Reconstructionist History's Role in Recent Ireland

Paper Summary:

The paper argues that Terence Brown's work, "A Social and Cultural History of Ireland, 1922- 1979" is a seminal example of the strengths and weaknesses of Reconstructionist History. It examines how the data in the book focuses on important and hitherto unexamined cultural roles and history 'from the ground up,' but it also lacks the definition provided by more traditional histories. It shows that Reconstructionist history's greatest weakness, however, is the political debate it provokes but does not resolve.

From the Paper:

"Ireland: A Social and Cultural History 1922-1979 was written in 1981 by Terence Brown. As the title suggests, the book is a construction of the various groups, beliefs, and moods that characterized and laid the backdrop to the first 57 years of the Irish Free State. It should be understood just as much, however, as a fitting work for a period in which the general Social Sciences gained a more postmodern perspective. As such, the book takes form as an argumentative approach to describing history not just as great moments but also as a mosaic and a result of more encompassing cultural and social means."

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