What is it about?
This study explores how people in Northern Ireland think about and experience their identities in everyday life. Instead of assuming that people fit neatly into fixed groups like “Protestant” or “Catholic,” the research listens directly to 50 residents of Derry–Londonderry as they describe what identity means to them in their own words. The interviews show that identity is not rigid or predetermined. People often feel their identities shift over time, influenced by personal experiences, social change, and events such as Brexit. Many participants described having multiple, overlapping identities—such as cultural, political, family-based, or interest‑based—that don’t always fit the usual labels used in public discussions. The study highlights that identity is complex, fluid, and shaped by individual meaning-making rather than simple group categories. By centring people’s lived experiences, the research offers a richer picture of how identity works in a post‑conflict society and why traditional models sometimes miss this nuance.
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Why is it important?
Understanding identity is essential for building lasting peace in societies emerging from conflict. In Northern Ireland, discussions about identity are often framed in simple terms—such as “Protestant vs. Catholic” or “Unionist vs. Nationalist.” But this study shows that people’s identities are far more complex, fluid, and personal than these labels suggest. Recognising this complexity helps researchers, policymakers, and peacebuilding organisations avoid reinforcing unhelpful stereotypes and instead design approaches that reflect people’s lived realities. The findings also highlight the importance of individual agency: people actively shape how they understand and express their identities, especially during moments of political change like Brexit. This has important implications for reconciliation work, community relations, and political dialogue. When peace initiatives create space for people to explore and negotiate multiple identities—not just fixed group categories—they are more likely to support inclusion, reduce polarisation, and strengthen trust across communities. By showing how identity works “on the ground,” this research encourages psychologists and policymakers to rethink common assumptions and to use more nuanced, human-centred approaches when trying to understand or reduce intergroup conflict.
Perspectives
For me, this project grew out of a sense that the way we often talk about identity in post-conflict settings doesn’t quite match how people actually live and experience it. As a researcher working at the intersection of social, political and peace psychology, I’ve seen how quickly discussions drift toward fixed categories or simplified group boundaries. But during fieldwork in Derry–Londonderry, what struck me most was how much nuance, ambivalence, and agency people bring to their identities—far more than our standard models tend to acknowledge. Personally, conducting these interviews challenged my own assumptions. I expected to hear about group divisions; instead, I heard detailed, thoughtful accounts of how people negotiate multiple identities in ways that are flexible, sometimes contradictory, and deeply shaped by personal histories. I came away convinced that if we want to understand intergroup conflict—or support peacebuilding—we need to start from these lived complexities rather than from theoretical categories alone. This study is therefore important to me not just academically but ethically. It reminded me that psychological theories must stay close to people’s real experiences, especially in post-conflict settings where identity can carry emotional weight, risk, and meaning. I hope the work encourages other researchers to make space for this complexity and to recognise the richness of how people define themselves beyond inherited labels.
Sumedh Rao
Open University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Setting parameters on the role of social identity in unpacking intergroup conflict—The case of Northern Ireland., Peace and Conflict Journal of Peace Psychology, February 2026, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/pac0000835.
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