Resolving conflict in a divided society : contact, community relations and identity in Northern Ireland

Abstract

Recent census data and successive surveys within Northern Ireland have recorded that a significant minority of both Catholics and Protestants choose not to identify as Irish or British, opting instead to identify as Northern Irish. Using data from the Northern Ireland Social Attitudes (NISA) and Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) surveys, this study estimates connections between this trend and community relations initiatives that aim to increase contact between Catholics and Protestants. It is the first study to explore and compare systematically the relationships between five key indicators of cross-community contact-school integration, residential mixing, mixed religion friendship groups, mixed religion kinship ties, and mixed religion marriage-and national identity preferences. Understanding these relationships is important, since the rationale for many community relations initiatives is that increasing intergroup contact will lead to a reduction in prejudicial attitudes and help foster the emergence of a shared society. The key findings are that individuals who have had regular contact with people across the communal divide are significantly more likely to identify themselves as Northern Irish and not as Irish or British. The strength of these relationships, however, is found to vary against key socio-economic and socio-demographic dimensions and reasons are advanced for these variations.