Abstract
This poster presents a collaborative project between Campbellsville University (Kentucky, USA) and Atlantic Technological University (Ireland) that investigates how immigrant and rural women in western Ireland mobilize social support and digital networks to confront systemic marginalization. Through digital ethnography and in-depth interviews, the study examines how women navigate challenges of geographic isolation, limited service access, and political underrepresentation, while cultivating strategies of resilience and belonging.
By situating these Irish experiences alongside comparative insights from rural Appalachia, the research highlights how women in distinct but parallel contexts construct grassroots solutions to social exclusion and digital inequity. This transatlantic collaboration seeks to generate knowledge that informs social work practice, enriches teaching, and advances community-based policy.
The poster will outline the study’s design, comparative framework, and anticipated contributions to scholarship and practice in rural and global social contexts.
Presenters
Jennifer LanhamProfessor, School of Social Work, Campbellsville University/Carver School of Social Work, Kentucky, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Digital Ethnography, Rural Women, Immigrant Communities, Social Networks, Digital Inclusion, Comparative Research, Social Work Practice, Rural Policy, Transatlantic Collaboration, Community Resilience
