Narratives of postcolonialism in liminal space : the place called Phoenix Park
Encounters with physical places construct a sense of both communal and individual identity. This thesis looks at the effects of transformation and fragmentation of existing and remembered places through a qualitative engagement with postcolonial Ireland in the context of modernisation. Phoenix Park, Dublin, is taken as the lens, constituting the research site and refracting both historical legacy and contemporary (re)invention. It is argued that many of the 'monuments' of contemporary and historic 'Irishness' events, gatherings, buildings, statues, structures and spaces, are represented in the Phoenix Park, Dublin and as such the space acts as an important location for the development of shared memories and commemoration, and understandings of state, culture, nature and history. The Park creates an illusion of nature, designed from scratch and then re-presented back to human audiences in a cultural performance. Using ideas from postcolonial thinking (Bhabha, 1994 Spivak, 1990, 1999), this thesis asks what this performance tells us about the culture of the Park and the way people understand it. Colonialism is inherently spatial processes of mapping, charting and defining space are linked with the colonial project,
Moles, Kate
Narratives of postcolonialism in liminal space : the place called Phoenix Park. Encounters with physical places construct a sense of both communal and individual identity. This thesis looks at the effects of transformation and fragmentation of existing and remembered places through a qualitative engagement with postcolonial Ireland in the context of modernisation. Phoenix Park, Dublin, is taken as the lens, constituting the research site and refracting both historical legacy and contemporary (re)invention. It is argued that many of the 'monuments' of contemporary and historic 'Irishness' events, gatherings, buildings, statues, structures and spaces, are represented in the Phoenix Park, Dublin and as such the space acts as an important location for the development of shared memories and commemoration, and understandings of state, culture, nature and history. The Park creates an illusion of nature, designed from scratch and then re-presented back to human audiences in a cultural performance. Using ideas from postcolonial thinking (Bhabha, 1994 Spivak, 1990, 1999), this thesis asks what this performance tells us about the culture of the Park and the way people understand it. Colonialism is inherently spatial processes of mapping, charting and defining space are linked with the colonial project,
narratives liminal space_place call park physical place construct sense communal individual identity look effect transformation fragmentation exist remember place qualitative engagement postcolonial ireland context modernisation park dublin take lens constitute site historical legacy contemporary invention argue many monuments contemporary historic event gathering building statue structure space represent park dublin space act important location development share memory commemoration understandings state culture nature history park create illusion nature design scratch presented back human audience cultural performance using idea postcolonial thinking bhabha ask performance tell culture park way_people colonialism inherently spatial process mapping chart define space link colonial project