Identities in diaspora: social, national and political identities of the Irish and Northern Irish in England

Abstract

The current research aimed to assess the social, national and political identities of members of the Irish and Northern Irish diaspora in England. Drawing upon research on social identity theory (SIT), it was hypothesised that there would be significant differences between the social, national and political identities of members of the Irish and Northern Irish diaspora and also that there would be significant differences between the social, national and political identities of members of the Catholic and Protestant Northern Irish diaspora. Two hundred and fifty-one members of the Irish and Northern Irish diaspora in England rated themselves on a number of ethnic identity items. It was determined that there are significant differences between the social, national and political identities of the Irish and Northern Irish diasporic groups and that there are significant differences between the social, national and political identities of the Northern Irish Catholic and Protestant diasporic groups. Results are discussed with reference to SIT, the development and maintenance of diasporic identities and the conflict in Northern Ireland.