Is it possible to help families of political ex-prisoners talk about the past using photographic re-enactment, set within a framework of Post-Positive, Critical Realism? This thesis presents three case studies which adopts a feminist/community activist, artistic approach to enable family members of political ex-prisoners to talk ,about interrnalised trauma related to their relative's imprisonment in Northern Ireland. during t~e historic period called 'The Troubles', This was accomplished using a socially engaged, Participative Action Research (PAR) paradigm. The methodology is practice based; using the ' values of Feminism and PAR it gave the participants control of the research outputs via the short film, their lifeline books and an audio photographic exhibition. The research used several methods, 'in particular the Family Album via Spence, (1979, 1986, 1995, 2005, 2012) Martin, (2001) Kuhn (2002) and Morrissey (2005), these theorists question the myth of 'happiness' evident within the family album. I investigated re-enactment photography theories, which are underpinned by Deller's (2~01) 'The Battle of Orgreave' and Sepinuck's 'Theatre of Witness' (2013) both techniques challenge cultural forgetting. Weiser's (1999) theory of photo projective techniques ;enabled the participants to picture their internalised memories. The research situates the, participants within their personal, cultural and political framework via Critical Realism. Qualitative methods of data collection were used via in-depth personal interviews and narrative analysis, that I collected throughout the workshop processes. The data revealed that internalisation of trauma was passed on from one generation to the next resulting in a disconnection of the third generation who knew little of their parents and grandparents experiences. My analysis enabled me to produce an advanced re-enactment methodology to enable the women to talk about their internalised memories. I also designed a facilitator's guide which maps out a three stage methodological process. The study concluded that Participative Action Research which includes a combination of methods centred on photographic re-enactment can encourage an intergenerational exchange of memories which can facilitate familial and community discussions about the past.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:677463 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Gallagher, Geraldine |
| Publisher | Ulster University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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