Discovering, sharing, creating and hiding Intangible Cultural Heritage throughout the journey of displacement

Corcoran, Thomas (2024). Discovering, sharing, creating and hiding Intangible Cultural Heritage throughout the journey of displacement. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

Throughout this thesis, I delve into the intricate interplay between Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) and the pervasive challenges of human displacement, aiming to unravel the ways in which ICH is employed, perceived, shared, discovered, hidden and also newly created within displaced communities. This is exemplified by the Rohingya population, who have suffered persecution and large-scale displacements from Burma / Myanmar. The fundamental questions guiding this research are: How is intangible cultural heritage used, viewed or created within displaced communities? And how do humanitarians utilise the intangible cultural heritage of displaced communities?
ICH is a broad term describing the elements of a group's traditional, contemporary and simultaneously living way of life. ICH encompasses a spectrum of traditions and living expressions passed down from ancestors to descendants that are dramatically disrupted during displacement. I propose, that this disruption should be better acknowledged and understood. The research highlights how projecting a lens on ICH firstly reveals a valuable resource that displaced populations use to unify themselves in times of stress and chaos, thus also exposing a valuable resource that humanitarians can tap into in order to ease the suffering of those forced to flee their homelands.
Employing an ethnographic approach, enriched by the narrative depth of 'Yarning,' this research endeavours to document the essence of ICH within a dispersed and displaced population of Rohingya people. Importantly, my research encompasses three Rohingya groups. These groups, each navigating diverse geographies - one in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh; another in Karachi, Pakistan; and a third of former refugees resettled in Carlow, Ireland - provide a comprehensive landscape for understanding the dynamics of ICH in displacement.
This thesis contributes to the scholarly discourse on the nexus of ICH in displacement and the Rohingya Muslim experience of identity and unity across borders. It illuminates a mimetic process within the diaspora; from many Muslim arrival stories, displacement emerges as a catalyst for creating one ethnic group of “Rohingya people” as their ICH is discovered, shared, created, and concealed as needed. The significance of ICH unfolds in various dimensions: youth employ Tarana (poetry) in peaceful protests in Bangladesh; fishermen leverage traditional skills to secure an economic niche in Pakistan; women continue traditional fashion and beauty practices even if only behind closed doors and resettled Rohingya utilise ICH from arts and language to sports for successful integration into Irish life. It is also clear that displaced communities suffer without their ability to access their ICH, and I reveal through this study how the agency to wield their ICH is intricately tied to their displacement status, gender dynamics, and acceptance by the host communities.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):