Sacred values, ritual, group identity fusion & radicalisation in the context of the Northern Ireland conflict 

Abstract

The attacks of 9/11 left many wondering why someone would become willing to kill and die despite the lack of any real benefit. The devoted actor model of radicalisation has proposed that when certain factors are in existence, there is a greater likelihood of radicalised behaviour. Guided by this model, this thesis presents two studies in the context of the Northern Ireland conflict investigating factors that contribute to radicalisation. Study one probes the existence of the backfire effect: a fascinating effect in which people who hold sacred values, and whom are involved in inter-group conflict, do not reason in terms of instrumental rationality when they are offered deals that would exchange their sacred values for financial benefits. Instead they become more prone to radicalisation. On the other hand, people are more willing to become less radical when they are offered symbolic benefits like apologies. 351 Nationalists/Republicans, and 621 Unionists/Loyalists completed an online survey. Results indicate no support for the backfire effect in the context of Northern Ireland. Study two focuses more broadly on the devoted actor model as a whole and investigates the relationship between sacred values, group identity fusion, and radicalisation (both nonextreme and extreme). One survey was designed online and distributed amongst 352 Nationalists/Republicans, and 392 Unionists/Loyalists. Study two found that a willingness to engage in costly sacrifices (which includes the will to fight and die) was associated with holding conflict related non-negotiable sacred values and fusion with a kin-like group of friends. Study two also presents evidence that the current devoted actor model framework could be extended to include fusion with one’s community (as opposed to solely with a kinlike group of friends). To elaborate, study two highlights that for those participants who held conflict-related sacred values, it did not appear to matter whether this participant was fused with a kin-like group of friends, or their community. Being fused with either group was associated with hostilities towards the other community.

Date of Award	Dec 2019
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Supervisor	Paulo Sousa (Supervisor) & Jonathan Lanman (Supervisor)