Reflection blog one (Muireann)

This week we focused on empathising with people living in Carrigtwohill we learnt in the PowerPoint and videos about Carrigtwohill to empathise we first observe the lives of people living there and their behaviours. Engaging with the people living there asking questions about the community. finally, we have to immerse in ourselves in their environment to try and grasp an idea of what it might be like to live in Carrigtwohill.

My initial impression of the social dynamics is that it is quite diverse with approximately 40 different ethnicities due to the large number of people moving into the area with an 11.6% increase between 2011-2016 four times the national average.

Some topics that came up was possible issues between the younger and older generation and how one might be more accepting to new communities arriving to the area. This is based on one perspective but we would like to unearth more from other perspectives of people in the community.

I would also love to explore the idea of how the diversity of the community makes it unique compared to other locations in Ireland and how it can benefit the community and possibly explore and unearth peoples stories and experiences in the community that might not be discussed to create a more open community. if there are tensions among groups in the community it might help break down some barriers so that they can see from other perspectives to empathise allowing more people to connect not unalike the humans of new york. Possibly having a blog. 

Due to covid restrictions, our project will be online but I would have loved a place such as a community centre where during a week, a month, or year people write down their experiences anonymously. An event would then be held to read these stories and celebrate our differences and similarities then collect these stories to create a book where people can read in future generations. possibly having a yearly addition and add it to the community centre.

Questions I would find interesting for someone in the community of Carrigtwohill :

what is unique about your community?

what diversities exist in the community e.g. language, ethnicities, religions, minority groups, ages, physical disabilities etc

What are the community barriers to inclusion?

Do conflicts exist between the community groups?

Do community groups seek diverse perspectives on community experience?

How has the rapid growth in the community affected the community experience?

What are the main challenges in the community?

Are there opportunities to improve the community experience?

Where and how do people connect socially?

How can cultural differences enhance the community?

How would you describe the Carrigtwhool community experience?