Side-by-Side in the Land of Giants: A study of space, contact and civility in Belfast A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2018 Eric A. W. Lepp School of Arts, Languages and Cultures List of Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ 4 Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... 5 Declaration ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Copyright statement ....................................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... 7 Note on the author .......................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 9 Framing the research ................................................................................................................ 10 Defining the research questions ............................................................................................... 14 Outlining the thesis .................................................................................................................. 15 Chapter 2 Contextualising the Research Space...................................................................... 19 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 19 Northern Ireland: An historical overview ................................................................................ 20 Belfast ...................................................................................................................................... 31 The SSE Arena, Ice hockey and the Belfast Giants ................................................................. 35 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 42 Chapter 3 Social Capital .......................................................................................................... 44 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 44 What is Social Capital? ............................................................................................................ 45 A (Brief) History of Social Capital .......................................................................................... 46 Social Capital and Divided Society ......................................................................................... 52 Conclusion: Social Capital Considered.................................................................................... 58 Chapter 4 Intergroup Contact Theory .................................................................................... 60 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 60 Understanding the Contact Hypothesis .................................................................................... 60 The Evolution of the Contact Hypothesis ................................................................................ 62 The Contact Hypothesis and Divided Society ......................................................................... 69 Conclusion: Conflict Hypothesis Considered .......................................................................... 76 Chapter 5 Civility ...................................................................................................................... 78 A Brief Conceptual History of Civility .................................................................................... 79 Unpacking Civility ................................................................................................................... 81 Civility in Divided Societies .................................................................................................... 88 Conclusion: Civility Considered .............................................................................................. 93 Chapter 6 Analytical Framework ............................................................................................ 95 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 95 Guiding the Research: An Analytical Framework .................................................................. 96 Prejudice and Anxiety .......................................................................................................... 96 Tolerance and Trust ............................................................................................................. 98 Identity and Space .............................................................................................................. 100 Concluding Reflections .......................................................................................................... 102 Chapter 7 Methodology .......................................................................................................... 105 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 105 Research Overview ................................................................................................................ 105 Situating the Research ............................................................................................................ 112 Reflecting on the Side-by-Side Approach ............................................................................. 119 Research Analysis .................................................................................................................. 122 2 Positionality ........................................................................................................................... 123 Research Ethics ...................................................................................................................... 127 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 129 Chapter 8 ‘The Hockey Family’ ............................................................................................ 130 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 130 Shared Interest: Ice Hockey ................................................................................................... 132 Diversity ................................................................................................................................. 139 A ‘Post-Troubles’ Phenomenon ............................................................................................. 146 Identifiability.......................................................................................................................... 154 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 162 Chapter 9 ‘Kingdom of the Giants’: The SSE Arena as a space of sanctuary and resistance 164 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 164 Sanctuary ............................................................................................................................... 166 Giants Territory .................................................................................................................. 168 Filter ................................................................................................................................... 177 Giving Pause ...................................................................................................................... 182 Resistance .............................................................................................................................. 186 Resistance to Division / Resistance to Peace ..................................................................... 187 Everyday Resistance .......................................................................................................... 191 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 193 Chapter 10 ‘Side-by-sidedness’: A conceptual and methodological contribution ............ 195 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 195 Social Capital, Intergroup Contact and Civility: Relationships While Rubbing Shoulders ... 197 Contextualising Side-by-Sidedness: Belfast, the SSE Arena and Everyday Peace ............... 208 A Side-by-Side Methodology ...............................................................................................