To Leave the Land So as Not to Leave the Land: The Religious Motivations of Seasonal Migrants, Including Women, in the Twentieth Century

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear Author,

for future researches it would be interesting to study the influence of religion in irish legislatures

Author Response

Dear reviewer:

You raise a very interesting question about the use of the Irish language in legislatures and governance bodies. I will consider taking up your suggestion for research in this area.

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript reveals reasons to migration from Ireland during the second 8 half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century and how religious traditions, cultural forms. proverbs, and popular cultural forms like short stories, plays, films influenced familial decisions to cling to land and dwelling, and fictional characters reinforced in dialogue both implicit and vernacular beliefs, reinforcing implicit and vernacular religious behaviors and practices.  The manuscript starts with a literature review that places the reader in the right context of Catholicism in Ireland and migration narratives, as well as with contextual history and religious history, especially how religious forces were at work, and shows quotes from literature and quotes in the Irish language, figures (pictures) that also help understanding the context, while maintaining authenticity. There is a strong emphasis on the narratives of those who left. The conclusion also illustrates and distinguishes migrants who undertook seasonal labor rather than permanent migration and how their narratives and experiences were shaped. 

Author Response

Dear Reviewer:

Thank you for your comments on my work.

I have revised the paper and taken into consideration spelling errors in the first draft.

Thank you again.

Reviewer 3 Report

I found the article fascinating and well-researched. The author presents data on implicit religious beliefs in Ireland and demonstrates how they are connected to the complex realms of home and migration. However, I suggest there is still some work to be done before the article is eligible for publication. Below are my comments and recommendations. 

The article lacks in clarity and structuring. At the moment its main body consists of three parts: introduction, vernacular and implicit religion, and conclusion. This is rather vague and confusing, and makes it quite difficult to follow the arguments and analyses. 

I suggest that more context should be provided about the seasonal migrants. 

While it was interesting to read the quotes from films together with some good analyses, I suggest the quotes were proportionally too long. 

And finally, I suggest that the parallel use of vernacular religion and implicit religion in the theoretical framework of the article is superfluous. Sticking to just one would do, given that both implicit and vernacular religion basically acknowledge the great impact of what real people do and believe (as opposed to institutionalised religion, dogmas, etc.) on religion as it exists in the real world.   

Thank you! 

 

    

Author Response

Dear reviewer:

Thank you for your kind and careful comments on my work.

I have revised the paper significantly in light of them.

For instance, I have added a section on the seasonal Irish workers and pointed to works where more information can be found.

I have improved the overall organization of the paper by laying out the issue more clearly.

I have paraphrased some of the quoted material.

On the other hand, I have kept some of the longer quotes because I find them compelling and I believe that the readers of this paper will too.

I have also retained definitions of vernacular and implicit religion because both are distinct. The latter is concerned with symbols and practices more directly.

You will see that I have added the theoretical idea of a vernacular worldview that encompasses three aspects, all of which are explained in the paper.

More references are provided and grammar and spelling issues have been addressed.

Thank you again for your careful attention to my work.

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

Thank you very much for your work on revising the draft. I think it is now much easier for the readers to enjoy your fascinating article.