{"product_id":"living-with-my-century-a-memoir-9781843518358","title":"Living With My Century: A Memoir","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eProfessor Eda Sagarra, born in 1933, has been a significant and influential figure in Irish and European academic policy-making, contributing to the early development of the Erasmus scheme. Her memoir, written during the pandemic lockdown of 2020, offers a glimpse into her life and career, highlighting the challenges and barriers she faced as a woman in a male-dominated field. Sagarra's memoir provides a unique perspective on growing up in Ireland during the 20th century, and her experiences in post-war Germany, Switzerland, and Austria shed light on the profound influence of Europe on her academic life. Despite the restrictions and barriers she encountered, Sagarra's determination and resilience led her to achieve success in her field. Her reflections on retirement, old age, and youth are poignant and revealing. \u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLength\u003c\/strong\u003e: 400 pages\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication date\u003c\/strong\u003e: 02 June 2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher\u003c\/strong\u003e: The Lilliput Press Ltd\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProfessor Eda Sagarra, born in 1933, has been a significant and influential figure in Irish and European academic policy-making, contributing to the early development of the Erasmus scheme. Now, aged nearly 88, this memoir gives striking evidence of her self-discipline and formidable energy. This substantial memoir by one of the foremost female academics in Ireland starts with Sagarra's own perspective on committing her life story to history during the pandemic lockdown of 2020:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe following memoir recalls for those born in the present century and schooled without the strong sense of Irish history, which defined our people from the Great Famine of the 1840s until recent times, what it was like to grow up as a woman in the twentieth century and seek a career in a man's world. It tries to re-capture as much what it felt like to the person experiencing it as what was happening in society. Younger people today who read of the restrictions to which women were subject in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, will find it difficult to comprehend why our generation and the one that followed ours didn't challenge them. But probably the greatest contrast between the Ireland of then and now was the room for manoeuvre - or rather the absence of it. Today our lives are premised on a constantly changing world. Ireland is more connected across the globe than ever it was. Today most people are mobile. The Ireland when I was young was in almost every respect a static, hierarchical, and paternalist society, one in which the accident of your birth would generally determine your whole life. No life is representative, but every person's experience is unique and worth recording for those who come after us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA south Dublin convent girl, Sagarra probes childhood and family, schooling, and UCD - with a perceptiveness that is both poignant and revealing. She describes her early years as a \"happy childhood,\" filled with \"laughter and fun,\" but also with the \"paternalism\" of the Catholic Church and the \"rigidity\" of the convent school. She recalls her teachers as \"kind and patient,\" but also as \"strict and authoritarian,\" and her classmates as \"friendly and supportive.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSagarra's education at UCD was a transformative experience, providing her with a \"liberating\" education that challenged her \"preconceptions\" and \"opened up new horizons.\" She describes her time at UCD as \"the best years of my life,\" filled with \"friendships, intellectual stimulation, and personal growth.\" She also reflects on the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated field, including the \"sexism\" and \"discrimination\" she experienced from her professors and classmates.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDespite these challenges, Sagarra remained committed to her career and her studies, and she went on to become a prominent academic in Ireland. She served as the President of UCD from 1990 to 1997, and she was the first female President of the Irish Academy of Letters. She also played a key role in the development of the Erasmus scheme, which has brought thousands of students from around the world to study in Ireland.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn conclusion, Professor Eda Sagarra's memoir is a fascinating and inspiring account of a remarkable life. It provides a glimpse into the life of a woman who has made a significant contribution to Irish and European academic policy-making, and it offers a valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities that women faced in the twentieth century. Sagarra's memoir is a testament to her self-discipline, her formidable energy, and her commitment to her career and her studies. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Irish history, women's history, or academic policy-making.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight\u003c\/strong\u003e: 500g\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimension\u003c\/strong\u003e: 234 x 156 (mm)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/strong\u003e: 9781843518358\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Eda Sagarra","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":44102512443642,"sku":"9781843518358","price":15.86,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0522\/4297\/2845\/products\/1655465591234_book.jpg?v=1655647500","url":"https:\/\/shulphink.com\/products\/living-with-my-century-a-memoir-9781843518358","provider":"Shulph Ink","version":"1.0","type":"link"}