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Tales From the Borderlands: Polish Migrants' Representations of the Northern Irish Conflict in Belfast

Space and Culture

Published online on

Abstract

This article deals with representations of the Northern Irish conflict by Polish migrants. It first sets the scene for the migration of Poles, discussing the issue of the sectarian divide. Subsequently, it presents a conceptual framework for understanding the construction of social representations. It then discusses migrants’ opposing tendencies to represent the ethno-religious boundaries as fixed and rigid on one hand and to represent them as fluid and shifting on the other hand. Whereas the tendency to represent the local conflict as of great consequence to migrants’ lives relates to a wider cultural knowledge, the tendency to point at ongoing social changes in Belfast is connected to a more direct exposure of Polish migrants to members of the local community.