Participant Info

First Name
Erin
Last Name
Hinson
Affiliation
Abbey Research
Website URL
www.abbey-research.com
Keywords
Northern Ireland, loyalism, Long Kesh, Maze, prison, political prisoners, art works, crafts, handicrafts, material culture, prison experiences, prison reform, storytelling, oral history, heritage, museum studies, prison heritage, prison tourism, conflict studies, ethno-national conflict, performativity, identity construction, Northern Irish history, Northern Irish anthropology, culture, commemoration, remembrance, Northern Irish politics, conflict resolution, conflict transformation, restorative justice
Additional Contact Information

Personal Info

Photo
About Me

I spent 5 years working and living in Belfast, Northern Ireland while completing my MA and PhD degrees in History and Anthropology at Queen’s University Belfast. My research focused on the intersection of identity construction and change, the perfomativity of art works and crafts, and the prison experiences of Ulster Volunteer Force and Red Hand Commando political prisoners during the conflict in Northern Ireland. I also examined the re-emergence of prison made handicrafts in contemporary post-ceasefire society and their use in multiple state and community-led projects and exhibitions. I have presented at international conferences on oral history, conflict transformation, material culture, heritage, anthropology, Irish Studies, art, peace, and conflict, social history, memory, and prisons. I also have several forthcoming publications. I now work outside academia for a consultancy company that conducts specific research for small businesses and non profits about any issue relating to their culture, personnel, business development and strategies, and employee engagement. My colleague and I use our research expertise to provide customized solutions and actionable insights. While in this position, I have continued my research interests and intend to focus on publishing my PhD thesis in the coming year.

Recent Publications

‘Crafting Identities: Prison Artefacts and Place-Making in Pre- and Post-Ceasefire Northern Ireland’ in M. Komarova and M. Svašek (eds) Ethnographies of Movement, Sociality and Space: Place-Making in the New Northern Ireland. New York: Berghahn Books, pp. 60-84.

Media Coverage
Country Focus
Northern Ireland
Expertise by Geography
United Kingdom
Expertise by Chronology
20th century, 21st century
Expertise by Topic
Art & Architectural History, Material Culture, Museums