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Article published In: Linguistic Landscape
Vol. 8:1 (2022) ► pp.1–31

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The intersection of nation and gender in the Linguistic Landscape of Ireland’s Eighth Amendment referendum campaign

ORCiD logo with link | Queen Mary University of London
Published online: 26 April 2021
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ll.20027.str
Abstract
In May 2018, voters in the Republic of Ireland passed a referendum proposal to repeal the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, lifting the Irish state’s near-total ban on abortion. Scholars have argued that Ireland’s abortion ban has historically played a key role in the construction of Irish national identity along Catholic, traditional, and heteronormative lines, meaning the lead-up to the vote allowed for key insights into the discursive construction of national identity and gender in Ireland. Drawing on theoretical discussions in both the nationalism and Linguistic Landscape (LL) literature and adopting a qualitative, multimodal approach to analyse the referendum campaign’s LL, I argue that there was a dominant understanding of the relationship between women and Irish national identity, predicated on a positive stance towards Irish identity, while any dissenting voices which questioned whether advancing gender equality was compatible with nationalist ideology were confined to the margins of the debate.
Coimriú
I mí Bealtaine 2018, vótáil muintir na hÉireann i reifreann chun an tOchtú Leasú ar Bhunreacht na hÉireann a aisghairm, rud a bhain an cosc nach mór iomlán a bhí i bhfeidhm go dtí sin ar ghinmhilleadh i bPoblacht na hÉireann. Tá maíte ag scoláirí go raibh ról lárnach ag an gcosc sin ar ghinmhilleadh i gcruthú na féiniúlachta náisiúnta Éireannaí i múnla a bhí Caitliceach, traidisiúnta agus heitreanormatach. Mar sin, sa tréimhse roimh an vóta, tugadh seans le léargas fiúntach a fháil ar chruthú dioscúrsach féiniúlachta náisiúnta agus inscne in Éirinn. Bainim leas as díospóireachtaí teoiriciúla sa litríocht maidir le náisiúnachas agus tírdhreacha teanga (Linguistic Landscapes nó LL), agus glacaim cur chuige cáilíochtúil agus ilmhódach chun LL na bhfeachtais reifrinn a anailísiú. Mar sin áitim go raibh na feachtais ag brath ar thuiscint ghinearálta d’íomhá a chuireann ceangail idir mná agus féiniúlacht náisiúnta Éireannach, a bunaíodh ar sheasamh dearfach i leith féiniúlachta náisiúnta Éireannaí, agus gur imeallaíodh aon ghuth a chaith amhras ar cé chomh oiriúnach is a bhí comhionannas inscne agus náisiúnachas dá chéile.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The Eighth Amendment and abortion in Ireland
  • 3.Beyond “top-down” and “bottom-up”: National identity and hegemony
  • 4.Data and methods
  • 5.Understandings of national identity in “No” signage and the marginalisation of women
  • 6.Hegemonic understandings of the relationship between gender and Irish national identity in “Yes” signage
    • 6.1Official campaign posters taking hegemonic stances
    • 6.2Bottom-Up signs reproducing hegemonic stances
  • 7.Counter-hegemonic or dissenting bottom-up LL items
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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