Introduction and overview

As millions worldwide face prolonged periods of social isolation or confinement, what can we learn from those who have experienced isolation in the past? One such group are the men and women who were imprisoned during the conflict in and about Northern Ireland. Some lived in small political groups in huts in prison compounds. Others spent months or years in their individual cells, while engaged in political protests. Many used this time to develop new skills and help build a more peaceful society. In this free course, explore these experiences and if/how they can help you through these difficult times.

This free course explores resources from the Open University's Time to Think project. Time to Think is an oral history archive and ongoing collaboration for teaching, research, impact and knowledge exchange between The Open University (Open University in Ireland, the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) and Open University Library) and people who participated in the Time to Think archive. This includes Loyalist and Republican ex-prisoners, OU tutors and office staff and prison staff and governors.

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• develop existing and new skills for coping with isolation and confinement
• understand the role education can play in surviving adversity
• develop skills for self-reflection and self-empowerment to use in a range of other contexts
• reflect on and learn from the stories of those imprisoned during the conflict in and about Northern Ireland.