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Segregated Lives: Social Division, Sectarianism and Everyday Life in

Northern Ireland

Neil Jarman

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Rationale• To analyse the ways and means that

sectarianism and segregation are sustained and extended through the routine and mundane decisions of everyday lives.

• Pierre Bourdieu – We live as social beings in a world of “structured structures predisposed to function as structuring structures”.

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Background

• 18 month qualitative study.• Funded by CRC through SEUPB.• 168 participants in six different locations

across Northern Ireland.• Variety of methodologies – interviews,

walks, diaries, mapping

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Locations

• Belfast – Tigers Bay / New Lodge • Belfast – Stranmillis• Newry – Shandon Park • Ballymena – Dunclug • Castlederg / Newtownstewart • Kilrea

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Legacy and Class

1. Segregation a continuing legacy of Troubles

2. Impacts differently on different people3. Impact of class on segregation 4. Importance of visibility and anonymity

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Economic Aspects

5. Nature of segregation is changing6. Economic regeneration has positive

and negative impacts7. More neutral / shared spaces 8. But co-exist with high segregation9. Shopping increasingly neutral

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Daily Routines

9. Work: neutrality and avoidance10.Education: segregation & informal

integration 11.Resources: access related to time of

day and of year12.Leisure: people socialise where they

feel safe

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Key Findings

13.Asserting community ID threatens cohesion

14.Denying community ID threatens belonging

15.Segregation impacts more on young than old and most on young men