Q1. From document A, discrimination is to limit the essential opportunities and choices of a minority as compared to the dominant group. Social studies have confirmed that with the presence of social benefits prejudice rises. Therefore, prejudice increases dramatically during times of economic and social stress. (Cliffnotes, n.d.) When there is a lack of job opportunities and groups are in direct competition for jobs, the dominant group tends to overpower the minority and are given more opportunities to jobs, resulting in discrimination towards the minority group.
Discrimination is maintained by conformity to discriminatory norms that put up social barriers to intergroup contact and come from historical conflict. Discrimination persists due to Socialization. Socialization is when prejudices is passed along from an adult such as their parents to their children. (Cliffnotes, n.d.) Children will follow ideas easily as they tend to not have their own mindset. This is especially seen in the education the child receives. When the child is taught a particular history and religion, the child would grow up believing and will follow what has been taught to them. The historical conflict between both parties would thus continue down the generations and most of the discriminatory actions shown are caused by this. Education is directly and deeply connected with housing. Segregated neighborhoods linked to segregated schools and thus the different type of education the groups receive. Housing segregation leads to racially distinct social spaces, and not just when it comes to schools or offices. (Orfield, n.d.) When different groups are segregated from each other and only interact and live with the same people of the same ideology, it would lead to a disproportionate spread of economic and political power in the cities. (Bodenner, 2015) This results in a supremacy of the majority population that only mix-raced neighborhoods with different people integrating together would help people to understand others, their thoughts and beliefs and this would help to overcome the supremacy in a country.
Discriminatory societal norms poison intergroup relations and establish a perverse normality that can only be overcome by their elimination. Discrimination persists because of competition for limited resources. It holds that social order is maintained by domination and power, rather than consensus and conformity. (Investopedia, n.d.) Under conflict theory, those with wealth and power try to hold onto their distinctive social status, power, and possessions, by any means possible, chiefly by suppressing the poor and powerless, that no competition for resources arises from minority groups. The powerful may even be ready to resort to extreme acts of violence against others to protect their interests. As a result, members of underprivileged groups may retaliate with violence in an attempt to improve their circumstances. (cliffnotes, n.d.)
Discrimination still exists as competition for job opportunities, different socialisation, and protection of their power and wealth is still a significant problem in many countries. Those who practice discrimination do so to protect opportunities for themselves by denying access to those whom they believe do not deserve the same treatment as everyone else.
Q2. The Protestants had limited the essential opportunities and choices of the Catholics. Catholics were mistreated on the level of unemployment and the type of employment. They were employed predominantly in unskilled and lower-paying jobs, while the Protestants dominated the relatively higher-paid areas. As the Industries in Northern Ireland were old and expensive to run, they could not compete with other new industries developing in Europe and Asia which lead to many industries, especially the shipyards to close down, leading to job losses and higher unemployment rate. This escalated the discrimination against the Catholics as the Protestants were given more opportunities to get a job due to the fact that the local authorities had discriminated against the Catholics during the hiring process.
The education and housing system in Northern Ireland has put up social barriers preventing intergroup contact. Primary and secondary school education in Northern Ireland has been segregated. When Northern Ireland’s first Minister of Education Lord Londonderry wanted to set up an integrated primary school system, both the Protestant and Catholic churches campaigned vigorously for segregated education due to historical conflict. Catholic parents feared that the Protestant teachers would teach their children the wrong values and the Protestant version of the Irish experience and likewise with the Protestant parents. (NYGH, 2018) The segregated curriculum also plays a part in segregating the Catholics and Protestants which leads to escalating discrimination within Northern Ireland. Catholic children were taught Irish history, with obvious political meanings and messages while Protestant children’s history curriculum tended to be pro-British. Assemblies in Protestant schools often involve singing traditional Protestant hymns and wreaths are laid in Remembrance Day services. Catholic schools have concentrated on Irish commemorations and Catholic religious rituals. Children from both Catholics and protestants would grow up in an environment that side toward their own beliefs and religion. Thus, segregation and the different curriculum did not provide a platform for a common understanding. There was no opportunity to form cross-community relations and the lack of integration and the fierce segregation did not build a common or national identity, leading to further separation between the two groups. (NYGH, 2018) Housing segregation due to historical conflict also resulted in social barriers. From 1969, sectarian violence and sporadic killings were common, forcing Catholics and Protestants to live in segregated communities and the building of the “peace wallsâ€. It physically cut off Protestant housing estates from Catholic ones in an attempt to reduce violence and killings and retain a sense of peace and security. These walls eventually were covered in murals promoting sectarianism and propaganda against each side. As The Troubles progressed, people started to move from mixed areas into areas with predominantly one denomination, thus increasing the degree of division and segregation. Furthermore, social integration between the two religious groups has been made extremely difficult by the lack of residential mixing. (NYGH, 2018) Without such residential and social mixing, there has been little contact between the two groups. Only a high level of contact remained within each group, strengthening each group’s bond, and emphasising the differences, both actual and perceived, between the two groups. This is why discrimination still persists.
The voting system displayed discriminatory societal norms that worsened intergroup relations and established a perverse normality that can only be overcome by their elimination. The Protestants wanted to ensure that their power remained undiluted and permanent, and that all the power the Catholics used to have would be eliminated. The voting system and local council boundaries changed and the proportional representation was abolished. Catholics lost whatever majority they had. This resulted in the Civil service to be predominantly Protestants and no Catholics were among the cabinet, the top ranks of the RUC & other important public bodies. Most employers were Protestants and recruitment was usually through word of mouth or recommendation of friend or relatives. Thus in private sectors there was a workforce of more than 90% Protestants. Therefore, we can see that discrimination still persists in Northern Ireland.