Intergroup contact in a divided society: Challenging segregation in Northern Ireland

This chapter focuses on a particular kind of social exclusion, religious segregation, that is fundamental to understanding sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland. This chapter deals with the nature, extent, processes, and consequences of cross-community or intergroup contact that occurs in this setting, despite segregation. The chapter considers six central issues: (a) the historical and social background to the political violence in Northern Ireland; (b) the extent of segregation, its causes and consequences; (c) the theoretical background to the "contact hypothesis" and its relevance for, and application in, Northern Ireland; (d) major findings from our research programme; (e) policy implications of our research; and (f) general conclusions that can be drawn and areas where future work is still needed.