Identity Change after Conflict: Ethnicity, Boundaries and Belonging in the Two Irelands (Palgrave Studies in Compromise after Conflict)

This book explores everyday identity change and its role in transforming ethnic, national and religious divisions. It uses very extensive interviews in post-conflict Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the early 21 st century to compare the extent and the micro-level cultural logics of identity change. It widens comparisons to the Gard in France, and uses multiple methods to reconstruct the impact of identity innovation on social and political outcomes in the 2010s. It shows the irreducible causal importance of identity change for wider compromise after conflict. It speaks to those interested in Cultural Sociology, Politics, Conflict and Peace Studies, Nationalism, Religion, International Relations and European and Irish Studies. Series Editor’s Preface 6 Preface and Acknowledgements 10 Contents 14 List of Figures 16 List of Tables 17 1: Reflexivity and Group Identity in Divided Societies 18 Introduction 18 Nations, Nationalism and Ethno-religious Division in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland 21 Findings 24 Choices 26 Chapters 26 References 32 2: Understanding Identity Change: Conditions, Context, Concepts 34 Introduction 34 Identity Change, Group Conflict and Social Transformations: The Field of Debate 36 Situating the Argument Within Contemporary Scholarship 41 Beyond Ethnicity 43 Contradictory Experiences, Intersectional Positions, Composite Divisions 43 Logics of Appropriateness and Grammars of Nationality 45 Researching Identity Change 48 Individual Identity Innovation 49 Types of Identity Change 51 Bringing Together the Aspects of Identity Change 51 Conclusion 52 References 54 3: Ethnic Divisions? Types of Boundaries and the Temporality of Change in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland 60 Introduction 60 What Divisions? 62 Global Processes, State Forms and Group Division 62 The Institutionalization of Division, 1920s–1960s 64 Comparative Structures of Division 67 Changing Social Practices and Attitudes to Division: 1960s–2010s 69 The Republic of Ireland: Permeability, Salience, Totalization 70 Northern Ireland: Permeability, Salience, Totalization 71 Changing Forms of Groupness 74 Conclusion 77 References 82 4: The Grammar of Nationality, the Limits of Variation and the Practice of Exclusion in the Two Irelands 87 Introduction 87 Nationalism, Nationality and the Presentation of Self 90 Grammars of Nationality 92 Rules of Syntax and Reference 93 The Dimensions of the Nation 95 Interrelations 98 Nationality as Belonging? 99 Modes of National Exclusion 101 Conclusion 106 References 109 5: Distancing from Division: The Frequency and Framing of Individual Identity Innovation 112 Introduction 112 Concepts and Method 115 Individual Identity Innovation 115 Indicators 117 Extent of Innovation: Minor, Significant or Major 117 Framing Innovation 118 Results: Who Innovates and by How Much? 119 Who Innovates? 119 Who Does Not Innovate? 119 How Radical Is the Change? 120 Why Innovate? 124 The Conditions of Identity Innovation 127 Contact 128 Compromise 128 Exclusion 129 Phasing of Change 131 Conclusion 131 References 134 6: How People Change: Cultural Logics and Social Patterns of Identity Change 138 Introduction 138 Types of Identity Change 140 Privatization 140 Pluralization 144 Transformation 148 Patterns 151 Minor-Significant Innovation 152 Northern Ireland: Unhappy Consciousness 153 The Irish State: Cumulative, Generational Change 155 Conclusion 157 References 159 7: Situated Cosmopolitans: Mixed Marriage Individuals and the Obstacles to Identity Change 161 Introduction 161 Contextualizing Mixed Marriage in Northern Ireland, the Irish State and in the Gard in France 164 The Cases 164 Mixed Marriage 166 Respondents and Interviews 167 Findings 168 Frequency of Individual Identity Innovation 168 Narrating Identity Change 170 Privatization 170 Pluralization 171 Transformation 173 Universalistic Reaffirmation 175 Transcending Division: Generational Change 176 Obstacles to Identity Change 177 Conclusion 181 References 185 8: Modes, Mechanisms, Types and Traps of Identity Change: Comparative and Explanatory Tools 189 Introduction 189 Typology of Identity Change 192 Changing Identity Categories: Repositioning Within Given Classificatory Schemas 194 Switching Between Alternative Classificatory Schemas 197 Reinterpretation of the Rules, Meanings and Values Associated with Given Categories and Schemas 199 Traps of Identity Change 205 Traps of Change 205 Explaining Outcomes 207 Conclusion 209 Reference 211 9: Identity Politics and Social Movements: Flags, Same-Sex Marriage and Brexit 214 Introduction 214 Identity Politics in the 2010s 218 The Flags Protest, 2012–201314 219 The Context 219 Social Structure and Identity Change 220 Who Were the Protestors? 221 Networks, Institutions and Incentives 222 Uneven Change 224 The Marriage Equality Referendum19 224 The Context 224 Social Structure and Identity Change 225 Who Were the Agents 226 Networks, Institutions and Incentives 226 Uneven Change 228 Explaining the Contrasting Outcomes 228 Signposting Change 232 Conclusion 233 References 236 10: Conclusion 240 Identity Change: The Findings and Their Significance 240 Scope, Method and Concepts 241 Patterns and Traps of Change 242 Testing the Claims: Experiments and Explanations 243 Policy, Norms and Aims 245 References 246 Methodological Appendix 247 Project Aims and Design 247 Sites and Sampling 249 Interviews 254 Interviewers 256 Interview Schedule 257 Taping, Transcribing, Editing and Anonymizing 261 Reporting and Replication 262 Analysis 264 Indicators of Individual Identity Innovation 267 Quantitative Data 271 References 273 Index 277 Front Matter ....Pages i-xvii Reflexivity and Group Identity in Divided Societies (Jennifer Todd)....Pages 1-16 Understanding Identity Change: Conditions, Context, Concepts (Jennifer Todd)....Pages 17-42 Ethnic Divisions? Types of Boundaries and the Temporality of Change in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (Jennifer Todd)....Pages 43-69 The Grammar of Nationality, the Limits of Variation and the Practice of Exclusion in the Two Irelands (Jennifer Todd)....Pages 71-95 Distancing from Division: The Frequency and Framing of Individual Identity Innovation (Jennifer Todd)....Pages 97-122 How People Change: Cultural Logics and Social Patterns of Identity Change (Jennifer Todd)....Pages 123-145 Situated Cosmopolitans: Mixed Marriage Individuals and the Obstacles to Identity Change (Jennifer Todd)....Pages 147-174 Modes, Mechanisms, Types and Traps of Identity Change: Comparative and Explanatory Tools (Jennifer Todd)....Pages 175-199 Identity Politics and Social Movements: Flags, Same-Sex Marriage and Brexit (Jennifer Todd)....Pages 201-226 Conclusion (Jennifer Todd)....Pages 227-233 Back Matter ....Pages 235-279 This book explores everyday identity change and its role in transforming ethnic, national and religious divisions. It uses very extensive interviews in post-conflict Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the early 21st century to compare the extent and the micro-level cultural logics of identity change. It widens comparisons to the Gard in France, and uses multiple methods to reconstruct the impact of identity innovation on social and political outcomes in the 2010s. It shows the irreducible causal importance of identity change for wider compromise after conflict. It speaks to those interested in Cultural Sociology, Politics, Conflict and Peace Studies, Nationalism, Religion, International Relations and European and Irish Studies.-- Provided by publisher