An Introduction to Theoretical Explanations of the Conflict

The following items provide an introduction to the theoretical explanations of the Northern Ireland conflict.

Cunningham, William G. (1998) Theoretical Framework for Conflict Resolution, in, Conflict Theory and the Conflict in Northern Ireland, (M.Lit. Political Studies). Auckland: University of Auckland.

Cunningham, William G. (2001) Violent Conflict in Northern Ireland: Complex Life at the Edge of Chaos; Chaos, Complexity, and Conflict Resolution Theories, [PDF; 87KB]. Paper (revised) presented to the 2001 National Conference on Peacemaking and Confict Resolution (NCPCR), 7-10 June 2001, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.

See also:

The Global Review of Ethnopolitics
Series of articles on the topic of Northern Ireland that first appeared in the on-line academic journal 'The Global Review of Ethnopolitics'.

Cash, John D. (1996). 'The Framework Document and its Discontents', in, Identity, Ideology and Conflict. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Cash, John D. (1998). 'The Dilemmas of Political Transformation in Northern Ireland', Pacifica Review, Volume 10, No.3.

Mac Laughlin, Jim. (2001). Theorising the Nation: 'Peoplehood' and Nationhood as 'Historical Happenings', in, Reimagining the Nation-State: The Contested Terrains of Nation-building. London: Pluto Press.

Rafferty, Martin Timothy. (2010). Creating and diffusing civil unrest: Case study, Northern Ireland 1969-2001, (Unpublished Paper; June 2010), [PDF; 198KB]. CAIN: <http://cain.ulster.ac.uk/conflict/rafferty0610.pdf>

A very early book on the topic was:

Elliot, R.S.P., and Hickie, John. (1971) Ulster: A Case Study in Conflict Theory. London: Longman Group Ltd.

CAIN is closely associated with the following two websites which provide a range of information on the Northern Ireland conflict and ethnic conflict in general.

The INCORE {external_link} (International Conflict Research Institute), Internet site provides a range of information on ethnic conflict. Included at the site are links to all the major sites around the world which provide information on the range of topics which come under the umbrella of conflict studies.

The Centre for the Study of Conflict has produced a revised Internet site which contains details of, and extracts from, publications produced by the centre on the subject of the Northern Ireland conflict.