scholarly journals Can diversity promote trust? Neighbourhood context and trust in the police in Northern Ireland

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Bradford ◽  
John Topping ◽  
Richard Martin ◽  
Jonathan Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
Local Area ◽  
Community Settings ◽  
Divided Societies ◽  
Neighbourhood Level ◽  
Community Trust ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Area Data

The association between trust in the police and neighbourhood-level factors such as deprivation, disorder and social cohesion is well established. As an embodiment of the effort to reproduce normative social order, the police garner trust when community settings are perceived as orderly, cohesive and well-functioning. Conversely, trust is undermined when order and cohesion seem attenuated or under threat. Yet, little attention has been paid to the association between neighbourhood diversity and trust in the police. Allport’s contact hypothesis suggests that because diversity increases intergroup contact and thus a sense of cohesion, it may promote trust in the police. In this paper we use data from a nationally representative survey conducted in 2014, combined with Census and other local-area data, to explore the association between ethno-religious diversity and trust in the Police Service of Northern Ireland. We find that trust is higher in more diverse areas, primarily because Catholics living in such areas report significantly higher levels of trust than their counterparts living in less diverse areas. We interpret these results in light of what policing means in contemporary Northern Ireland and consider the implications for attempts to enhance police-community trust in segregated and divided societies more generally.

scholarly journals The Authoritarian Dynamic During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Nationalism and Anti-Immigrant Sentiment

2021 ◽  
pp. 194855062097802
Author(s):  
Todd K. Hartman ◽  
Thomas V. A. Stocks ◽  
Ryan McKay ◽  
Jilly Gibson-Miller ◽  
Liat Levita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Order ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Right Wing Authoritarianism ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Outcomes ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

Research has demonstrated that situational factors such as perceived threats to the social order activate latent authoritarianism. The deadly COVID-19 pandemic presents a rare opportunity to test whether existential threat stemming from an indiscriminate virus moderates the relationship between authoritarianism and political attitudes toward the nation and out-groups. Using data from two large nationally representative samples of adults in the United Kingdom ( N = 2,025) and Republic of Ireland ( N = 1,041) collected during the initial phases of strict lockdown measures in both countries, we find that the associations between right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and (1) nationalism and (2) anti-immigrant attitudes are conditional on levels of perceived threat. As anxiety about the COVID-19 pandemic increases, so too does the effect of RWA on those political outcomes. Thus, it appears that existential threats to humanity from the COVID-19 pandemic moderate expressions of authoritarianism in society.

Modelling High-Intensity Crime Areas: Comparing Police Perceptions with Offence/Offender Data in Sheffield

2005 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Craglia ◽  
Robert Haining ◽  
Paola Signoretta
Keyword(s):  
Violent Crime ◽  
Predictive Models ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Local Area ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Police Perceptions ◽  
The City ◽  
Area Data

High-intensity crime areas are areas where high levels of violent crime coexist with large numbers of offenders, thereby creating an area that may present significant policing problems. In an earlier paper, the authors analysed police perceptions of high-intensity crime areas, and now extend that earlier work by comparing the police's perception of where such areas are located with offence/offender data. They also report on the construction of predictive models that identify the area-specific attributes that explain the distribution of such areas. By focusing on the city of Sheffield, the authors draw on a wider range of local area data than was possible in the original paper, and also question how widespread such areas may be in Sheffield.

scholarly journals At the boundaries: school networks in divided societies

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-197
Author(s):  
Gareth Robinson ◽  
Tony Gallagher ◽  
Gavin Duffy ◽  
Helen McAneney
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Boundary Crossing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Divided Societies ◽  
School Networks ◽  
Transformative Potential

PurposeThis paper aims to demonstrate the transformative potential of school networks in divided societies, where separate schools often mirror wider ethnic divisions. It describes Shared Education in Northern Ireland, where networks are being utilised to change how Catholic and Protestant schools engage with one another. The concept of boundary crossing is used to frame how staff members build relationships and bridge distinct knowledge communities shaped by socio-cultural practices and identities.Design/Methodology/ApproachA mixed-methods design was employed. Evidence is presented based on a social network analysis of teacher interactions within a Shared Education partnership of five primary schools in Northern Ireland.FindingsThe findings suggest that school networking can overcome systemic separation in divided societies and provide the infrastructure necessary to establish an alternative model for collegial engagement. The structural characteristics of the observed school network are discussed, including comments on its sustainability, the role of boundary-crossing relationships, the professional value for those involved and its transformative potential for society.Originality/valueThis paper provides a unique perspective on the application and utility of school networks for supporting the development of professional communities in challenging circumstances. It also presents valuable social network data on the structure and management of school networks.

scholarly journals A context-based model for framing political victimhood: Experiences from Northern Ireland and the Basque Country

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amaia Álvarez Berastegi ◽  
Kevin Hearty
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Political Violence ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Divided Societies ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Past ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Primary Contribution ◽  
Controversial Concept

All societies moving towards peace must establish reparation measures for victims of political violence. This is not an easy task, however; political victimhood is a controversial concept by itself and all victims of this type are mixed up with general politics from both the past and the present. In divided societies, such as Northern Ireland and the Basque Country, controversies about the definition of political victimhood reproduce old divisions from the past. Drawing on these two case studies, this research project gathers together some initial thoughts on the conceptualisation of political victimhood with regard to three different models: the harm-, blame- and context-based models. The primary contribution of the article lies in the formulation of the third model, the context-based framework.

scholarly journals Sport and Peace-Building in Divided Societies: A Case Study on Colombia and Northern Ireland

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Cardenas
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Peace Building ◽  
Drivers Of Change ◽  
Northern Irish ◽  
Divided Societies ◽  
Sport For Development ◽  
Peace Programs

In recent years, sport has been acknowledged by a broad range of organisations as a viable tool to promote peace in highly volatile contexts. Acknowledging the complexity and myriad of issues that shape and define the Colombian and Northern Irish struggles, this article explores the use of sport to advance peace-building as seen through the lenses of the personnel involved in designing, supporting and implementing sport-based peace interventions (SDP officials) in both regions. This paper found points of commonality and divergence between Colombia and Northern Ireland showing that the unique conflict dynamics in both cases have played a major role in shaping the perceptions of SDP officials with regards to the peace-building dimension of sport, their role as drivers of change and the structure and content of sport for development and peace programs.

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