BIRDS OF A FEATHER: a call for research and understanding difference

Abstract

This article begins with an outline of the principle of homophily, which is centred on similarity and connection with others. It explores how in our social networks, friendships and choices – such as our cultural tastes - we seek to associate with others ‘like us’. Exploring this premise further, this paper considers this in relation to recent research on creative and cultural professionals in the UK (Brook, O’Brien and Taylor, 2018; Taylor, O’Brien and Brook, 2020). The author notes a lack of research on cultural labour in Ireland and a persistent scarcity on research on the arts, creative and cultural sectors here. While this is beginning to improve, there remains a significant lack of data or evidence that supports claims that Ireland is a creative and cultural nation. Conversely, Ireland has suffered from a surfeit of arts attendance data that justifies and proves audiences for the arts but, as this paper notes, this is inherently problematic. Overarchingly, this paper is a call for a greater quantity, in breadth and depth, of research that explores specifics of geography, difference and practice in the creative and cultural sectors in Ireland.