‘Rise Up Dead Man and Fight Again’: Reviving and Defining Mumming in County Fermanagh

This study focuses on how the tradition of mumming in County Fermanagh is defined. Several factors have contributed to the processes of redefinition mumming has been subjected to. The violent conflict, which is agreed to have erupted in the province of Ulster in 1969, played an integral role in the severe decline of mumming around this period. In the 1980s, it was revived and mumming groups became a common sight around Christmas time, in local towns and villages. This continued until the 2000s. However, at present there remains only one mumming group practicing the tradition in Fermanagh: The Aughakillymaude (ACK-LAMAD) Mummers. This thesis explores how mumming has been redefined by both the mummers and the audience. Throughout the thesis, it is argued that while social practices are viewed as possessing longevity and immutability both time and context act to change and define them. mumming exists on the margins of Irish cultural activity. There are no academic departments established to study it, no dedicated archives to store its history, nor are there rules or regulations to bind its existence. Its continuation depends on those involved redefining the tradition. The mummers eke out a space for it through touristic and non-touristic avenues, by framing the tradition as unconventional and marginal. The study challenges notions of the audience, the commodification of tradition, masking, the ability to speak about conflict, reviving a tradition, and the musician. By doing this, it examines how a tradition which exists without any formalities to govern it continues to be redefined and practiced on the margins of Irish cultural activity

Interdisciplinary doctoral research networks: enhancers and inhibitors of social capital development

Interdisciplinary research networks are increasing, with professionals encouraged to undertake research across disciplines to increase innovation, creativity and knowledge. More recently, this interdisciplinary focus is being mirrored by the establishment of interdisciplinary doctoral research networks. But do these networks work? And if so, how and why? We employ social capital theory to (a) understand the lived experiences of students in interdisciplinary doctoral programmes and (b) build programme design theory to support the development of social capital within such programmes. We present the results of 28 semi-structured interviews conducted with doctoral students from three European Union funded interdisciplinary research training networks to understand how they perceive the enhancers, inhibitors and manifestations of social capital within their networks. Key themes revolve around ‘extracting value from the interdisciplinary process’, ‘motivating students throughout the interdisciplinary programme journey’, and ‘relating to others both within and external to the programme’. We propose a framework for interdisciplinary programme design

Socially Distanced Higher Education: Redesigning Progress

The social distancing measures developed as an attempt to control the Covid-19 outbreak have had a major, long lasting effect on every aspect of society. Higher Education was dramatically affected by these social distancing measures, leading to the closure of campuses around the globe and the move to continue facilitating student learning online. In order to develop a Higher Education system in a future where the results of Covid-19 will be long lasting in our society, we require insight into the priorities of the Higher Education Institution as a whole. Here, we present a small sample of staff and student experiences of teaching and learning during the Covid-19 lockdown. Through their experiences, we see that the Higher Education Institution continued to ensure functional progress of students and staff during the lockdown; however, other equally important forms of progress were not prioritised. We argue that as we move into the future of Higher Education, it is vital that any changes made to the system take into account the ability for students to make functional, social and emotional progress through their studies

The potential of Design Thinking to enable change in Higher Education

Over the past decade, design thinking had gained increasing attention from practitioners and academics from across many sectors and disciplines for its ability to foster innovation and tackle complex challenges. The approach has been defined as a “human-centered approach to innovation that puts the observation and discovery of often highly nuanced, even tacit, human needs right at the forefront of the innovation process” (Gruber et al., 2015). While there is increasing evidence that design thinking delivers value to firms trying to innovate and to societies trying to make change happen (Liedtka, 2018), there is little evidence that Higher Education has embraced the approach to the same extent as many other public, private and 3rd sector organisations. Prior to the emergence of Covid-19 and the restrictions and disruption it brought about, Higher Education was facing many challenges. Now, as we begin to return to campuses, there is a growing pressure on institutions to respond, innovate and transform in order to tackle the growing list of new and existing operational challenges, the imminent threat of disruption and to meet the explicit and unarticulated needs of its staff and students. In this article we argue that design thinking could offer an inclusive approach to innovation and transformation, one that institutions can utilise to begin to address these complex challenges, improve stagnant processes and ensure sustainability over time. Change can only happen if institutions are able to motivate, build creative confidence and give permission to staff and students to take action. We argue that they need empower staff with the skills, attitudes and abilities necessary to identify and tackle challenges, and move into an uncertain space where the core skills and mindsets of design thinking : empathy, humility, creativity, experimentation and a bias towards action offer the opportunity to design that change. We suggest a set of design principles that could help begin this process

‘Rise Up Dead Man and Fight Again’: Reviving and Defining Mumming in County Fermanagh

This study focuses on how the tradition of mumming in County Fermanagh is defined. Several factors have contributed to the processes of redefinition mumming has been subjected to. The violent conflict, which is agreed to have erupted in the province of Ulster in 1969, played an integral role in the severe decline of mumming around this period. In the 1980s, it was revived and mumming groups became a common sight around Christmas time, in local towns and villages. This continued until the 2000s. However, at present there remains only one mumming group practicing the tradition in Fermanagh: The Aughakillymaude (ACK-LAMAD) Mummers. This thesis explores how mumming has been redefined by both the mummers and the audience. Throughout the thesis, it is argued that while social practices are viewed as possessing longevity and immutability both time and context act to change and define them. mumming exists on the margins of Irish cultural activity. There are no academic departments established to study it, no dedicated archives to store its history, nor are there rules or regulations to bind its existence. Its continuation depends on those involved redefining the tradition. The mummers eke out a space for it through touristic and non-touristic avenues, by framing the tradition as unconventional and marginal. The study challenges notions of the audience, the commodification of tradition, masking, the ability to speak about conflict, reviving a tradition, and the musician. By doing this, it examines how a tradition which exists without any formalities to govern it continues to be redefined and practiced on the margins of Irish cultural activity

‘Rise Up Dead Man and Fight Again’: Reviving and Defining Mumming in County Fermanagh

This study focuses on how the tradition of mumming in County Fermanagh is defined. Several factors have contributed to the processes of redefinition mumming has been subjected to. The violent conflict, which is agreed to have erupted in the province of Ulster in 1969, played an integral role in the severe decline of mumming around this period. In the 1980s, it was revived and mumming groups became a common sight around Christmas time, in local towns and villages. This continued until the 2000s. However, at present there remains only one mumming group practicing the tradition in Fermanagh: The Aughakillymaude (ACK-LAMAD) Mummers. This thesis explores how mumming has been redefined by both the mummers and the audience. Throughout the thesis, it is argued that while social practices are viewed as possessing longevity and immutability both time and context act to change and define them. mumming exists on the margins of Irish cultural activity. There are no academic departments established to study it, no dedicated archives to store its history, nor are there rules or regulations to bind its existence. Its continuation depends on those involved redefining the tradition. The mummers eke out a space for it through touristic and non-touristic avenues, by framing the tradition as unconventional and marginal. The study challenges notions of the audience, the commodification of tradition, masking, the ability to speak about conflict, reviving a tradition, and the musician. By doing this, it examines how a tradition which exists without any formalities to govern it continues to be redefined and practiced on the margins of Irish cultural activity

‘Rise Up Dead Man and Fight Again’: Reviving and Defining Mumming in County Fermanagh

This study focuses on how the tradition of mumming in County Fermanagh is defined. Several factors have contributed to the processes of redefinition mumming has been subjected to. The violent conflict, which is agreed to have erupted in the province of Ulster in 1969, played an integral role in the severe decline of mumming around this period. In the 1980s, it was revived and mumming groups became a common sight around Christmas time, in local towns and villages. This continued until the 2000s. However, at present there remains only one mumming group practicing the tradition in Fermanagh: The Aughakillymaude (ACK-LAMAD) Mummers. This thesis explores how mumming has been redefined by both the mummers and the audience. Throughout the thesis, it is argued that while social practices are viewed as possessing longevity and immutability both time and context act to change and define them. mumming exists on the margins of Irish cultural activity. There are no academic departments established to study it, no dedicated archives to store its history, nor are there rules or regulations to bind its existence. Its continuation depends on those involved redefining the tradition. The mummers eke out a space for it through touristic and non-touristic avenues, by framing the tradition as unconventional and marginal. The study challenges notions of the audience, the commodification of tradition, masking, the ability to speak about conflict, reviving a tradition, and the musician. By doing this, it examines how a tradition which exists without any formalities to govern it continues to be redefined and practiced on the margins of Irish cultural activity

‘Rise Up Dead Man and Fight Again’: Reviving and Defining Mumming in County Fermanagh

This study focuses on how the tradition of mumming in County Fermanagh is defined. Several factors have contributed to the processes of redefinition mumming has been subjected to. The violent conflict, which is agreed to have erupted in the province of Ulster in 1969, played an integral role in the severe decline of mumming around this period. In the 1980s, it was revived and mumming groups became a common sight around Christmas time, in local towns and villages. This continued until the 2000s. However, at present there remains only one mumming group practicing the tradition in Fermanagh: The Aughakillymaude (ACK-LAMAD) Mummers. This thesis explores how mumming has been redefined by both the mummers and the audience. Throughout the thesis, it is argued that while social practices are viewed as possessing longevity and immutability both time and context act to change and define them. mumming exists on the margins of Irish cultural activity. There are no academic departments established to study it, no dedicated archives to store its history, nor are there rules or regulations to bind its existence. Its continuation depends on those involved redefining the tradition. The mummers eke out a space for it through touristic and non-touristic avenues, by framing the tradition as unconventional and marginal. The study challenges notions of the audience, the commodification of tradition, masking, the ability to speak about conflict, reviving a tradition, and the musician. By doing this, it examines how a tradition which exists without any formalities to govern it continues to be redefined and practiced on the margins of Irish cultural activity

Socially Distanced Higher Education: Redesigning Progress

The social distancing measures developed as an attempt to control the Covid-19 outbreak have had a major, long lasting effect on every aspect of society. Higher Education was dramatically affected by these social distancing measures, leading to the closure of campuses around the globe and the move to continue facilitating student learning online. In order to develop a Higher Education system in a future where the results of Covid-19 will be long lasting in our society, we require insight into the priorities of the Higher Education Institution as a whole. Here, we present a small sample of staff and student experiences of teaching and learning during the Covid-19 lockdown. Through their experiences, we see that the Higher Education Institution continued to ensure functional progress of students and staff during the lockdown; however, other equally important forms of progress were not prioritised. We argue that as we move into the future of Higher Education, it is vital that any changes made to the system take into account the ability for students to make functional, social and emotional progress through their studies

Interdisciplinary doctoral research networks: enhancers and inhibitors of social capital development

Interdisciplinary research networks are increasing, with professionals encouraged to undertake research across disciplines to increase innovation, creativity and knowledge. More recently, this interdisciplinary focus is being mirrored by the establishment of interdisciplinary doctoral research networks. But do these networks work? And if so, how and why? We employ social capital theory to (a) understand the lived experiences of students in interdisciplinary doctoral programmes and (b) build programme design theory to support the development of social capital within such programmes. We present the results of 28 semi-structured interviews conducted with doctoral students from three European Union funded interdisciplinary research training networks to understand how they perceive the enhancers, inhibitors and manifestations of social capital within their networks. Key themes revolve around ‘extracting value from the interdisciplinary process’, ‘motivating students throughout the interdisciplinary programme journey’, and ‘relating to others both within and external to the programme’. We propose a framework for interdisciplinary programme design