Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Publication
    Is there an educational advantage to speaking Irish? An investigation of the relationship between education and ability to speak Irish
    In this article new findings are outlined that show a relationship between ability to speak Irish and level of education. The authors' statistical analysis of International Social Survey Programme data from a survey in 2003 on national identity reveals that Irish speakers have been more likely than non Irish speakers to attend university (or equivalent). This likelihood is strongest amongst people who were born in the 1950s and 1960s, and more particularly amongst women rather than men of this age group. This is not the case amongst the youngest age group, perhaps because of developments in the education system and in the economy. The findings are placed in the context of the political use made of both the Irish language and the education system in Ireland historically and more recently. The effect on the Irish language of changes in education, as well as the role of the Irish language as cultural capital and symbolic capital are discussed.
      1255Scopus© Citations 8
  • Publication
    Gaeilgeoirí agus an tArdoideachas: an gaol idir an t-oideachas agus cumas labhartha Gaeilge
    (St Mary’s University College. Department of Irish, 2008-10) ;
    San alt seo cuirtear i láthair torthaí nua taighde a thaispeánann go bhfuil coibhneas ann idir cumas labhartha Gaeilge agus leibhéal oideachais. Is léir ón taighde a rinne na húdair gur mó an seans go rachadh daoine le Gaeilge, ná daoine gan í, chun na hollscoile. Is ar shonraí a tháinig chun solais ó shuirbhé faoi fhéiniúlacht náisiúnta arinne an Clár Suirbhé Comhdhaonaí Idirnáisiúnta (International Social Survey Programme–ISSP) a bhunaigh na húdair a n-anailís. Is mó an gaol seo (idir oideachas agus cumas labhartha Gaeilge) i measc daoine a rugadh sna 1950dí agus sna 1960dí, agus go háirithe i measc ban den aois sin, ach níl an gaol seo le brath le roinnt blianta anuas de bharr athruithe a rinneadh ar an chóras oideachais agus de bharr an bhorrtha san eacnamaíocht. Pléitear na torthaí seo i gcomhthéacs na feidhme polaitiú la a rinneadh den Ghaeilge agus den chóras oideachais thar na glúinte in Éirinn, fiú ar na saolta deireanacha. Pléitear an tionchar a bhí ag athruithe sa chóras oideachais ar an Ghaeilge, chomh maith le tábhacht na Gaeilge mar chaipiteal cultúrtha agus sio mbalach.
      290
  • Publication
    Linguistic Elitism: the Advantage of Speaking Irish Rather than the Irish-speaker Advantage
    (The Economic and Social Review, 2011) ;
    This paper contributes to the discussion of linguistic elitism in this journal (Borooah et al., 2009). Two main questions are addressed. First, most 'census Irish speakers' are not in fact Irish speakers and the majority of Irish speakers proper are not a coherent group. Second, the Irish language is part of the cultural capital which can be acquired by people with an 'advantage'. The argument is made that people with an advantage are more likely to speak Irish rather than Irish speakers being more likely to have an advantage.
      756