About

Why identity?

Identities structure our reality, our desires and our ideas. As such, they assume many shapes and forms: the self and the nation, language and gender, migration and trauma, myth and ideology, class and religion, capitalism and populism, ecology and technology. Above all, identities are crystallised in their representation: in the media and popular culture, in literature and film, but also in imagined communities and destinies, contested histories, and collective memory. Exploring and analysing questions of identity as they have unfolded and continue to unfold in Europe, this one-year taught Masters programme will equip students with the critical tools and real-life experience to understand the complex and varied challenges posed by shifting notions of identity and their very real consequences.

How is the course structured?

Masters students will enrol in two core modules (one in each semester) on Questions of Identity in Europe. Consisting of a selection of key identity topics, the core modules approach the issue of identity from a range of disciplinary perspectives through theories of identity and case studies. Students will also take four optional modules (two per semester), selected from a wide range of options offered by the programme as well as by other Masters courses at Trinity. Finally, students will complete a research dissertation on a topic of their choice, receiving guidance from researchers who are experts in their respective fields.

What are the unique features of the course?

Students will also take part in a three-day field trip to Belgium (usually during the first semester), where they will have an opportunity to network and create links with key cultural institutions, organisations and NGOs on the continent. During the second semester, students will have the option to do an internship at an approved NGO or cultural institution in Dublin. At the end of the second semester, students will participate in an identities & cultures workshop, which involves a range of engaging activities dealing with questions of identity in an immersive, collaborative and supportive environment.

Research on identities at Trinity College Dublin

In addition, the programme links into the university’s very successful research theme Identities in Transformation. This research theme brings together researchers and postgraduates from across the university and will provide students on the programme with an opportunity to further investigate identity issues through a range of lecture series, debates and postgraduate-led events.