Curryeater
'Narrative identity' exploratory paper outlining a proposed study where the process by which individual and group identity are formed and reinforced in NI.
'Religion and patterns of conflict in Northern Ireland' (Jennifer Todd) A long and social science-political-science-ey look at conflict in NI. The author argues that religious identification, religious practice, cultural markers associated with religious practice and belief are important factors in the formation of community boundaries and a major source of fuel to the conflict.
It is interesting that Daddelion does not apparently see that the discourse on widening opportunity for women can have a profound impact on the discourse of widening opportunity for working class teen boys.
When men identify themselves as members of a homogenous group and see the opposite camp occupied by women, disadvantaged men lose out. The 'whack a mole' theory of opportunity -- that if one group has opportunity then other groups can't have it - is a very counter-productive one to hold, especially for those disadvantaged men identifying themselves as 'men' when 'men' contains a large number of subsets. (Women otoh can identify themselves as 'women' because for them, biology as been destiny for thousands of years and upon biology has been hung discriminatory practices that affected rich and poor women alike. Women's physical role in the bearing and nurturing of babies has dominated their lives fairly equally whereas for men social class has been a far more important determinant of fate).
Discourse on access to opportunity for groups formerly discriminated against (women, ethnic minorities, gays, children), on widening rights, and on rolling back oppression usually leads to productive changes that benefit all, including those subsets of the larger group 'men' who have not benefitted as much as others from being men. How disparate groups choose to interpret the changes that result from such discourse is up to them but shooting themselves in the foot by continuing to self-identify in terms of what they are not despite the demonstrable advantages of following the path of those whom they persist in seeing as 'other' is a recipe for disaster. If they continue to begrudge formerly disadvantaged groups their progress, freedom and increase in material prosperity, and refuse to engage with the process, accept the new reality, and see opportunities for themselves in it too, then they have created a problem for themselves that can only be solved by a re-examination of their own beliefs about themselves and their identity.
Back to NI -- white working class male Protestants who identified with white moneyed-class male Protestants lived in little two up-two down/outside privvy houses just as their RC opposite numbers did but believed they had an innate superiority to them for reasons that were (and remain) completely illogical. The current rage about the flying of the Union flag over Belfast City Hall is a really sad sight to witness. How long will it be before all that energy is redirected to productive forward progress?
forum.hudsonbelfast.com/post/4316/?rp=27&page=1 Interesting, funny in parts. (NI related so a bit of a tangent in many ways)