Stevenson, Clifford, McNamara, Niamh, Kellezi, Blerina, Easterbrook, Matthew, Shuttleworth, Ian and Hyden, Deborah (2019) Re-identifying residential mixing: emergent identity dynamics between incomers and existing residents in a mixed neighbourhood in Northern Ireland. European Journal of Social Psychology, 49 (2). pp. 413-428. ISSN 0046-2772

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Abstract

Research on residential diversification has neglected its impact on neighbourhood identity and overlooked the very different identity‐related experiences of new and existing residents. The present research examines how incoming and established group members relate to their changing neighbourhood in the increasingly desegregated city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Thematic analysis of interviews with 24 residents (12 Protestant long‐term residents, 12 Catholic incomers) from an increasingly mixed neighbourhood identified asymmetrical concerns and experiences: Incomers reported undergoing an ‘identity transition’ between local communities, while long‐term residents faced an ‘identity merger’ within their neighbourhood. Where their identity concerns diverged, emergent intergroup perceptions of the residents were negative and divisive; where they accorded, positive intergroup perceptions and a shared neighbourhood identity evolved. From this, we propose a Social Identity Model of Residential Diversification (SIMRD) to encourage future research into how different identity concerns shape emergent intergroup dynamics between long‐term residents and incomers within diversifying neighbourhoods.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	residential diversification; community identity; identity change; intergroup contact
Schools and Departments:	School of Psychology > Psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Depositing User:	Anna Hobbs
Date Deposited:	14 Sep 2018 15:12
Last Modified:	30 Jul 2019 01:00
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/78784

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