Gross Irish emigration has reached the highest levels since the foundation of the modern State in recent years. In response to this, and increasing media coverage of the phenomenon, the Irish government has highlighted reversing this pattern and preventing youth emigration, as a major policy concern. Initiatives aimed towards preventing this problem through job creation and internship schemes have been formulated and communicated concurrently by both central government and various State agencies. A renewed government commitment to the Irish Diaspora has emerged as a closely related policy during the current Coalition’s tenure in office, aimed at encouraging tourism, investment, and re-migration of former emigrants. After documenting the rise of both these issues to the political agenda, this dissertation assesses the efficacy of communication by the Irish Government of policies designed towards achieving both these ends through survey findings and comparison of actual government practice to the international political communication and marketing research literatures.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Abstract
Introduction
Definitions
CHAPTER TWO: EMIGRATION
Modern crisis
Background
Political sentiment
Programmes
CHAPTER THREE: DIASPORA
Policy background
Rationale
Programmes
CHAPTER FOUR: LITERATURE
Academic framework
Literature Review
CHAPTER FIVE: RESEARCH
Research findings
CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSIONS
Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the effectiveness of government communication regarding policies designed to mitigate Irish emigration and engage the Irish diaspora. The research investigates how these policies are framed and communicated to the public, assessing the government's ability to influence sentiment and encourage economic participation from those abroad.
- Analysis of government policy development concerning emigration and diaspora engagement.
- Evaluation of media framing and the agenda-setting role of the Irish government.
- Empirical assessment of diaspora attitudes via online research surveys.
- Comparison of government communication practices against international standards in political communication.
Excerpt from the Book
II.II BACKGROUND & IMPACT
The story of Irish emigration long precedes the current economic crisis: Kelly delineates three ‘major episodes’ since the mid-19th Century while Fitzpatrick estimates that up to ten million people left Ireland between 1801 and the foundation of the independent State, in 1921, alone.
Emigrants’ reasons for leaving Ireland have historically remained fairly consistent, and adhere very closely with the prevailing financial climate of the day. Walter and Minns both confirm that “The data as a whole suggest that Irish migrants are predominantly economic migrants,” while a 1991 white paper by the NESC reached the same conclusions, explaining emigration’s recurrence throughout Irish history as a symptom of the country’s “relative economic underdevelopment”.
While migration for economic reasons has not traditionally been regarded by academics as ‘forced’, this is how it has translated in popular discourse, and findings from the Migration Project at University College Cork indicate that 60% of current migrants express “no intention” of returning to Ireland when surveyed, results consistent wth the consistently dim view of career prospects found amongst emigrants in chapter iv).
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the problem of mass emigration in modern Ireland and outlines the research questions and definitions used throughout the study.
CHAPTER TWO: EMIGRATION: This chapter explores the historical and political context of the modern emigration crisis, covering government programmes and political sentiment.
CHAPTER THREE: DIASPORA: This chapter analyzes the policy background and rationale behind Irish government efforts to engage with the diaspora, detailing specific initiatives.
CHAPTER FOUR: LITERATURE: This chapter establishes the academic framework for government communication, reviewing literature on agenda-setting, framing, and political marketing.
CHAPTER FIVE: RESEARCH: This chapter presents the methodology and findings of the media analysis and the survey of current Irish emigrants.
CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSIONS: This chapter synthesizes the research findings, evaluating the overall success of government communication strategies in mitigating emigration and engaging the diaspora.
Keywords
Government communication, government public relations, international political communication, political marketing, Irish emigration, Irish diaspora, diaspora engagement, agenda-setting, framing, JobBridge, Springboard, economic recovery, political sentiment, migration policy, media analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The study investigates the effectiveness of Irish government communication strategies aimed at preventing youth emigration and attracting the diaspora to return or invest in Ireland.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
The research focuses on government policies, public relations, media agenda-setting, the framing of state initiatives, and the attitudes of the Irish diaspora toward these efforts.
What is the central research question?
The central question is how effective the Irish government has been in using state-sponsored schemes to reduce emigration and engage the diaspora, and what role political framing plays in this process.
What scientific methods were employed?
The author conducted a multi-part study including a content analysis of 962 news items (agenda-setting and frame-contention analysis) and an online survey of 296 current Irish emigrants.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers the historical context of Irish migration, the development of government diaspora policy, an academic literature review on political communication, and the presentation of empirical research data.
Which keywords best characterize this study?
Key terms include government communication, Irish emigration, diaspora engagement, agenda-setting, political framing, and political marketing.
What are 'JobBridge' and 'Springboard' in this context?
These are government-led initiatives analyzed in the study; JobBridge is a national internship scheme, and Springboard provides higher education courses to help unemployed people return to work.
What did the survey reveal about emigrant attitudes?
The survey indicated high levels of skepticism toward government diaspora efforts, with a significant portion of respondents viewing government actions as 'propagandist' and feeling the government is culpable for the emigration crisis.
How does the government's framing differ from media reception?
The study finds that government efforts to frame migration initiatives as positive are often undermined by media and public discourse that emphasizes the failure of policies to prevent emigration.
What is the 'Total Media Impact Factor' (TMIF)?
The TMIF is a metric used by the author to calculate the relative impact of different media sources by combining circulation data, online readership, and social sharing activity to evaluate frame transmission.
- Quote paper
- Daniel Rosehill (Author), 2013, The effectiveness of government communication in Irish emigration and diaspora policies, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/520000
