‘The Ceasefire Generation’
Exploring conflict legacy, continuity and change
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21698193 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Siobhán McAlister (0000-0002-8217-0104, Queen's University Belfast, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-18 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-07 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Youth Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1367-6261 • E-ISSN: 1469-9680 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13676261.2026.2699297 |
| OpenAlex | W7167621179 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 20 |
Based on an analysis of my long-term research with young people in some of the communities most affected by Northern Ireland’s Conflict, this paper critically engages with the popular construct of the ‘Ceasefire Generation’. I utilise a social generations approach to examine how ‘post-conflict’ conditions shape the outlooks and experiences of young people born after the Good Friday (peace) Agreement. Focusing on three areas of life impacted by the new social and political framework of Northern Ireland – attitudes towards and experiences of integration, ethno-national identity, and violence – and among one generational unit, I demonstrate how generationalisms, large-scale survey data, and dominant peace narratives conceal complexities, enduring inequalities and the legacies of the past. Utilising the ‘Ceasefire Generation’ as a critical case study, the paper contributes to debates in Youth Studies regarding the analytical value of a generational approach for understanding how young people’s lives are (differentially) shaped by social, political and historical conditions. Addressing criticisms of the approach, the analysis demonstrates how a social generations approach can uncover continuity as well as change not only across generations, but also within them, illuminating social reproduction amidst social change
Face (sociological concept) · Identity (music) · Narrative · Work (physics) · Cyprus History, Politics, Society · Peacebuilding and International Security · Political Conflict and Governance
The Sociology of Everyday Life Peacebuilding
Northern Ireland's Troubles
Youth and Generation
Media and Generations in Portugal
Figures of youth
Youth Transitions and Generations
Class, gender and generation matter
Trailblazing the gender revolution? Young people's understandings of gender diversity through generation and social change
The problem of social generations
Inequality, continuity and change
Gender, violence and cultures of silence
Introduction to the special issue
Learning to live with ghosts
Haunting and transitional justice
Northern Ireland a generation after Good Friday
Education Policies and Teacher Deployment in Northern Ireland
Researching 'Ordinary' Young People in a Changing World
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |