The impact of sectarian injustice and the paramilitary ceasefires on adolescent just world beliefs in Northern Ireland

Effects of Victimization on the Belief in a Just World in Four Ex-Yugoslavian Countries

“…Their conclusion is that group members who endure injustice are less inclined to adhere to the belief in a just world. In the same country, Ferguson (2000) reported the same pattern between Protestants and Catholics (weaker beliefs among Catholics) among a sample of 16-to 18-year-olds and suggested that this difference was due to the religious discrimination suffered by the Catholics.…”

“…When victimization is experienced on an individual basis, it may be possible to adopt coping strategies to preserve the belief in a just world. By contrast, when experiences are widely shared in a societal context, the belief in a just world may be shattered at a societal level (Ferguson, 2000).…”

“…Ferguson (2000) observed a reinforcement of the belief in a just world among members of the two groups before and after the cease-fire of 1994, which launched a growing wave of hope for peace in Northern Ireland. The importance of temporal and contextual variables was also emphasized in a recent cross-temporal meta-analysis by Malahy, Rubinlicht, and Kaiser (2009).…”

“…In general, these studies are founded on the assumption that the belief in a just world remains stable throughout time and across situations (Dalbert, 2001;Otto, Boos, Dalbert, Schöps, & Hoyer, 2006;Schneider, Meissner, Montada, & Reichle, 1987). However, some studies show differences in just world beliefs among countries and among groups within countries that depend on shared collective experiences (Ferguson, 2000;Furnham, 1993;Hunt, 2000;Glennon, Joseph, & Hunter, 1993). Similarly, studies regarding fundamental beliefs (Epstein, 1973;Janoff-Bulman, 1992) show these beliefs can be altered when a person endures a traumatic event.…”

“…Since this belief is built during childhood and adolescence in accordance with the environment, and depends on the norms and rules taught in society (Lerner, 1977), the same event experienced in two different contexts will not necessarily have the same impact on the individual's belief in a just world. Moreover, the belief in a just world is also likely to vary at a societal level when a serious event concerning the whole society occurs, such as the cease-fire in Northern Ireland (Ferguson, 2000).…”