TY  - CHAP
AB  - The approach of Government to resolving the Northern Ireland conflict has been twin-track. At the macro political level the focus has been on finding a settlement to the constitutional imbroglio. At the micro level efforts have concentrated on improving relations between the Protestant and Catholic communities. Since the mid-1980s community relations has been a policy priority with the promotion of cross-community contact high on the agenda. Despite considerable political progress, however, there is evidence to suggest that contact initiatives may have limited success and that Northern Ireland remains a deeply segregated and polarised society. In acknowledgement of this, community relations practice has shifted in emphasis towards work at an intra-community level where the aim is to build confidence and mutual understanding within what practitioners have termed “single identity” communities. This paper considers the contribution of intra-community work to improving community relations in Northern Ireland. On the basis of empirical evidence, including four case studies, it argues that whilst the approach has much to commend it, “single identity” work may also have the potential to exacerbate hostility and conflict by creating “educated bigots.”
VL  - 24
SN  - 978-1-84950-106-4, 978-0-76230-787-6/0163-786X
DO  - 10.1016/S0163-786X(03)80027-7
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0163-786X(03)80027-7
AU  - Hughes Joanne
ED  - Patrick G. Coy
PY  - 2002
Y1  - 2002/01/01
TI  - Resolving community relations problems in Northern Ireland: an intra-community approach
T2  - Consensus Decision Making, Northern Ireland and Indigenous Movements
T3  - Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 257
EP  - 282
Y2  - 2024/09/19
ER  -