Ireland

This course provides an account of the main features, performance, and associated policy issues of the Irish Economy. The course begins with an overview of the evolution of the Irish economy from the 20th century through to the present day. The objectives of Irish economic policy are then defined. The role of the government in achieving these objectives and the various policy issues which arise in their attainment is then considered as students examine some of these areas: regulation and competition policy, labor market and migration, distribution and poverty, manufacturing and internationally-traded services, and education.

How do we acquire language? How are we to interpret the fact that language use varies according to geography, social class, gender, and context? Why do languages die? What is the impact of immigration on language attitudes, language acquisition, and language transmission? This course attempts to provide the beginnings of answers to such questions, as well as many others relating to language, the individual, and society.

This course examines several aspects of Irish culture and how they impact Ireland today; focusing on Irish Society, Irish Politics, Irish Economy, and Ireland and the European Union. The course supports students in their placement in Dail Eireann or Seanad Eireann. Students are expected to interact at a high level while participating in their placement and have a strong knowledge of contemporary issues in Ireland. The politics component introduce participants to the main features of the Irish Political System. Students learn about the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary as well as the electoral and party systems. The society component describes the social, economic, and cultural features of modern Irish society. It highlights the recent changes in Irish society, and provides a grounding in the issues and attitudes of modern Ireland. It looks at the issue of religion, in particular the declining role and influence of the Catholic Church and the shift towards more socially liberal attitudes as reflected in the recent yes vote in the same-sex referendum. It describes the change in demographics within Irish society in the past twenty years, the growing presence of non-nationals within Irish society, and the effect this has had on the country. It also looks at the Irish Travelling community ("Irish Travelers"), the tensions at play between the settled community and Irish Travelers, as well as the issue of racism within Irish society. The culture of everyday life, and the topic of Northern Ireland and the 30 year conflict known as "The Troubles" are also discussed.