The Irish Countryman

by Conrad M. Arensberg

This revised and expanded edition of the classic anthropological study of Ireland is the definitive work on the Irish peasant, his customs, beliefs, and way of life. The first study by an anthropologist of a "modern" society. THE IRISH COUNTRYMAN broke away from the then (1937) traditional areas of anthropological concern - ancient man's anatomy, physiognomy, and archaeological remains - and studied man's acts, thus signalling a shift in anthropological study which has lasted to the present.

Genres: Anthropology, Ireland, Nonfiction, Irish Literature

191 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1937

Reviews

[Bob Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ireland as she once was

The laws of life and custom. Land. Family. Work. Youth and age. The town and the countryside. Folk tales and beliefs. The supernatural. These are the main topics of Arensberg's now, over 80 year old work on rural Ireland. Though it was path-breaking at the time, discussing things that had not been much discussed by anthropologists, in ways that were new, today the six lectures that compose THE IRISH COUNTRYMAN are well-designed, mellifluous and seriously delivered, but rather old hat, leading us down paths that many have followed and returned, to take other, more challenging ones. As with any work of anthropology that old, Arensberg's thin tome is now a work of social history rather than a description of a modern society. Ireland slowly modernized, emigration slowed, it joined Europe, there was a great boom, and now they're sweeping up after the party. Whatever the future, it is unlikely that Ireland will ever be "that" Ireland again. Arensberg makes almost no reference to other works of anthropology, nor are the voices of the people he studied much heard. In his work, though, you can see the seeds of future trends in the field. He takes a great interest in symbolic forms and `central events' in the society and puts rather minor emphasis on quantitative surveys. That is why this is probably a classic; it laid the groundwork for much that came afterwards in the qualitative direction.

One of the author's students was William Foote Whyte, author of "Street Corner Society" and Whyte, now passed on, was my professor. I owe both of them a lot. I can see how humanism and the idea that a local culture is a constantly changing but long-lasting phenomenon came down through the years to me, in small part from this book. Arensberg shunned the exotic and found common sense in every activity of the Irish countryside. He constantly tries to demonstrate the connections between the different aspects of Irish rural life; that everything made sense to the people. It's the style in which he does it that is special. That's why I read it again after 36 years, and why I chose to review it here. I can't say that its specific contents pertain to modern Ireland, but if you are interested in anthropology and how it has developed, or in Ireland as it was in the 1930s, reading THE IRISH COUNTRYMAN will be a useful piece of your learning process.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting look at the self-contained world of the rural/agrarian Irish community. Fascinating how tradition and necessity combine to organically produce a veritable caste system within these isolated regions which, by unspoken consent, accommodate all of the social, economic, and even political needs of the community. But interesting as it all is, it is difficult when reading this study to escape the understanding of just how very dated the material is. Sure this how the Irish countryman lived in 1937, but could it still be so today? A traditional way of life that survived centuries of occupation, famine, and revolution almost certainly has not survived the advent of mobile phones, satellite TV, and internet access. Perhaps there are still a few pockets of rural countrymen (and women) here or there where these traditional ways of life continue largely unchanged...but they are difficult to imagine. A bit sad, that. And as such, this book reads as much like a time capsule as it does an anthropological study. Still interesting stuff, though and worth a look if anthropology is your thing.

[Dan Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthropological study of a rural Irish community between the World Wars. More similarities to life in rural Upstate New York than I would have expected.

Note to writers: If you think "small town" and "rural" are the same thing, you need to read this.

[Harold Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear work about the Irish peasant, beliefs, way of life and customs. Awesome work.

[Tory]

Odd little book, a set of anthropological lectures about Ireland written in the 1940’s.

[Kimberly Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A suprisingly interesting study of a time and place gone by.