Adolescents ’ perceptions of National Identification and Socialisation: A Grounded Analysis

This paper examines the perceived influence of parents and family and the construction of national and religious identification amongst adolescents living along the border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland. 261 young people wrote essays on the meaning of their national identity and the influence of parents, families and the border on national and religious identities. Lengthy and detailed responses were subjected to a grounded analysis. Results revealed the complexity of young people’s identification processes and their opinions and experiences of religious and national socialisation. The majority of respondents attached a great deal of significance to their national identity. Identity was represented across a range of meanings including sport, government policy, culture, folklore and characteristics thought typical of a given nationality. Context was reported to influence identity shift, in particular contexts where the emotion attached to the identity changed. Parents and family were viewed as important sources of socialisation and the inter-generational transmission of identity was viewed as natural and inevitable. There was a widespread belief that national and religious identity overlapped and though many asserted that religion could promote tolerance and inclusion there was an implicit acceptance that it could also fuel inter-group hostilities