CEPH is excited to announce its third call for papers as part of the CEPH Irish Research Initiative. The online workshop, which focuses on the theme of ‘Religion, Division and Development in Ireland’, will be held on December 10th 2024. It is an opportunity for researchers of Irish economic history and policy to present research in a friendly environment. Full details of the call can be found below.
Religion, Division and Development in Ireland
CEPH Irish Research Initiative (CIRI) workshop
Religion has historically played a pivotal role in shaping Ireland’s political economy, especially through its influence on community affiliations and conflicts. The Catholic-Protestant divide, particularly in the 19th and early 20th centuries, significantly shaped economic outcomes, including access to education, capital, and political power, as well as the distribution of wealth. Major events like the failed 1798 Rebellion, the 1916 Easter Rising, and the 1921 Partition were deeply marked by these religious divisions, which were further intensified by political upheavals. These grew out of and reinforced a landscape where religious identity, which became closely tied to economic outcomes and opportunities.
To explore these themes further, the Centre for Economics, Policy, and History (CEPH) will host a virtual workshop under the CEPH Irish Research Initiative (CIRI). The workshop invites researchers to submit papers focusing on how religious affiliations affected economic outcomes and how economic developments, in turn, shaped or reinforced religious divisions across the island of Ireland and throughout its history. The goal is to advance the study of religion as a key aspect of Irish economic development through diverse approaches, including quantitative analyses, historical case studies, and comparative research.
Areas of interest include:
· The relationship between religion and education or human capital more broadly
· Religion’s role in shaping wealth distribution, land ownership, and productivity
· Religion as a factor in Total Factor Productivity, including innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic organization
· Links between religious identity, political conflict, and economic inequality
· Comparative studies of religious divisions and economic development in other contexts
Submissions are not limited to these topics, and the workshop encourages related studies. We particularly welcome contributions from early career academics, PhD candidates, and master’s graduates. This event offers a valuable platform to explore the intricate connections between religion, conflict, and economic development in Ireland and beyond.
A few months after the workshop, the presented papers will be collated as discussion papers on the CEPH website, and promoted through our dissemination channels. This workshop offers an excellent opportunity for researchers to refine their research topics and work towards publication, either individually or in a special issue in a journal related to the overarching theme of the workshop.
Submission Information
Interested scholars are encouraged to submit an abstract of no more than 400 words. These should be emailed to Julia Zimmermann at zimmerju@tcd.ie by October 31st 2024. For more information, please contact Alan de Bromhead at alan.debromhead@ucd.ie or Julia Zimmermann zimmerju@tcd.ie.