2026/02/12 by Sumedh Rao · 1 voice
Social Sciences · Health Professions · Arts and Humanities · #Irish and British Studies #Romani and Gypsy Studies #Cultural Identity and Representation
paper · doi:10.1037/pac0000835
Northern Ireland has a long history of ethnonational tensions, with the recent Brexit referendum heightening tensions of late. Research on identity in Northern Ireland has largely used an ethnonational lens and quantitative approaches, which obscures the complex nature of identity in the region. Using a thematic analysis study of in-depth interviews (<i>n</i> = 50) conducted in Derry-Londonderry in 2017, this study explores how individuals experience and conceptualize identity in the region. This study finds that identity is experienced as fluid, and there may be a shift in the subjective meaning or internal experience of an identity, even when the identity label remains unchanged. Identity is experienced as multifaceted and complex, where it is difficult to distinguish between what were components or facets of an identity and identities themselves, and also around whether an identity was political, social, or neither. Finally, there was an understanding relating to the differing compatibility, interdependence, and intersectionality of identity and that while identities are dependent on identity meaning, this meaning can be molded to fit a belief. By centering participants’ own accounts, this study challenges the conventional application of identity models and expands how identity is understood and experienced in intergroup conflict settings.