In this thesis, I explore the relationship between ethnic violence and neighbourhood ethnic composition during times of ethnic civil conflict. Much of the existing literature utilises either the...Show moreIn this thesis, I explore the relationship between ethnic violence and neighbourhood ethnic composition during times of ethnic civil conflict. Much of the existing literature utilises either the ethnic competition theory or the ethnic segregation theory to explain ethnic conflict. These theories offer conflicting results; I attempt to address this by using a relatively novel unit of analysis: the neighbourhood and applying it nationwide rather than limiting it to specific cities or urban areas. My argument is based on Allport’s (1954) intergroup contact theory. I connect a fall in prejudice on an individual level to a fall in prejudice on the group level. I argue that intergroup contact is more likely to occur in ethnically mixed neighbourhoods and subsequently link falling prejudice to falling rates of violence. I therefore hypothesise that ethnic violence will be lower in mixed than in segregated neighbourhoods during ethnic conflict. I select Northern Ireland as a case study for my research because it is highly polarised, it has a widely dispersed population of its two principal ethnic groups, it is a likely candidate for the ethnic competition theory, and because it has an abundance of data. I then test my hypothesis, firstly by means of a two-sample Z test for proportions, and subsequently by using a logistic regression model. Contrary to my theoretical expectation, I find no significant relationship between the ethnic composition of a neighbourhood and levels of ethnic violence.Show less
