Practitioner perceptions of their role in facilitating the handling of controversial issues in contested societies: a Northern Irish experience

Abstract

This paper examines the role adopted by teacher and youth work practitioners engaged in a project to carry forward practice in the handling of controversial issues in the contested society of Northern Ireland. First, it briefly outlines the development of work in the field during the 34 years of the present conflict, suggesting that to date too great an emphasis has been placed on the cognitive as opposed to the affective dimension of learning. It then describes the framework of the project and offers a model by which to overcome obstacles to inclusive discourse. Finally, it analyses data from a series of 20 semi‐structured interviews carried out with experienced practitioners and draws conclusions from the results. A set of draft principles emerge as a framework for sensitive practice.