Migration and partisan identification as British Unionists or Irish Nationalists in Northern Ireland

Thoroddur Bjarnason, Ian Shuttleworth, Clifford Stevenson, Eerika Finell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The notion that mobility weakens collective norms and increases tolerance has a long pedigree in sociology. In this article, we examine the association of migration with partisan identification as British Unionists or Irish Nationalists in Northern Ireland, a region where the overlap of opposing religious and national identities is reflected in the residential segregation of its population. In representative samples of the population, we find that Irish Nationalist identification among Catholics and British Unionist identification among Protestants was lower among people not born in Northern Ireland and return migrants from beyond the British Isles. Having lived in the Republic was associated with more Nationalist identification among Catholics but less Unionist identification among Protestants and others. Moreover, having lapsed from the family religion is associated with decreased partisan identification. While international migration has in many countries led to increased tensions, conflict and the ascendance of exclusionary national populist movements, our results thus suggest that mobility beyond the British Isles has contributed to less nation–state conflict in Northern Ireland.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)372-387
JournalActa Sociologica
Volume66
Issue number4
Early online date25 Nov 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2023
Publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

  • British Unionists
  • Irish Nationalists
  • Migration
  • national identity
  • Northern Ireland

Publication forum classification

  • Publication forum level 2

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Sociology and Political Science

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