Living Permanent Liminality: The Recent Transition Experience in Ireland
Árpád Szakolczai
Modernity, or the combination of market economy, liberal democratic polity and a society driven by technological progress, we are led to believe, is end-state history; glorious condition fully enlightened free citizens equipped with equal rights at which all traditional societies bound arrive, after period transition might involve some temporary difficulties ‘sacrifices’. However, in contrast this, modernity rather involves an infinite transition, stable elements social life, representing not just rigid external constraints on individual freedom, but also possibility meaningful one liquidated. This article argues that anthropological concept ‘liminality’ particularly helpful understanding formative aspects experiences, like Celtic Tiger phenomenon Ireland. It helps move beyond conventional ‘transition modernity’ framework pointing out advanced identical permanent state transitionality.
Irish Journal of Sociology