From victims to equals? Catholic responses to political change in Northern Ireland

Abstract

Catholic history in Northern Ireland has often been couched in terms of victimhood. This narrative has been used to identify, locate and evaluate the community vis-à-vis Protestants through recent conflict. However, in the wake of recent political change, many Catholics are presenting themselves not as victims, but as equals, fully expectant that there will be no going back to the unionist hegemony of the past. Based on analysis of in-depth interviews with a variety of Catholics in the year 2000, this article examines the discursive change from victims to equals. It explores how far Protestants are trusted by Catholics not to victimise, and whether there may be some that do not feel they have benefited from political change in Northern Ireland and may still see themselves as victims. It concludes that whilst equality, like victimhood, is a morally laden concept, it is easier to accommodate politically. This is one of the most important developments of the peace process in recent years, because just as political change has stimulated the language and expectation of equality amongst Catholics, so too this discursive transition may facilitate further political change.