Moving out of conflict: the contribution of integrated schools in Northern Ireland to identity, attitudes, forgiveness and reconciliation

Sport events and ethnic reconciliation: Attempting to create social change between Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim sportspeople in war-torn Sri Lanka

“…Members of Sri Lanka's ethnically mixed national cricket team are celebrated regardless of their ethnic affiliation by all Sri Lankans (Harrison, 2004). This reflects a fluid process of identity construction and represents the opportunity for multiple identity formation (Chryssochoou, 2000;McGlynn, Niens, Cairns, & Hewstone, 2004;Orjuela, 2008). Within the Sinhalese dominated cricket team, the most interesting case presents Sri Lanka's cricket legend, spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan, who is universally considered a national hero despite his Tamil background.…”

“…While academics and practitioners tend to see and treat identity as a singular given (Orjuela, 2008), this research has revealed the opportunity to actively create and advance multiple social identities. This reflects a fluid process of identity construction and suggests the that in the right environment multiple aspects of identity formation can lead to togetherness, conflict mediation, forgiveness, and reconciliation (see also Chryssochoou, 2000;McGlynn et al, 2004).…”

Social Immobility, Ethno-politics, and Sectarian Violence: Obstacles to Post-conflict Reconstruction in Northern Ireland

“…When ethno-political insecurities and resentments still linger from recent histories of violence, it is possible that they can be strategically appropriated by leaders in contentious political discourse. Of course, evidence exists which suggests that mutually exclusive ethnic and political identities and attitudes are capable of flux when the conditions or contexts In which intergroup relations are shaped are altered (Sonnenschein et al 2010;McGlynn et al 2004;Pickering 2006;Hewstone et al 2006). That sectarian hostilities persist does not necessarily imply that innovative forms of interethnic cooperation, and intra-ethnic heterogeneity, cannot take form (Fearon and Laitin 1996).…”

“…Given the severity of political violence in the country at the time this was written, an obvious example is Rydgren andSofi (2011) andRydgren et al's (2013) research on the impact of cooperation between distinct ethno-religious groups in Iraq. Other examples include post-conflict research from Northern Ireland on the impact of interethnic contact and trust on political attitudes (Hewstone et al 2006;Tam et al 2009) or the promise of integrated education in reducing ethnic or religious intolerance and mistrust (McGlynn et al 2004). While the findings of such research are no doubt important in both theoretical and policy terms, approximately 95 percent of children in Northern Ireland attend segregated schools (Smithey 2011:15).…”

Addressing Conflict and Tolerance through the Curriculum

“…Legislation in 1989 committed government to supporting further growth of integrated schools and the rate of increase quickened, so that by 2010/11 there were 42 Integrated primary schools and 20 Integrated post-primary schools, comprising about seven per cent of the school age population (AUTHOR; McGlynn, Niens, Cairns, & Hewstone, 2004;McGonigle, Smith, & Gallagher, 2003;Montgomery, Fraser, McGlynn, Smith, & Gallagher, 2003). In addition there are about 40 schools -only ten of which are Catholic schools -which have a significant minority presence on their enrolment and so can be described as 'mixed' schools, that is, schools with 10 per cent or more of their pupils from the other community.…”