional responses in memory-work to a shared heritage; and to,
4. To identify the structures and conditions that shape how memory cultures are cultivated in relation to mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland.

The PhD project will use a mixed-methods approach to address the key research aims. As well as mapping the built heritage of former homes the project will employ material culture methodologies to better understand the nuances of memory-work. Archival research and a critical discourse analysis of divergent state responses on both sides of the border will allow for a comparative examination of memory-politics and regional approaches.

In reference to documentation required at application stage, we can confirm that proposals are not required. After submission of application you may be contacted and asked to submit one but please ignore as this is an automated request.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• A comprehensive and articulate personal statement
• A demonstrable interest in the research area associated with the studentship

Funding and eligibility

The University offers the following levels of support:

Vice Chancellors Research Studentship (VCRS)

The following scholarship options are available to applicants worldwide:

• Full Award: (full-time tuition fees + £19,000 (tbc))
• Part Award: (full-time tuition fees + £9,500)
• Fees Only Award: (full-time tuition fees)

These scholarships will cover full-time PhD tuition fees for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance) and will provide a £900 per annum research training support grant (RTSG) to help support the PhD researcher.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Please note: you will automatically be entered into the competition for the Full Award, unless you state otherwise in your application.

Department for the Economy (DFE)

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £19,000 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training support grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

• Candidates with pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, who also satisfy a three year residency requirement in the UK prior to the start of the course for which a Studentship is held MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance.
• Republic of Ireland (ROI) nationals who satisfy three years’ residency in the UK prior to the start of the course MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance (ROI nationals don’t need to have pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to qualify).
• Other non-ROI EU applicants are ‘International’ are not eligible for this source of funding.
• Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies. Further information on cost of living