Dissertation: Construction of Catholic Identity by Northern Irish Teenagers

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract 0001622 This project will investigate the construction of Irish Catholic identity among Irish teens, and how it socially maintained in opposition to "Protestant" and "British" identities. Focusing on differences between the youth generation and their parents, the researcher will examine two areas of identity construction: personal appearance and social construction of space. The research will test the hypothesis that differences in these aspects of identity expression reflect key differences in how each generation perceives "traditional" Irish Catholic culture. Youth may be renegotiating Catholic identity by incorporating various elements of pop culture. Methods include participant observation in a Catholic housing estate outside of Belfast, structured interviews with samples of Catholic teens, adults, and youth workers, oral histories, and photo interviews. This project will contribute to our understanding of theories of identity construction in adolescence.