Social interactions 'on the move' in increasingly diverse Northern Ireland
Dr Emma Soye invites you to take part in a new research project.
I began a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship in Anthropology at Queen’s in September 2024, following doctoral research on the social dynamics of migration and diversity in two schools in England. My current project looks at social interactions ‘on the move’ in the context of increasing immigration and ethnic diversity in three towns/cities in Northern Ireland (NI): Belfast, Derry/Londonderry and Craigavon (including Portadown and Lurgan).
Sociological research in NI has traditionally focused on the complex ways in which sectarian divisions play out in society, perhaps most obviously through housing and education segregation. Immigration adds a new layer of complexity to this picture. While NI remains ‘the least diverse’ part of the UK, immigration has increased in recent years, and its ethnic diversity almost doubled from 1.8% in 2011 to 3.4% in 2021. Demographic change is most pronounced in schools, where one in every sixteen students speaks English as an Additional Language.
Academics have noted that there is a tendency in public and academic discourse to view NI as being made up of two distinct and opposing ‘communities’ (e.g. Bryan, 2006). Following this paradigm, newcomers are understood as loosely defined ‘others’ who are expected to assimilate into one or other of the two dominant groups (Svasek, 2018) – recall the well-rehearsed joke, ‘Are you a Catholic Jew or a Protestant Jew?’.
This view of social life in NI is problematic because we know that reality is much more complex and social identities are highly subjective, contingent, and context dependent. As Brubaker (2002) warns, we must never take ‘groups’ for granted. My Leverhulme project builds on this understanding to explore how individuals from increasingly diverse backgrounds negotiate multiple and intersecting differences while on the move in NI.
I’m conducting short, anonymous interviews with individuals from a broad range of backgrounds, including people who have moved to NI in recent years as well as those who have always lived here. My aim in speaking to ‘locals’ is to understand how they respond, react and adapt to demographic change in different ways. I’m also speaking to diverse young people aged eleven and older in order to hear their perspectives on, and experiences of, social interactions ‘on the move’ as they journey to and from school.
If you live in Belfast, Derry/Londonderry or Craigavon and would be prepared to speak to me anonymously about your experiences, or to find out more, please contact me at e.soye@qub.ac.uk.