Ulrike Niens

Bio: Ulrike Niens is an academic researcher from Queen's University Belfast. The author has contributed to research in topics: Citizenship & Curriculum. The author has an hindex of 19, co-authored 42 publications receiving 1614 citations. Previous affiliations of Ulrike Niens include Ulster University.

Intergroup Contact, Forgiveness, and Experience of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland

Abstract: Two studies used random sample surveys to test the "contact hypothesis" on intergroup attitudes of Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. In Study 1, archival data from two different surveys in 1989 (N = 310 Catholics, 422 Protestants) and 1991 (N = 319 Catholics, 478 Protestants) showed that contact was positively related to attitudes toward denominational mixing. Study 2 (N = 391 Catholics, 647 Protestants) explored predictors of intergroup forgiveness, and also showed that intergroup contact was positively related to outgroup attitudes, perspective-taking, and trust (even among those who had a worse experience of sectarian conflict). These studies indicate that research in peace psychology can provide a deeper understanding of the conflict in Northern Ireland and, in due course, contribute to its resolution.

Moving out of conflict: the contribution of integrated schools in Northern Ireland to identity, attitudes, forgiveness and reconciliation

Abstract: As the integrated education movement in Northern Ireland passes its twenty‐first anniversary, it is pertinent to explore the legacy of mixed Catholic and Protestant schooling. This paper summarises the findings of different studies regarding the impact of integrated education in Northern Ireland on social identity, intergroup attitudes and forgiveness and reconciliation. The research is discussed in relation to its implications for the theory and practice of integrated education in Northern Ireland and also for other societies with a legacy of ethnopolitical conflict. It proposes that integrated education in Northern Ireland impacts positively on identity, outgroup attitudes, forgiveness and reconciliation, providing hope and encouragement for co‐education strategies in other countries that have suffered from prolonged conflict. Despite a number of challenges, it is clear from the research presented here that integrated education holds great potential both for building social cohesion and for promoting fo...

Intergroup Forgiveness and Guilt in Northern Ireland: Social Psychological Dimensions of “The Troubles”

Abstract: In a society such as Northern Ireland, which is struggling to overcome the effects of prolonged violence, the concepts of forgiveness and collective guilt, although difficult, must be considered. After the euphoria that followed the “Good Friday Agreement,” the realities to be faced in the acquisition of peace have become apparent. The Good Friday Agreement, which received the support of 71 percent of the Northern Irish electorate, led to the setting up of a local assembly and a power-sharing government embracing all the major political parties. This assembly has, however, since collapsed. The primary focus of our research has been intergroup forgiveness , but we have found it both useful and necessary to consider collective guilt as it relates to forgiveness in Northern Ireland. We first review the historical and social background to the political violence in Northern Ireland and explore psychological approaches to forgiveness. We consider the nature of intergroup forgiveness in Northern Ireland and review our own research on this issue. Sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland Although the conflict in Ireland can be traced back to before the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation in Western Europe (see McLernon et al., 2003), we refer primarily to the modern history. The Treaty of 1921 partitioned the island of Ireland into two sections: the predominantly Protestant six counties of the north, which remained an integral part of the United Kingdom, and the mainly Catholic twenty-six counties of the south, which separated from the United Kingdom and became known as “The Free State” (later the Republic of Ireland).

Forgiveness in Northern Ireland: Model for Peace in the Midst of the "Troubles"

Abstract: For the past 10 years, a robust body of empirical and theoretical literature has been devoted to forgiveness within interpersonal relationships. However, only a few studies have empirically examined forgiveness in intergroup settings. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine empirically the interpersonal determinants of intergroup forgiveness within Northern Ireland. University students (N = 297) were given questionnaires that measured religiosity, empathy, contact with the "other community", hope, disposition to forgive, and forgiveness of the "other community". Structural Equation Modeling was used to determine a theoretical model that best fit the data. Results provided empirical support for the use of interpersonal factors in examining societal forgiveness in Northern Ireland. Implications for future research and societal interventions are discussed.

A meta-analytic test of intergroup contact theory.

Abstract: The present article presents a meta-analytic test of intergroup contact theory. With 713 independent samples from 515 studies, the meta-analysis finds that intergroup contact typically reduces intergroup prejudice. Multiple tests indicate that this finding appears not to result from either participant selection or publication biases, and the more rigorous studies yield larger mean effects. These contact effects typically generalize to the entire outgroup, and they emerge across a broad range of outgroup targets and contact settings. Similar patterns also emerge for samples with racial or ethnic targets and samples with other targets. This result suggests that contact theory, devised originally for racial and ethnic encounters, can be extended to other groups. A global indicator of Allport's optimal contact conditions demonstrates that contact under these conditions typically leads to even greater reduction in prejudice. Closer examination demonstrates that these conditions are best conceptualized as an interrelated bundle rather than as independent factors. Further, the meta-analytic findings indicate that these conditions are not essential for prejudice reduction. Hence, future work should focus on negative factors that prevent intergroup contact from diminishing prejudice as well as the development of a more comprehensive theory of intergroup contact.

Democracy and education.

Abstract: Course Description In this course, we will explore the question of the actual and potential connections between democracy and education. Our focus of attention will be placed on a critical examination of democratic theory and its implications for the civic education roles and contributions of teachers, adult educators, community development practitioners, and community organizers. We will survey and deal critically with a range of competing conceptions of democracy, variously described as classical, republican, liberal, radical, marxist, neomarxist, pragmatist, feminist, populist, pluralist, postmodern, and/or participatory. Using narrative inquiry as a means for illuminating and interpreting contemporary practice, we will analyze the implications of different conceptions of democracy for the practical work of civic education.