|
Background to
the Research
- The research explored the
perceptions of conflict among children and young people in Belfast.
The aim of the research was to identify the causes of conflict and
its effects, and to find ways, particularly in a school setting, to
help to resolve political violence.
Research Approach
- Five semi-projective incomplete
political stories were administered face-to-face to 35 pupils in two
age groups of 11-12 years and 15-16 years from one non-integrated
and one integrated school in Belfast. Each story was followed by a
series of probes, asking the pupils how the central character(s) in
each story should have reacted to the political dilemma. The pupils
were allowed to elaborate on political issues triggered by the stories.
Data were also gathered on the occupations and the religion of the
children's parents.
- In this piece of research
children were asked to explain the role of the Queen to a foreign
child, to assess the relative powers of the queen and prime minister,
and to explore a scenario where the queen is caught speeding by a
policeman.
Main Findings
Profile of the
Sample
- Seventeen of the pupils interviewed
were female (8 attended the non-integrated and 9 the integrated school).
Of the 17 female participants, 12 were Protestant and 5 were Catholic.
- Eighteen of the pupils were
male (8 attended the non-integrated school and 10 the integrated school).
Of the 18 male participants, 12 were Protestant, 5 were Catholic and
1 was Hindu.
The Role of the
Queen
- The Belfast school children
had an extensive knowledge of the political role of the head of state.
There were differences in the descriptions of the role of the queen
by 11-12 year olds. All of the integrated school pupils tended to
view the queen as the effective head of state, whereas half of the
non-integrated grammar school children between the ages of 11-12 were
aware of the queen's status as a political figurehead.
- Pupils in the 15-16 year age
group had more awareness of the political and symbolic role of the
queen in Britain and in Northern Ireland. Older children in the non-integrated
school held the queen in high regard and were aware that the queen
has no real political power, realising that this power lies with the
Prime Minister and his/her cabinet.
- Fifteen to sixteen year old
pupils in the integrated school demonstrated a high level of political
awareness, some Protestants and Catholics showed political cynicism
when describing the queen. They perceived the role of the queen as
being weaker than did the 11-12 year old pupils, with all 15-16 year
old pupils at the integrated school mentioning the Queen's role as
weak compared with 50% of 11-12 year olds.
- Pupils in the older age group
in the integrated school think of the queen as a figurehead, reflecting
a high level of political awareness. In general, 11-12 year olds in
the integrated school do not have a very coherent view about the actual
role of the queen.
Children's Images
of the Queen and the Prime Minister
- All pupils aged between 15
and 16 in both schools mentioned the prime minister as having a powerful
role, as did 88% of pupils aged between 11-12 years from both schools.
- 11-12 year olds at the integrated
school hold the view that the queen has more political power than
the prime minister and the queen is perceived to be an effective leader.
A similar pattern emerged from some of the responses of the 11-12
year old pupils from the non-integrated school.
- Some 11-12 year olds at the
non-integrated school show a high level of knowledge concerning the
respective role of the queen and prime minister. However, they show
little knowledge of the key role played by the cabinet in decision
making.
- Fifteen and sixteen year olds
at the non-integrated and integrated schools display a full awareness
of the prime minister's status as effective ruler of Britain and Northern
Ireland. At the same time both sets of pupils perceive the queen as
having an important symbolic significance for Northern Ireland Protestants.
- More children from the non-integrated
school think of the prime minister's role as weak (56%) compared with
16% for those at the integrated school.
- More Protestants in the non-integrated
school mentioned the weak role of the Prime minister (53%) compared
with 22% in the integrated school.
The Queen Imagined
in Action
- Eleven to twelve year old
Protestant pupils at the non-integrated school show a degree of effective
attachment to the monarch and view her to be above the law. In contrast,
younger Catholics at the integrated school held the belief that no
one should be above the law.
- Eleven to twelve year old
Protestant pupils at the integrated school show deference towards
the queen, but appear cynical that the queen would be treated the
same as everyone else if she broke the law.
- Fifteen to sixteen year old
Protestant pupils at the non-integrated school are also deferential
towards the queen and are more likely than their younger counterparts
to view the queen in a favourable light.
- Fifteen and sixteen year old
Protestant and Catholic pupils at the integrated school tend to have
a cynical view of the monarch and the law, some felt that the queen
should abide by the law but argued that if she was found to be breaking
the law she would not, in reality, be punished like anyone else.
- Younger and older Protestant
children in both schools are less likely than Catholic children to
think that the queen would be punished for breaking the law.
- Deference to the queen is
lower among 11-12 year old Catholics and higher among 15-16 year old
pupils and 11-12 year old Protestants.
- Eleven to twelve year old
pupils from the non-integrated school were less likely to view the
queen as above the law than were the rest of their age peers in the
study. However, 11-12 year old pupils from the integrated school have
more positive perceptions of the queen and the law.
- Catholic children displayed
none of the deference of their Protestant counterparts towards the
queen or the law.
Conclusions
- There was a higher concentration
of pupils in favour of the queen in the non-integrated school, and
Protestant pupils in this school identify with the monarch. This would
suggest that a better understanding of children's images of political
authority needs to be incorporated into political development theory.
- More diversity in political
imagery was evident in the 15-16 year old pupils in the integrated
school, this may reflect the more open school environment which allows
pupils to have a more balanced view of the differences between the
monarch and the prime minister.
- While 15-16 year old Protestant
and Catholic pupils in the integrated school tend to adopt a more
cynical approach to the monarch, 11-12 year old and 15-16 year old
pupils from the non-integrated school held an idealised image of the
crown and perceived the role of the prime minister to be less important.
- More pupils at the non-integrated
school felt that the queen should not be punished for breaking the
law, whereas more pupils from the integrated school held that equality
before the law was the main issue and therefore the queen should not
be above the law.
Recommendations
- The most recurring theme in
the research was the issue of national identity, this held for all
children of all ages. Several children linked national identity to
issues of political power and security.
- Across the research, integrated
education may have affected the children's understanding of their
identity and the identity of others.
- Integrated education appears
to offer a mechanism through which progress can be made concerning
conflict related to national identity. It may provide a wider identity
than non-integrated schoos. The voluntary nature of integrated education
appears to be important as it is not 'top down' enforced government
policy.
- Parallel political structures
promoting just and egalitarian policies, based on grassroots participation,
are needed to sustain and promote integrated education.
- Coherent peace programs should
be built into the education systems in the United Kingdom, peace-building
and conflict resolution databases could be developed to assist in
this process.
- Further research is needed
into independent non-governmental and non-political organisations.
- More research is needed on
the exchange of European ideas as a positive contribution to conflict
resolution and peace-building in strife-ridden regions of the European
Union.
|
