DOMUS Seminar - Writing the biography of a teaching Sister: methodologies, myths, myopia

This seminar will explore the relationship between history, biographical narrative and the writing of life stories.

With speakers Professor Deirdre Raftery, University College Dublin and Professor Elizabeth Smyth, University of Toronto.

This seminar explores the relationship among history, biographical narrative and the writing of life stories. Tens of thousands of girls and women were educated and/or trained by the congregations of sisters (nuns) discussed in this seminar.

Deirdre is completing a biography of Frances (Mother M. Teresa) Ball (1794-1861), who established the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ireland in 1822, which resulted in an international network of schools and colleges. Elizabeth is researching the life of Mary Estelle (Mother Maura) McGuire (1900-1979), a teacher, hospital administrator and general superior who led the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph of Toronto through the turbulent 1960s. Together they explore the methodological challenges they face as researchers and biographers, comment on the interplay among secular and religious systems of education, social service and health care, and their approach toward the analysis of how gendered power, authority and decision making evolved within these communities. Finally, they discuss the impact of assumptions and implicit biases within the field of social history and the history of education on their research, and on its presentation.

This talk will be followed by Q&A with Professor Jane Martin (Director of DOMUS).