In the last generation, Northern Ireland has undergone a tortuous yet remarkable process of social and political change. This collection of essays aims to capture the complex and shifting realities of a society in the process of transition from war to peace.The book brings together commentators from a range of academic backgrounds and political perspectives. As well as focusing upon those political divisions and disputes that are most readily associated with Northern Ireland, it provides a rather broader focus than is conventionally found in books on the region. It examines the cultural identities and cultural practices that are essential to the formation and understanding of Northern Irish society but are neglected in academic analyses of the six counties. While the contributors often approach issues from rather different angles, they share a common conviction of the need to challenge the self-serving simplifications and choreographed optimism that frequently define both official discourse and media commentary on Northern Ireland. Taken together, the essays offer a comprehensive and critical account of a troubled society in the throes of change.

Michael Murray is Lecturer in Sociology at the Department of Adult and Community Education, the National University of Ireland, Maynooth

List of tablesList of figuresAcknowledgements1. Northern Ireland after the troubles? An introduction to the book Colin Coulter and Michael MurrayPART I: POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND DIVISIONS2. Telling stories, facing truths: memory, justice and post-conflict transition in Northern Ireland Patricia Lundy and Mark McGovern 3. From conflict to communal politics: the politics of peace in Northern Ireland Jonathan Tonge4. Belfast: a segregated city Peter Shirlow5. Spatial planning in contested territory: the search for a place vision in post-troubles Northern Ireland William J.V.Neill and Geraint Ellis6. Policing change in Northern Ireland: to reform or not to transform? Mary ORawePART II: SOCIAL IDENTITIES7. Religious change and persistence in contemporary Northern Ireland Claire Mitchell8. Gender and ethno-nationalist politics in Northern Ireland Fidelma Ashe9. The glacier moves? Economic change and class structure in Northern Ireland Jim Smyth and Andreas Cebulla10. Whiteness, racism and exclusion in Northern Ireland: a critical race perspective Paul Connolly and Romana KhaouryPART III: CULTURAL PRACTICES11. Still taking sides: sport, leisure and identity in Northern Ireland Alan Bairner12. From shellshock rock to ceasefire sounds: popular music in Northern Ireland Sean Campbell and Gerry Smyth13. Housetraining the paramilitaries: the media and the propaganda of peace in Northern Ireland Stephen Baker and Greg McLaughlin