The Successes and Failures of the Irish Community
Sociology of Developing Countries

The Successes and Failures of the Irish Community
Throughout history many communities were formed for many different reasons. Some communities were able to become successful cultures while others did not. The reasons why communities are successful stem from many different reasons. “Some theories conclude that communities thrive and others do not because of social capital, or network connections among residents and community groups,”… “In addition some researchers have determined social capital to be related to various aspects of community life, from crime rates to the local economy,” (Whitham, M. M. (2012 pg 442). The Irish community today is one that faced many obstacles. Their oppression in Europe and early America is reminiscent of the hatred that certain third world nationalist or minorities endure in America today. The cycle for which these oppressed communities have endured has caused their communities to either flourish or decline. In either way the community has reformed its customs and believes to adjust to the social ladder in which they attempt to overcome.
“Community building commonly refers to building the social networks within the community, and developing group and individual problem solving and leadership skills,” (Paul Mattessich, 1997). In most cases communities are built around people of the same class, and ethnical back ground. This is often reasons why communities prosper or decline. Groups of people living together with the same ethnical back ground can be targets for other communities. This community is a small group of people who make up a larger population of people. The outsiders to this community may choose to keep those in the community oppressed. The reasons why groups oppress other groups are for the same reasons why some societies advance and others do not. In every society a majority and a minority exists. The majority often is the group of people whose community is the higher standard of living, and have members who are prosperous and successful. This group wants to remain in control by oppressing those who do not belong to this community. This oppression is often stemmed from race, gender, religious, or ethnic reasons.
On the other hand, communities that do not prosper are typically oppressed, and are minority communities. These communities are often thought of as being the slums, ghetto, or less desirable places to live. The members of this group have lower education rates, lesser family income, and live in areas of higher crime rates. The minority community is often harassed by local government officials or even members of the upper class. The motive for why the majority harasses the minority goes back to the simplest aspects of life. Just like in the animal kingdom the dominant and the strong prey on the weak for resources. As long as the stronger community can keep its’ members strong and prosperous, then the fear of losing their hunting grounds to rival communities are not relevant. In the realm of humanity, majority groups oppress minority groups for better well being, better homes, and better incomes. This factor can determine why in Europe the Irish, were oppressed by the English, and why many Irish descendents migrated to the United States.
“When Frederick Douglass traveled to Ireland in 1845, the fugitive slave and his benefactors hoped to develop a coalition between the oppressed peasants of Ireland and African-American slaves in the United States,”... “While in bondage, Douglass had read the speeches of Sheridan in support of Catholic Emancipation in the Columbian Orator and was impressed by the Iris Catholic leader’s strong utilitarian denunciation of slavery and bold vindication of human rights,”... “Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison believed that the Irish Repeal movement and the American Abolitionist movement of the 1840s shared much in common in terms of their political, social, and economic goals,” stated Christopher Black who is a teaching associate and doctoral candidate in the Department of English at Oklahoma State University (Christopher Black, 2010, pg 17). Even though Frederick Douglas was a fugitive from America, he and his counter parts were merely attempting to form an alliance with the Irish. He assumed that since the Irish faced the same harshness from England, that the grass would be greener in Ireland. That they would feel empathy for The African slaves and render aid in the American colonies. “The Irish, who were thought of by the English as being childish, emotionally unstable, ignorant, or, dirty, vengeful, and violent, were not quick to help the African slaves for fear that they may return to the oppressed state their ancestors endured just a century earlier,” (Lengel, E. G. 2002).
“In the decades that followed, the Irish in New York tested the strength of the nation’s largest city as the immigrants and the established American leadership negotiated territory, services, and institutional responsibility,”... “Shut out socially and economically because of their poor skills, Catholicism, and poverty, the Irish carved a place for themselves in two arenas where pedigree, birthright, and money mattered little,” (Almeida, L. 2001pg 3). With the numbers of Irish immigrants growing they became to take over small businesses. “By the end of the century the Irish controlled city politics in New York and several other major northern and midwestern cities with the same drive and skill the Irish dominated the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and presided over the development of the institution as it achieved remarkable growth and influence inside a single century,” (Almeida, L. 2001pg 3).
The Irish who were second hand citizens in their native country moved to America and took over many businesses in the late 1800’s. The Irish communities that once were immigration communities grew to become upper class areas with rich religious influence from the Catholic Church. The leaders of these now strong Irish communities were developed by using methods such as building social networks within the community, and developing group and individual problem solving and leadership skills. However, just like the English oppressed them in their native land, the same started occurring in these Irish Communities. These communities started to not help other minorities, and even oppress other groups who did not have the same religious values, or same heritage.
In conclusion, the Irish community in America is just like any other community. Where the group members often look the same, have the same ethnicity, same religious beliefs, and work together to strengthen their community. The Irish could not prosper in Ireland due to England constantly oppressing the Irish with harsh taxes, and laws. However, when some Irish Immigrants moved to America, they realized that the playing ground was even. With this equal start alongside other immigrants the Irish built strong communities, and were able to become dominant.

References
Whitham, M. M. (2012). Community Connections: Social Capital and Community Success1. Sociological Forum, 27(2), 441-457. doi:10.1111/j.1573-7861.2012.01325.x
Paul Mattessich, (1997) retrieved from http://www.globalfacilitators.org
Lengel, E. G. (2002). The Irish Through British Eyes : Perceptions of Ireland in the Famine Era. Westport, Conn: Praeger
Almeida, L. (2001). Irish Immigrants in New York City, 1945-1995. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.