IASIL 2022

The annual conference of the International Association for the Study of Irish Literatures (IASIL) takes place at the University of Limerick, Ireland in July 2022 (25th-29th). The conference theme is Intersectional Irelands.

Intersectional Irelands: Background

Irish studies scholarship has recently begun to draw on critical race and anti-colonial theory, migration and diaspora studies, disability studies, feminist and queer theory, and class studies, among other critical perspectives, to broaden the critical discourse beyond the somewhat static literary-historical categories of the past and forge new understandings of Irish literary cultures. Understandings of what Diane Negra terms “transnationalized Irishness” have further unsettled the fixed points on the charts of Irish culture; recent research raises challenging questions about Irish complicity in the Atlantic slave trade and exploitation of indigenous populations.

With this context in mind, our conference theme for 2022 is premised on Kimberle Crenshaw’s term “intersectionality”, coined in 1989 to define a framework that encourages scholars to conceptualise how larger systems of power, privilege, and oppression intersect with social categories like race, class, gender, and sexuality. Patricia Hill Collins (2019) developed the concept of intersectionality further by describing it as part of a move to “build participatory, democratic interpretive communities across differences of experience, expertise, and resources”. Recent efforts to decolonise the literary canon are a case in point, as scholars address historical imbalances in classroom and research practice. As Irish society becomes increasingly multicultural and multilingual, it is timely for us to address the construction and representation of intersectionality in our literary culture.

As IASIL moves beyond our 50th anniversary year, we will also consider the legacies of Irish studies during our conference, by hosting round-table sessions focusing on key writers, scholars, and educators whose innovative ideas and radical praxis energised our research field in the past. We envisage these retrospectives as a tribute to those we have learned from but they also have a generative impetus, as our research community devises new ways of seeing, teaching, learning, and re-presenting Irish culture.

Please note that  we regret to say that Dolan's is not wheelchair accessible for the Spoken Word and Traditional Music event on Wednesday July 27th.

Contact Us : IASIL2022@ul.ie

LEAGAN GAEILGE:  EOLAS FAOI CHOMHDHÁIL IASIL 2022 

Beidh Comhdháil Bhliantúil IASIL (Cumann Idirnáisiúnta um Staidéar ar Litríochtaí na hÉireann) ar siúl in Ollscoil Luimnigh, Luimneach, Éirinn, ón 25ú go dtí an 29ú de mhí Iúil seo chugainn 2022. Is éard is téama don Chomhdháil ná Éire Thrasnach.

Éire Thrasnach: Cúlra

Leis na blianta beaga anuas, tá scoláireacht Léann na hÉireann tar éis tarraingt ar theoiric chriticiúil ciníocha agus an fhrithchoilíneachais, ar léinn na himirce agus an diaspóra, ar léann an éagumais, ar theoiricí feimineacha agus na haiteacha agus ar an léann aicme i measc peirspictíochtaí eile. Is í an chúis leis seo ná leathnú ar an dioscúrsa criticiúil agus dul thar chatagóirí seanchaite seanbhunaithe stairiúla atá pas beag ina stad, chun tuiscintí as an nua faoi chultúir liteartha na hÉireann a mheas agus a fhorbairt. Ní hamháin sin, ach tá geit bainte as an rud ar a dtugann Diane Negra an tÉireannachas trasnáisiúnaithe, nó an “transnationalized Irishness” ar feiniméan é atá tar éis dúshlán a thabhairt do na pointí doghluaiste seo a raibh mapaí chultúr na hÉireann breactha leo. Go deimhin, ardaíonn taighde atá déanta le déanaí ceisteanna móra maidir le comhpháirteachas na hÉireann i dTrádáil Sclábhaithe an Atlantaigh agus maidir leis an teacht i dtír a imríodh ar phobail dhúchasacha.

Agus an comhthéacs seo idir lámha, tá téama na Comhdhála 2022 bunaithe ar théarma Kimberlé Crenshew, mar atá, an trasnachas, nó “intersectionality”. Úsáideadh an téarma seo an chéad lá sa bhliain 1989 le fráma tagartha a shainiú a ghríosann scoláirí i dtreo smaointeoireacht nua faoi na slite a bhfuil gréasáin agus córais mhóra cumhachta, phribhléide agus leatroim fite fuaite agus comhtháite le catagóirí sóísialta ar nós aicme, cine, inscne agus gnéasachta. Rinne Patricia Hill Collins (2019) forbairt ar choincheap an thrasnachais nuair a rinne sí cur síos air mar iarracht pobail rannpháirtíochta, dhaonlathacha agus thátail a thógáil i gcomhthéacsanna ilghnéitheacha, idir thaithí, shaineolas agus acmhainní difriúla, mar atá, “build participatory, democratic interpretive communities across differences of experience, expertise, and resources”. Eiseamláir de seo ná na hiarrachtaí leanúnacha atá ar bun leis na blianta beaga anuas díchoilíniú a dhéanamh ar an gcanóin liteartha, de réir mar a thugann scoláirí léinn a n-aghaidheanna ar an easpa cothromaíochta a bhraitear atá neadaithe sa chleachtas taighde agus sa seomra ranga. Agus an tIlchultúrachas agus an tIlteangachas ag fás as cuimse in Éirinn, measaimid go bhfuil sé in am dúinn dá bharr iniúchadh a dhéanamh ar thógáil an trasnachais, agus ar an léargas a thugtar ar an trasnachas, sa chultúr liteartha.

De réir mar a ghluaiseann IASIL thar chomóradh 50 bliain, tá sé i gceist againn oidhreachtaí Léann na hÉireann a mheas le linn na Comhdhála. Déanfaimid seo as roinnt Cruinnithe Comhchéime a reáchtáil a dhíreoidh isteach ar údair, scoláirí agus ar lucht oideachais a chuir beocht agus anam inár ngort taighde san am atá caite, lena gcuid smaointeoireacht núálaíoch agus lena gcleachtais raidiceacha. Samhlaímíd na féachaintí siar agus an aisbhreathnóireacht seo mar chomhartha omóis dóibh siúd a tháinig romhainn a bhfuil an méid sin foghlamtha againn uathu. Ach féachfaimid chomh maith ar an iardhearcadh mar spreagadh chun gnímh agus cruthaitheachta san am atá le teacht, de réir mar a bheartaíonn ár bpobal taighde seifteanna agus slite nua a chumadh chun athléiriú nua ó bhonn a thabhairt ar chultúir na hÉireann, idir fhéachaint, theagasc, agus fhoghlaim.

Contact Us : IASIL2022@ul.ie

Scholarships

IASIL is pleased to invite applications for a postgraduate scholarship to attend the conference. Further details about the terms of the scholarship and the application process, as well as the relevant application and referee forms, are available from the conference secretary at IASIL2022@ul.ie 

Applications closed

IASIL Sponsors