Siobhán McAlister, Deena Haydon & Phil Scraton
QUB
While Northern Ireland experiences relative peace and political stability, its violent past is normalized in murals and commemorations, the language and posturing of opposition politics, segregated communities and social life. In “post-conflict” Northern Ireland, children and youth disproportionately experience paramilitarystyle attacks and routine sectarian violence. The violence of poverty and restricted
opportunities within communities debilitated by three decades of conflict is masked by a discourse of social, economic and political progress. Drawing on qualitativeresearch, this paper illustrates the continued legacy and impacts of violence on thelives of children and youth living in post-ceasefire Northern Ireland.