The Novel and the Short Story in Ireland: Readership, Society and Fiction, 1922-1965

This thesis considers the novel and the short story in the decades following the achievement of Irish independence from Britain in 1922. During these years, many Irish practitioners of the short story achieved both national and international acclaim, such that 'the Irish Short Story' was recognised as virtually a discrete genre. Writers and critics debated why Irish fiction-writers could have such success in the short story, but not similar success with their novels. Henry James had noticed a similar situation in the United |States of America in the early nineteenth century. James decided the problem was that America's society was still forming - that the society was too 'thin' to support successful novel-writing. Irish writers and critics applied his arguments to the newly-independent Ireland, concluding that Irish society was indeed the explanation. Irish society was depicted as so unstructured and fragmented that it was inimical to the novel but nurtured the short story. Ireland was described variously: "broken and insecure" (Colm Tóibín), "often bigoted, cowardly, philistine and spiritually crippled" (John McGahern) and marked by "inward-looking stagnation" (Dermot Bolger). This study examines the validity of these assertions about Irish society, considering whether day-to-day life in Ireland was so exceptionally different to other contemporary states where the novel did prosper. The conclusion from the evidence is that Ireland was different but not unique. One chapter examines literacy and the reading traditions in Ireland, and it is clear that there was a skilled audience for the novels and an effective book trade. The novel in Ireland is discussed and three case studies (Elizabeth Bowen, Kate O'Brien and Liam O'Flaherty) are discussed. The study concludes with the confirmation, through two case studies (Séan O'Faolain and Frank O'Connor), that the short story continued to be widely acclaimed and widely practised by many Irish writers. The conclusion reached is that Irish society was not as popularly depicted nor was it exceptional. It was a matter of writers' talents not society's failings

Critical realism: a practical ontology to explain the complexities of smoking and tobacco control in different resource settings

BACKGROUND: This paper presents critical realism (CR) as an innovative system for research in tobacco prevention and control. CR argues that underlying mechanisms are considered and explored to ensure effective implementation of any program/policy or intervention. Any intervention or program/policy that is transposed from one country to another or one setting to another is complex. METHODS: The research was undertaken and analyzed through a critical ethnography lens using CR as a philosophical underpinning. The study relied upon the following components: original fieldwork in Nigeria including participant observation of smokers, in-depth interviews and focus groups with smokers, and in-depth interviews with health professionals working in the area of tobacco control in Nigeria. RESULTS: Findings from this small ethnographic study in Nigeria, suggest that Critical Realism holds promise for addressing underlying mechanism that links complex influences on smoking. CONCLUSION: This paper argues that understanding the underlying mechanisms associated with smoking in different societies will enable a platform for effective implementation of tobacco control policies that work in various settings