“The Walls Entered into Our Souls”

Abstract

Negative trends among risk factors in the categories of memory (Chapter 3) and governance (Chapter 4) shackle a society in the bonds of fragility. This can lead to, as well as be the result of, an increased susceptibility to social disharmony and isolation. This state of disconnect between the larger society and the groupings of some members of that society is known as fragmentation. While fragmentation can manifest itself along economic, institutional, or geographic lines, this chapter focuses on risk factors related specifically to social fragmentation. In everyday life in contemporary Northern Ireland, social fragmentation undeniably rules over the full spectrum of the lived experience. This chapter examines five specific risk factors related to social fragmentation: (1) identity-based social divisions, (2) demographic pressures, (3) unequal access to basic goods and services, (4) gender inequalities, and (5) political instability.