Identity, threat and trust in Northern Ireland

Rao, Sumedh ORCID: 0000-0002-7723-1216 (2022). Identity, threat and trust in Northern Ireland. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This political psychology study explored how trust in a conflict-affected context is affected by identity and threat, through examining conceptualisations and lived experiences of identity, threat and trust, how trust changes and how identity and threat influence trust. Drawing on thematic, phenomenological and discourse analysis, themes were developed from 50 semi-structured interviews in Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland in 2017. Identity is felt as fluid and multifaceted. Some identities intersect, transgress traditional boundaries, and are shaped by extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Plural identity conceptualisations are held concurrently with conceptualisations associated with theoretical frameworks different to Social Identity Theory. Threats alluded to were cultural, identity, and physical; some felt more threatened than others. Threat themes sometimes overlapped with, but did not fully capture, Integrated Threat Theory of Prejudice and Intergroup Threat Theory constructs. Trust was defined as a ‘safe space’, a performance, a shared commonality, a negotiated workaround, a group trust management process, and a disposition. Trust themes overlapped with some trust conceptualisations in the literature but the findings support context-specific trust conceptualisations. Trust change sources were social influence, contact, events/ experiences, and agency. Despite initial, literature-informed expectations, a relationship between identity, threat and trust is not axiomatic and there are context-specific variations.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):