In the Shadow of the Gun

Not-War-Not-Peace’ and the Future of Conflict in Northern Ireland

Bibliographic Data

ID2360798
AuthorsJeffrey A Sluka (Massey University, corresponding author)
Year2009
Volume29
Issue3
Pages279-299
Publication date2009-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCritique of Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0308-275X • E-ISSN: 1460-3721
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0308275x09104086
OpenAlexW2116158053
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited4

Despite over fifteen years of 'peace process,' political violence in Northern Ireland has continued and a situation characterised as 'not-war-not peace' has prevailed. In the euphoria surrounding the establishment of the 'power-sharing government' in 2007, the media reported this event as representing the end of the 'troubles' or conflict. However, significant political violence has continued throughout the peace process and the heavily armed Loyalist paramilitaries, unlike the IRA, have not begun to disarm and have no intention to do so, despite this being a fundamental requirement of the peace process. They are reserving the option and are fully prepared to return to violence in response to any movement towards a united Ireland, and this 'threat' is growing because Catholic-nationalists will become a voting majority in the province over the next decade or so. This paper argues that there is no peace in Northern Ireland now, that the peace process has not been successfully completed, and that the prognosis for the future of the gun and political violence in Northern Ireland is not good. History and Protestant political culture strongly suggest that the most likely future scenario is a resurgence of Loyalist violence and a renewed paramilitary campaign, rather than a real and lasting peace

Government (linguistics · Peace movement · Poison control · Political economy · Political science · Political violence · Politics · Power (physics · Protestantism · Shadow (psychology · Sociology · Voting · Irish and British Studies · Law · Psychology

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