Beschreibung
Essay from the year 2007 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Region: Western Europe, grade: 1.0 / A / 1st mark, King`s College London, course: Themes & Issues in British Politics since 1945, language: English, abstract: To many the term Northern Ireland is a synonym for violence and hatred, reminding us of the bloody Troubles that dominated the country for over 30 years and of the 3700 people who lost their life during this time. The fact that the communities are divided by their confession suggests that the Troubles were animated by religious frictions, and indeed, religion is generally put forward as a reason. However, on closer inspection, it appears that this stereo-typical view pushes other explanations into the background although these are essential to grasp the origins of the conflict as a whole. This essay will examine the historical, political, economic and religious aspects as well as the relation of the two communities and will attempt to demonstrate that a range of social and economic seemingly insuperable divisions between the two groups, combined with the deprivation of the country might have been a perfect breeding ground for prejudice and fear of the other group, factors which were then expressed by severe violence during the Troubles.
