E pluribus unum? Maintaining social cohesion while recognising difference within contemporary Irish primary education
O'Sullivan, Carol
(2009)
E pluribus unum? Maintaining social cohesion while recognising difference within contemporary Irish primary education.
Doctor of Education thesis, Dublin City University.
This dissertation seeks to explore the manner in which Irish education has
responded to recent demographic and cultural change. This will be undertaken
through a comprehensive intratheoretical analysis of political philosophy with a
view to identifying the difficulties that are commensurate with maintaining social
cohesion while recognising difference in a meaningful and constructive manner.
This analysis will then be applied to Irish educational thinking in order to locate
the philosophical basis of Irish education and to determine its relevance to the
cultural difference that is now becoming a defining feature of Irish society.
This dissertation is undertaken against the backdrop of an Ireland which
still lacks a comprehensive immigration and integration policy and which is
increasingly susceptible to market forces and neo-liberal politics. The expected
outcomes are that while Irish education aspires towards the achievement of an
intercultural society, there are still significant barriers to be overcome, both in the
educational and political arenas. The dissertation will conclude with a series of
observations that may help to inform the process and outcomes of future
educational policy development
Metadata
Item Type:
Thesis (Doctor of Education)
Date of Award:
November 2009
Refereed:
No
Supervisor(s):
Irwin, Jones and Dunne, Joseph
Uncontrolled Keywords:
Irish education; Demographic and cultural change; Irish society;
intratheoretical analysis; social cohesion; difference; policy
development