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Papers by Laura Graham
Shared Space: A research journal on peace, conflict and community relations in Northern Ireland, Oct 26, 2012
This article assesses the policy approaches to social inclusion and cohesion in Northern Ireland ... more This article assesses the policy approaches to social inclusion and cohesion in Northern Ireland by exploring a case study of victim support groups and their social capital potential. This assessment begins by uncovering the origins of the social inclusion and cohesion agenda in the European Union policy framework, as evidenced in the PEACE programs, that contributed to the development of two key social inclusion and cohesion strategies: A Shared Future and Cohesion, Sharing and Integration. In this exploration of Northern Ireland’s social policy, an ethnography of victims’ group leaders will reveal some of the gaps between social policy and the social capital development in victim support groups. Drawing on the work of Putnam (2000) and other social capital theorists, this article will reveal the high levels of bonding, but low levels of bridging social capital inherent in victim support groups as discovered by the Compromise After Conflict study at The University of Aberdeen, suggesting possible links between the lack of an agreed social inclusion and cohesion policy and low levels of bridging forms of social capital in victims’ groups. Since victims’ groups are a part of wider civil society, these findings could have broader implications for Northern Ireland’s social capital and social inclusion and cohesion. Consequently, this article offers some conclusions on the challenges to an effective social inclusion and cohesion strategy and seeks to promote social capital as an instrument for building social inclusion, cohesion and integration in Northern Ireland’s civil society.
Victim support groups in Northern Ireland provide a unique platform for the development of social... more Victim support groups in Northern Ireland provide a unique platform for the development of social capital. It is because of their reach within the "victim constituency" that government has supported policies aimed at building social capital in victim support groups. The aim of these policies is to promote both bonding and bridging forms of social capital through single identity and cross-community work in the hopes of improving victims' quality of life as well as contributing to conflict resolution and peace-building on the societal level. To this end, the European Union, British and Irish governments have poured millions of pounds into funding schemes for victims work that builds social capital. The result of these policies is high levels of bonding forms of social capital, but low levels of bridging forms of social capital. Additionally, there is evidence that some victim support groups are “hunkering down” (cf. Putnam, 2007), resulting in decreased social trust, inclusion and cohesion. Therefore, this paper aims to address the reasons why this is the case, as well as discuss the implications of these findings for a diverse audience. Drawing on the findings of the Compromise After Conflict study on the leadership of victim support groups, this paper addresses the reasons why policies promoting social capital in Northern Ireland have led to a disparity between levels of bonding and bridging, and have in some cases contributed to constriction in Northern Ireland’s victim support groups. This findings revealed in this paper are significant for practitioners, policymakers and academics alike.
This paper draws on the research conducted in the Leverhulme-funded Compromise After Conflict stu... more This paper draws on the research conducted in the Leverhulme-funded Compromise After Conflict study of victim support groups in Northern Ireland. Specifically, this paper examines the role of victims’ groups in achieving the government aims of conflict resolution and reconciliation through the development of social capital. This paper presents Northern Ireland as a case study to address the ways in which government policies aimed at building social capital for conflict resolution processes can be strengthened through the voluntary sector, and specifically, through victims’ groups. The lessons that can be drawn from this case study have many implications for policy prescription in other postconflict societies. Moreover, this paper will present findings that highlight gaps between government policies and practice in the voluntary sector. These gaps will be discussed, and the paper will conclude with some policy prescriptions for government and practitioners on how to bridge these gaps in order to foster improved civic engagement in governance processes.
Conference Presentations by Laura Graham
This conference presentation draws from my research, the research of other scholars, and conflict... more This conference presentation draws from my research, the research of other scholars, and conflict transformation theory to explain how social cohesion can be built in divided societies.
This presentation provides the framework for a creative workshop that promotes peacebuilding in B... more This presentation provides the framework for a creative workshop that promotes peacebuilding in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
This blog post accompanied a talk given at the Truth Telling Project on the links between truth t... more This blog post accompanied a talk given at the Truth Telling Project on the links between truth telling processes and reconciliation in divided communities.
Thesis Chapters by Laura Graham
Northern Ireland. In doing so, this thesis employs social capital theory as a conceptual apparatu... more Northern Ireland. In doing so, this thesis employs social capital theory as a conceptual apparatus for understanding leadership roles and the functions of victim support groups. This thesis is the product of an ethnographic case study of victim leaders in Northern Ireland. The data was
Teaching Documents by Laura Graham
This teaching presentation examines the concept of political reconciliation after violent conflict.
Blog post discussion piece on Hannah Arendt's "Eichmann in Jerusalem."
Shared Space: A research journal on peace, conflict and community relations in Northern Ireland, Oct 26, 2012
This article assesses the policy approaches to social inclusion and cohesion in Northern Ireland ... more This article assesses the policy approaches to social inclusion and cohesion in Northern Ireland by exploring a case study of victim support groups and their social capital potential. This assessment begins by uncovering the origins of the social inclusion and cohesion agenda in the European Union policy framework, as evidenced in the PEACE programs, that contributed to the development of two key social inclusion and cohesion strategies: A Shared Future and Cohesion, Sharing and Integration. In this exploration of Northern Ireland’s social policy, an ethnography of victims’ group leaders will reveal some of the gaps between social policy and the social capital development in victim support groups. Drawing on the work of Putnam (2000) and other social capital theorists, this article will reveal the high levels of bonding, but low levels of bridging social capital inherent in victim support groups as discovered by the Compromise After Conflict study at The University of Aberdeen, suggesting possible links between the lack of an agreed social inclusion and cohesion policy and low levels of bridging forms of social capital in victims’ groups. Since victims’ groups are a part of wider civil society, these findings could have broader implications for Northern Ireland’s social capital and social inclusion and cohesion. Consequently, this article offers some conclusions on the challenges to an effective social inclusion and cohesion strategy and seeks to promote social capital as an instrument for building social inclusion, cohesion and integration in Northern Ireland’s civil society.
Victim support groups in Northern Ireland provide a unique platform for the development of social... more Victim support groups in Northern Ireland provide a unique platform for the development of social capital. It is because of their reach within the "victim constituency" that government has supported policies aimed at building social capital in victim support groups. The aim of these policies is to promote both bonding and bridging forms of social capital through single identity and cross-community work in the hopes of improving victims' quality of life as well as contributing to conflict resolution and peace-building on the societal level. To this end, the European Union, British and Irish governments have poured millions of pounds into funding schemes for victims work that builds social capital. The result of these policies is high levels of bonding forms of social capital, but low levels of bridging forms of social capital. Additionally, there is evidence that some victim support groups are “hunkering down” (cf. Putnam, 2007), resulting in decreased social trust, inclusion and cohesion. Therefore, this paper aims to address the reasons why this is the case, as well as discuss the implications of these findings for a diverse audience. Drawing on the findings of the Compromise After Conflict study on the leadership of victim support groups, this paper addresses the reasons why policies promoting social capital in Northern Ireland have led to a disparity between levels of bonding and bridging, and have in some cases contributed to constriction in Northern Ireland’s victim support groups. This findings revealed in this paper are significant for practitioners, policymakers and academics alike.
This paper draws on the research conducted in the Leverhulme-funded Compromise After Conflict stu... more This paper draws on the research conducted in the Leverhulme-funded Compromise After Conflict study of victim support groups in Northern Ireland. Specifically, this paper examines the role of victims’ groups in achieving the government aims of conflict resolution and reconciliation through the development of social capital. This paper presents Northern Ireland as a case study to address the ways in which government policies aimed at building social capital for conflict resolution processes can be strengthened through the voluntary sector, and specifically, through victims’ groups. The lessons that can be drawn from this case study have many implications for policy prescription in other postconflict societies. Moreover, this paper will present findings that highlight gaps between government policies and practice in the voluntary sector. These gaps will be discussed, and the paper will conclude with some policy prescriptions for government and practitioners on how to bridge these gaps in order to foster improved civic engagement in governance processes.
This conference presentation draws from my research, the research of other scholars, and conflict... more This conference presentation draws from my research, the research of other scholars, and conflict transformation theory to explain how social cohesion can be built in divided societies.
This presentation provides the framework for a creative workshop that promotes peacebuilding in B... more This presentation provides the framework for a creative workshop that promotes peacebuilding in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
This blog post accompanied a talk given at the Truth Telling Project on the links between truth t... more This blog post accompanied a talk given at the Truth Telling Project on the links between truth telling processes and reconciliation in divided communities.
Northern Ireland. In doing so, this thesis employs social capital theory as a conceptual apparatu... more Northern Ireland. In doing so, this thesis employs social capital theory as a conceptual apparatus for understanding leadership roles and the functions of victim support groups. This thesis is the product of an ethnographic case study of victim leaders in Northern Ireland. The data was
This teaching presentation examines the concept of political reconciliation after violent conflict.
Blog post discussion piece on Hannah Arendt's "Eichmann in Jerusalem."
The first wave of feminism -women's suffrage early 20 th century.
Teaching presentation on challenges to justice as part of the Introduction to Social Justice course.
Teaching presentation on social movements as part of the Introduction to Social Justice course.
Teaching presentation on theories of justice as part of the Introduction to Social Justice course.
Teaching presentation on the causes and consequences of the conflict in Northern Ireland.
