Podcasts

Is this depiction of an Irish family ‘discriminatory’?

The Department of Education has come under pressure to drop a Junior Cycle textbook containing ‘absurdly misconceived and discriminatory’ depictions of an Irish family. The book, which is part of the SPHE curriculum, contrasts a ‘traditional Irish family’ with another from a mixed background. The Irish family, depicted outside a thatched cottage and all wearing Aran jumpers, eat ‘potatoes, bacon and cabbage every day’, ‘do not like change or difference’ and the children ‘get told off if we mix with people with a different religion from ours as they would be a bad influence on us’. In contrast, the mixed-race family ‘love change and difference’, eat ‘curry, pizza and Asian food’ and spend their time travelling internationally and visiting art galleries… Is it really this bad? Or is it an overreaction? Guest host Clare McKenna is joined by listeners to discuss. see more