Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
Ulster and Appalachia: Exploring Scots-Irish Connections
Session Abstract or Summary
This panel will explore historic and contemporary connections between Ulster and Appalachia. It has long been recognized that a significant number of the early European settlers in southern Appalachia were of Scots-Irish descent. Much has been written about the historical and cultural connections between these two places and, not surprisingly, misperceptions about the degree of these cultural ties have arisen as well. The panel will feature Dr. Liam Campbell of Ulster University in Northern Ireland, who is serving as a visiting professor in the Department of Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). The panel will also feature a musical demonstration, which will include students from the ETSU program.
Presentation #1 Title
Exploring Cultural Heritage Interpretation in Ulster and Appalachia
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Cultural heritage and the significant role it plays in human life have received increased attention in recent years. This is reflected in the work of the United Nations, from its 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, to its 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks in 2016, in which he argued that elements of cultural heritage, “form a common thread that unites all civilizations and cultures, a celebration of our emotional lives and the beauty of our natural environment. Our cultural heritage defines our humanity. Cultural diversity, like biodiversity, plays a quantifiable and crucial part in the health of the human species.” This presentation will focus on observations on cultural heritage gathered from research and teaching in Appalachia, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. In particular, the presentation will explore the interpretation of cultural heritage at heritage sites in both Appalachia and Ulster.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Ron Roach is Chair of the Department of Appalachian Studies and Director of the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services at East Tennessee State University. An expert on the rhetoric of the Scottish Enlightenment, he has taught in the Appalachian, Scottish, and Irish Studies program at ETSU and abroad.
Presentation #2 Title
Landscape, Heritage, and Identity in Ulster and Appalachia
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
The landscape is the critical junction where matters of legal rights, economic forces, physical conditions, settlement, religious, ethic and communal identity, power, and imagination come together to provide one of the key narratives of community experience. This presentation will focus on observations from a citizen of Ulster who has spent time researching and teaching in Appalachia. In particular, the presentation will explore the landscape as a vital element of heritage and identity and how this is manifested in both Appalachia and Ulster.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Liam Campbell is a social researcher and ethnographer with the Socially Sustainable Northern Ireland Project and serves as a lecturer at Ulster University in Northern Ireland. Liam has wide experience as a researcher and consultant and has produced a number of television programs on cultural and historical geography for the BBC and other networks in Northern Ireland. He has lectured in the study abroad program in the East Tennessee State University Department of Appalachian Studies, where he is currently serving as a visiting professor.
Presentation #3 Title
Exploring Musical Borders
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
This presentation expands the conference theme of borders to include those often marked and negotiated by music, in particular the traditional music of Northern Ireland (to use the official name), Scotland, and beyond. Utilizing social semiotics and multimodality, this study will examine themes of signification, identity, and performance practice. The presentation will illustrate the power of music to communicate meaning and its capacity to divide or unite communities.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Jane MacMorran serves as Director of the Appalachian, Scottish and Irish Studies Program in the Department of Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University. An accomplished performer of both Scottish fiddle and classical violin, Jane also teaches a range of courses in Bluegrass, Old Time, Celtic, and Country Music Studies. She is currently completing her PhD at Scotland’s University of the Highlands & Islands.
Exploring Cultural Heritage Interpretation in Ulster and Appalachia
Cultural heritage and the significant role it plays in human life have received increased attention in recent years. This is reflected in the work of the United Nations, from its 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, to its 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks in 2016, in which he argued that elements of cultural heritage, “form a common thread that unites all civilizations and cultures, a celebration of our emotional lives and the beauty of our natural environment. Our cultural heritage defines our humanity. Cultural diversity, like biodiversity, plays a quantifiable and crucial part in the health of the human species.” This presentation will focus on observations on cultural heritage gathered from research and teaching in Appalachia, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. In particular, the presentation will explore the interpretation of cultural heritage at heritage sites in both Appalachia and Ulster.
