joanne Hughes - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by joanne Hughes

Jessica Kingsley, 1999

... Title: Reshaping local governance in a divided society District Partnerships in Northern Irel... more ... Title: Reshaping local governance in a divided society District Partnerships in Northern Ireland. Authors: Greer, J. Hughes, J. Knox, C. Ulster Univ. (United Kingdom). School of Public Policy, Economics and Law. Keywords: PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE. Issue Date: 1998. ...

urn:nbn:de:0070- i jcv-2008124 IJCV: Vol. 2 (1) 2008, pp. 6 –27 Vol. 2(1) 2008 Focus:

Transferring education policy from one country to another, or between supranational bodies and na... more Transferring education policy from one country to another, or between supranational bodies and national administrations, is common practice, and the potential benefits for educational quality and standards are evident. Despite these advantages, the dominant approaches to policy transfer have been criticized for, among other things, neglecting contextual influences on policy and prioritizing the economic function of education over others. In this article, we consider an example of policy transfer for another purpose: to promote social cohesion through schools, specifically in societies that have experienced ethnic division and conflict. Focusing on the model of shared education, which promotes school collaboration and contact between pupils across ethnic or religious boundaries, we explore a process of policy transfer between Northern Ireland and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Drawing from documentary analysis, interviews with practitioners in both countries, and direct o...

Social Attitudes in Northern Ireland, 2019

International Journal of Conflict and Violence, 2008

This study examines the consequences of living in segregated and mixed neighbourhoods on ingroup ... more This study examines the consequences of living in segregated and mixed neighbourhoods on ingroup bias and offensive action tendencies, taking into consideration the role of intergroup experiences and perceived threat. Using adult data from a cross-sectional survey in Belfast, Northern Ireland, we tested a model that examined the relationship between living in segregated (N = 396) and mixed (N = 562) neighbourhoods and positive contact, exposure to violence, perceived threat and outgroup orientations. Our results show that living in mixed neighbourhoods was associated with lower ingroup bias and reduced offensive action tendencies. These effects were partially mediated by positive contact. However, our analysis also shows that respondents living in mixed neighbourhoods report higher exposure to political violence and higher perceived threat to physical safety. These findings demonstrate the importance of examining both social experience and threat perceptions when testing the relatio...

Ricerche di Pedagogia e Didattica. Journal of Theories and Research in Education, 2015

The education system in Northern Ireland is characterized by division, with around 95% of the pup... more The education system in Northern Ireland is characterized by division, with around 95% of the pupil population attending predominantly co-religionist schools. In a society that is transitioning from a thirty year conflict that has been framed by hostilities between the main Catholic and Protestant communities, reconciliation interventions in education have sought to promote the value of intergroup contact between pupils attending separate schools. Some qualitative research suggests that such initiatives are more likely to have positive outcomes for pupils from more middle class backgrounds than those from more disadvantaged communities and areas that experienced high levels of conflict related incidents and deaths during the pre-ceasefire years. Drawing on contact theory and empirical evidence from a large scale quantitative study, we seek to examine this theory. Using free school meals as a proxy for social class, our findings are consistent in finding that there is a differential ...

Research Papers in Education, 2021

Adopting a social cohesion framework, we consider how the shared education model in Northern Irel... more Adopting a social cohesion framework, we consider how the shared education model in Northern Ireland reflects distributive, ideational and relational dimensions of social cohesion, and the processes through which its implementation may be contributing to a more socially cohesive society. We use this case study to reflect on the current conceptualisation of social cohesion in the literature and to argue for dynamic and interdependent connections between aspects of cohesion that are often assessed in isolation. Our analysis draws on the body of research on shared education that has accumulated since the first pilots were introduced in 2007.

Dialogue Studies, 2021

Building bridges: Dialogue and interaction between teachers from divided communities involved in ... more Building bridges: Dialogue and interaction between teachers from divided communities involved in a shared education project. In L. Caronia (Ed.), Language and Social Interaction at Home and School (pp. 295-316). (Dialogue Studies). John Benjamins.

Irish Studies in International Affairs, 2021

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact

Irish Educational Studies, 2020

Belfast. Her research focuses on intergroup relations, intergroup conflict and social change in d... more Belfast. Her research focuses on intergroup relations, intergroup conflict and social change in divided societies and is closely associated with social identity and contact theory. Clare McAuley is a Lecturer in the School of Education, Ulster University Coleraine. Her research interests include the role of education in promoting social cohesion; teaching History in contested societies; Citizenship education and teaching controversial and sensitive issues.

British Educational Research Journal, 2018

While Northern Ireland strives to build a shared society, the current reality is that everyday ex... more While Northern Ireland strives to build a shared society, the current reality is that everyday experiences are still shaped by division along ethno-religious lines. This is particularly pronounced in the education system, where more than 92% of pupils attend separate schools. Within the predominately separate education system, however, exists a small collection of schools which cater to a more heterogeneous pupil body and offer the opportunity for young people from both communities to meet and interact, and potentially develop cross-group friendships. The present study compares the network-based cross-group friendships within two such school types; an integrated and a separate post-primary school. These schools boast a distinct ethos yet they similarly enrol students from Catholic and Protestant backgrounds. Findings reveal that both schools show a high level of interconnection between pupils; however, the integrated school, with an ethos that openly supports social cohesion, shows a greater tendency towards cross-group interactions and best friendships than those found within the separate school. In line with contact theory (Allport, 1954), these findings suggest that it may not be enough to simply create opportunities for intergroup contact but that optimal conditions, such as institutional support, may be a prerequisite for positive relationships to flourish. Implications for educational policies designed to promote greater cross-community contact are discussed.