Unfunded Research Project - Media Memories as Alternative Historiography: Exploring Identity, Values and Social Change

This project addresses exclusions prevalent in the writing of orthodox media histories that

depend on institutional sources and that focus on the nation state. The research will, most

likely, use life story interviews. That is, long, semi-structured conversations that generate

accounts of a person’s past where media are a feature but not the exclusive focus.

Resulting recollections would be triangulated with orthodox archival and press sources to

create richer media histories that capture media as phenomena that are simultaneously

global, national, and deeply personal. Moreover, resulting histories would include voices

that have gone unheard to date. They would include experiences of media related to social

class, gender, geography, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, and so on.

The fallible nature of human memory makes life story interviews unsuitable as a standalone

source for the collection of historical chronologies and details. However, the fact that human

recollections are profoundly shaped by personal and social identity makes this alternative

approach to historiography ideal for understanding how media are entangled with identity,

values and social change. The resulting knowledge of how media become part of people’s

habits, and relationships, their knowledge of the world and of themselves, can help us to

better understand media-related behaviours in the present, and anticipate those of the

future.

Student requirements for this project

A prospective student for this project should have a 2.1 degree in a Humanties or Social

Sciences discipline. However, applications would also be welcome from people who have

significant experience in community development, social activism, folklore projects,

community media and so on.

A successful applicant will be self-motivated, organised and have good written

communication skills. Applicants will be requested to supply a curriculum vitae and a brief

research proposal.

Contact details for applications

Dr Edward Brennan

School of Media

TU Dublin

Tel: 00 353 (0)1 220 55 02

Email: edward.brennan@tudublin.ie