Dr Muireann Prendergast gave a presentation on her PhD research project, which sparked conversations about contemporary global issues
Staff in the Faculty of Lifelong Learning and Education at SETU were given an insight into the Argentine dictatorship as part of the Education Research Seminar Series.
Dr Muireann Prendergast, Assistant Head of Department in the Department of Education, delivered a thought-provoking presentation on her PhD research project, entitled ‘Argentina 1982-1983: A study of print media discourses on the final year of the dictatorship.’
Dr Prendergast, who was previously a postdoctoral researcher in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at SETU, carried out work that involved analysis of articles and images published by pro and anti-regime newspapers and magazines in the final year of the dictatorship, filling a gap in existing research in this area which had focused largely on the earlier years of the regime.
Parallels to current global issues
In the discussion which followed, strong parallels emerged between the presence of very different perspectives in the Argentine media on the situation in that country in the 1980s, and the presence of often contradictory views in contemporary media on global issues, including the wars in Iran and Ukraine and the genocide in Gaza. These comparisons underlined the continuing relevance of Muireann’s research to a contemporary audience.
Muireann’s PhD, which was funded by Research Ireland, was also the first PhD by Publication to be completed at the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Limerick. To be awarded the PhD by Publication, candidates were required to complete a compilation thesis and to have between three and five articles accepted for publication. On completion of her doctorate, Muireann already had three single authored articles on her research published in academic journals.
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