Irish incarnate : masculinities and intergenerational relations on Tyneside

Abstract

This study investigates Irish masculinities on Tyneside with thirty eight men of Irish descent over three living generations. The intergenerational approach to researching men’s lives contributes to the geographies of masculinities literature by researching the relationships between place, age, and gender. It considers the intersections of masculinity with roles within the family: such as son, father and grandfather. Furthermore, it looks at masculinities in the context of the workplace, the home, the school, and wider social settings to shed light on the aspirations and economic priorities of ‘Irish’ men. These discussions reveal gender and generation dynamics: looking at ‘growing up’ in the post industrial city; at the fusion of Irish and Geordie cultures; as well as the underpinning influence of class and religion. I note the intersections of age, roles within the family, embodied working identities and attitudes towards a religious upbringing as key to understanding the everyday experiences of men of Irish descent, in what I have called ‘Irish Incarnate’. To date, there has been much work on the intersectional aspects of identity – gender, race, religion – though much less which combines this with an intergenerational approach. I argue that generational differences have acted as a force of change in the perceptions and performances of Tyneside Irish masculinities. The thesis reveals significant change, often shaped by wider socio-economic factors, such as social mobility and the declining role of institutional religion; but also continuity, through an inheritance of culture and heritage and at times an explicit resistance to change. Through studying the processes of place, age, and masculinity with men of Irish descent I analyse how they negotiate growing up and growing old and all that is in between; how nationality is considered across generations, of what bits of them they claim to be Irish and why; and why ultimately, this all matters.