Religion, identity and community relations among adults and young adults in Northern Ireland

While much has been written on national identity in Northern Ireland, the identity preferences of adults and the young have rarely been compared directly. This paper addresses this omission by examining the relationship between national identity and community relations within both the adult (aged 18 years and above) and the young adult (aged 16 years) population. This study used the 2006 Life and Times Survey, and the results show that the adoption of a Northern Irish identity and a positive view of community relations is increasingly common among Protestants. Nevertheless, this change does not herald a new era in community relations; rather, irrespective of whether differences both within and between the two religious communities are considered, among those who adopt a Northern Irish identity, it is young Protestants who are least positive in their views. One tentative explanation for this finding is the much lower levels of crosscommunity contact among the young Protestant population.