Globalization, culture and the politics of identity in Celtic Europe is the subject of the next event of the University of Northern British Columbia’s Anthropology in our Backyards series.
The presentation on Thursday, Feb. 7 at the Exploration Place Museum Atrium, features reflections and experiences from anthropology and political science students who participated in UNBC’s Ethnographic Field School to Ireland and the Isle of Man in May 2018.
The hands-on fieldwork focused on issues of globalization, cultural change, the place of heritage and the politics of identity. As the students studied the cultural, historical and political forces that have shaped and continue to influence Ireland and the Isle of Man, they met and interviewed key officials from governmental and non-governmental agencies, visited historical and cultural sites of significance, attended academic presentations and participated in musical and cultural performances.
Anthropology Associate Professor Dr. Angèle Smith and Political Science Professor Dr. Gary Wilson led the field school.
“The anthropology/political science ethnographic field school is an interdisciplinary learning experience that gets students out of the classroom and exposes them to diverse and changing societies in the Celtic periphery of Europe,” said Dr. Wilson. “It also provides them with hands-on training in research and data gathering techniques that they will be able to use in their future careers.”
“This field school is a wonderful opportunity for the students and the instructors alike,” adds Dr. Smith. “The students learn about critical social and political issues from their on-the-ground perspective. It teaches them invaluable practical research skills but also teaches them significant interpersonal and communication skills – arming them to be better critical thinkers and problem solvers, and ultimately better citizens as they work closely with communities. For the instructors, we get to share with the students the issues that we are passionate about while bringing them to these extraordinary international places that we feel so connected to.”
The Feb. 7 event is at 7 p.m. is free and open to the public.