title: Psychosocial Dimensions of the Irish and Northern Irish Diaspora
Creators: name: Sarah Binks, Eve
Publisher: name: University of Liverpool Repository
Year: 2023

description: This thesis provides a quantitative examination ofthe psychosocial dimensions of the Irish and Northern Irish Diaspora in England, providing an exploratory assessment of factors affecting the experiences, attitudes, and beliefs of these diasporic groups. The research examines the social, national, and political identities of these groups; religious beliefs, practices, and orientations; dissociative experiences; and direct and indirect exposure to traumatic events. Based on literature reviewed in this thesis, a number ofhypotheses were suggested and data were collected using an extensive questionnaire from representatives of the Northern Irish, the Republic ofIreland, the Northern Irish Catholic and the Northern Irish Protestant Diaspora in England, and from an English Control Group. Data analysis determined that: i) there is a significant difference between the social, national, and political identities ofmembers ofthe Northern and Republic ofIreland diasporic groups; ii) there is a significant difference between the social, national, and political identities ofthe Northern Irish Catholic and Protestant diasporic groups; iii) there is a significant difference between the Republic ofIreland Diaspora, Northern Irish Diaspora, and the English control group in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity, and religious orthodoxy; iv) there is no significant difference between the Northern Irish Catholic and Protestant diasporic groups in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity, and religious orthodoxy; v) there is a significant difference between the Northern Irish Diaspora, the Republic ofIreland Diaspora, and the English control group in terms of dissociation; vi) there is a significant difference between the levels of dissociation exhibited by the Northern Irish Catholic Diaspora, the Northern Irish Protestant Diaspora, and the English control group; vii) for the Northern Irish and Republic ofIreland Diaspora, levels of dissociation were not significantly predicted by either direct or indirect exposure to traumatic events; viii) there was no significant relationship between levels of dissociation and religious orientations; ix) for members of the Northern Irish Diaspora, levels of dissociation were significantly predicted by social, national, and political identities; x) there are significant differences between levels of exposure to traumatic events between the Northern Irish Diaspora, the Republic of Ireland Diaspora, and the English control group; xi) there are significant differences in levels of exposure to traumatic events between the Northern Irish Catholic Diaspora, -the Northern Irish Protestant Diaspora, and the English control group; xii) there is a significant positive correlation between extrinsic religious orientations and indirect exposure to traumatic events for members of the Northern Irish Catholic Diaspora; xiii) for the English control group there are significant negative correlations between intrinsic religious orientation and indirect and overall exposure to traumatic events; xiv) for members of the Northern Irish Diaspora, levels of exposure to traumatic events are not significantly predicted by social, national, and political identities. These findings are discussed with reference to recent and relevant research, and the implications of these findings are addressed. Limitations of the research and suggestions for future research endeavours are also considered. Supplied by The British Library - 'The world's knowledge'