Penn State students explore democracy, culture and community in Ireland

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — This summer, a group of 24 Penn State students explored Irish history, art, traditions and politics through “The Culture of Democratic Deliberation in Ireland,” one of 14 faculty-led education abroad programs in the College of the Liberal Arts. During their travels, students visited Dublin, Galway and Lahinch to expand their knowledge of current Irish issues.

This program was led by Jessica O’Hara, teaching professor of communication arts and sciences, and Johan Bodaski, assistant teaching professor of communication arts and sciences. Both faculty leaders guided students through the course, CAS/PLSC 299H The Culture of Democratic Deliberation, while taking numerous excursions to enrich the learning experience.

“Immersion is the single best way to learn because learning is an embodied activity,” said Bodaski. “It’s hard to learn guitar by reading a book; same thing when one wants to learn the mechanics of a society.”

Second-year Schreyer Scholar Caitlyn Ann Treviño, an economics major, said the program immediately stood out because of its unique focus on Irish politics and culture.

“Studying democracy in another country really kind of jumped out at me, because I think that’s how you learn about your own country, and what things work, what things don’t,” Treviño said.

Throughout the program, students gained insight on Irish traditions and social practices that shape democratic life there. They then took what they learned and used it as the basis for a documentary-style group project. Each group selected a different part of Irish culture — from the growing generational divide in voting patterns to the role of storytelling in political activism — and conducted interviews with community members, scholars, politicians and writers to understand the political impact.

Treviño and her peers were encouraged by the instructors to connect their daily experiences to topics discussed in class. For Chloe Smith, a second-year Schreyer Scholar majoring in international politics, learning about the prominent role storytelling plays in Irish culture was especially intriguing.

Having learned about Irish folklore in class, the significance of storytelling became especially clear when students visited Connemara, a coastal region near Galway. Although students had read about long-held traditions surrounding fairies, Smith said this visit helped her gain a greater understanding in how deep-rooted these beliefs are. Before the experience, she said, “you didn't really understand how much they believed in it, or how influential it was to them.”

During the trip to a farm in Connemara, Smith recalled a tour guide explaining the importance of preserving a hawthorn tree on the property. “We don't cut this down, or the fairies will get angry,” he told the students, she said, emphasizing how folklore continues to influence current Irish beliefs.

Beyond storytelling, the students also explored how Irish culture is shaped by its musical traditions. For Smith’s group project, the students examined traditional music sessions in pubs and how they contribute to building community connections. In their research they interviewed bartenders, managers, musicians and regular customers.

“We learned through this whole process that the listening and the participation that occurs in music sessions is very reflective of [Irish] democracy,” Smith said.

In addition to interviews, the students also experienced Ireland’s musical traditions firsthand. During a visit to Doolin, Treviño had the opportunity to play various instruments alongside community members.

“They let us play along with them, so I got to play guitar and spoons,” Treviño said. “I had no idea who these guys were before, and then we sat and played a bunch of songs together, which I thought was super awesome.”

Treviño found the experience to be a perfect example of how music connects people across communities.

“I think my main takeaway from that was you can make connections with people anywhere, especially with music,” she said. “It’s such a universal language.”

It also aligned well with the program’s goal of immersing students in Irish culture while expanding their worldviews.

“It’s half experience and half intellectual stimulation,” said Maggie Joan Dye, a third-year Schreyer Scholar majoring in political science and psychology.

Beyond their documentary projects, students participated in a variety of excursions across Ireland, including visits to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the General Post Office in Dublin, where the Irish Republic was declared and the Easter Rising began in 1916, as well as the Famine Museum, Abbey Theatre, Cliffs of Moher and a hike through national parks. Additionally, the group met with several influential Irish artists, among them writer Frank McGuinness and poet Mary Madec.

The group also had the opportunity to meet with political leaders serving in the Irish government, allowing them to learn from the perspective of professionals in the field, gain insight into the country’s systems and apply classroom discussions to real-world policymaking.

"I feel like a lot of Americans haven’t even met their own representatives, and we were talking to Irish senators,” Dye said.

By stepping outside the traditional classroom setting and interacting directly with Irish communities, Bodaski explained, students walked away from the experience with a deeper understanding of the way democracy is woven into the traditions and everyday interactions of Irish society.

“The unique thing about this course is that the ‘textbook’ is the streets of Dublin, Galway and Lahinch,” Bodaski said.