Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 442-461 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Political Studies |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 14 Sep 2012 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2013 |
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Keywords
- victims
- Northern Ireland
- post conflict agreements
- consociationalism
Cite this
Victimhood Status and Public Attitudes Towards Post-conflict Agreements : Northern Ireland as a Case Study. / Brewer, John D.; Hayes, Bernadette C.
In: Political Studies, Vol. 61, No. 2, 06.2013, p. 442-461.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Victimhood Status and Public Attitudes Towards Post-conflict Agreements
T2 - Northern Ireland as a Case Study
AU - Brewer, John D.
AU - Hayes, Bernadette C
PY - 2013/6
Y1 - 2013/6
N2 - The rights and needs of victims have become an increasingly controversial issue in post-conflict societies. Yet to date, the views of victims concerning the new political arrangements in post-conflict settlements remain unexplored. Mindful of this omission and using Northern Ireland as a case study, this article investigates the relationship between victimhood status and attitudes towards the new political arrangements of devolved government in Northern Ireland, namely the Assembly and its power-sharing Executive. Based on the 2010 Northern Ireland Election Survey, the results suggest that individual victims – those who had directly and indirectly experienced violent instances and perceived themselves as victims – are notably more supportive of these new political arrangements and this relationship remains regardless of whether Protestants or Catholics are considered. A key factor in accounting for this phenomenon is their greater endorsement of its systems of governance, or underlying consociational principles of inclusion and decision making, as well as a positive view of its current political leaders. The Northern Ireland evidence suggests that victims can act as ‘moral beacons’, providing a positive and inclusive force for political accommodation and societal reconciliation in societies emerging from conflict.
AB - The rights and needs of victims have become an increasingly controversial issue in post-conflict societies. Yet to date, the views of victims concerning the new political arrangements in post-conflict settlements remain unexplored. Mindful of this omission and using Northern Ireland as a case study, this article investigates the relationship between victimhood status and attitudes towards the new political arrangements of devolved government in Northern Ireland, namely the Assembly and its power-sharing Executive. Based on the 2010 Northern Ireland Election Survey, the results suggest that individual victims – those who had directly and indirectly experienced violent instances and perceived themselves as victims – are notably more supportive of these new political arrangements and this relationship remains regardless of whether Protestants or Catholics are considered. A key factor in accounting for this phenomenon is their greater endorsement of its systems of governance, or underlying consociational principles of inclusion and decision making, as well as a positive view of its current political leaders. The Northern Ireland evidence suggests that victims can act as ‘moral beacons’, providing a positive and inclusive force for political accommodation and societal reconciliation in societies emerging from conflict.
KW - victims
KW - Northern Ireland
KW - post conflict agreements
KW - consociationalism
U2 - 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2012.00973.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2012.00973.x
M3 - Article
VL - 61
SP - 442
EP - 461
JO - Political Studies
JF - Political Studies
SN - 0032-3217
IS - 2
ER -