Ireland: Transformation of Social and Political Conflict

"We helped activists clean up their solidarity camp in Kilcommon, participated in a sustainability conference at Corrymeela, and listened to the Revered Ian Paisley preach from his towering pulpit at the Free Presbyterian Church. We sat in on a committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly, met the Quinn family and toured Shankhill Road. Each of these experiences allowed me to understand our classroom theories in the context of real life situations and to develop my emerging field study skills."

-- Jayce Hafner, Hendrix College

Explore the changing face of conflict studies through immersion in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

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Learn more about studying in Ireland with SIT in the words of recent students.

Through thematic seminars, field study, and primary research, students examine current theories of conflict and conflict transformation with a particular focus on the following topics:

Sectarian and ethnic conflict
Structural violence and the state
Historical roots of conflict
Social and political inequality
Creation of sustainable peace

Students consider the ways in which conflict can become embedded in the social, political, and economic realities of societies and cultures. The program also offers an opportunity to explore the connection between the sacred landscape of Irish mythology and a new environmental consciousness that challenges accepted notions of development.

At the Forefront of Peace and Conflict Studies
The rapid pace of change in Ireland is giving rise to a radical reconstruction of Irish identity making this a particularly exciting time to be a student of social and political transformation in the Irish context. The SIT program in Ireland extends beyond the legacy of violent ethnic conflict in Northern Ireland to explore questions of identity, links between social exclusion and violence, the creation of civil society, and issues of social justice and human rights, using Dublin, rural Ireland, and Northern Ireland as principal learning sites. The scale of Irish society offers an intimacy and depth of engagement in issues through personal stories and encounters.

Lecturers and Program Partners
Through the holistic lens of conflict transformation, students learn from and engage with academics, government officials, and social activists to explore contemporary Irish issues from both sides of the island and from multiple perspectives. Lecturers are drawn from Trinity College, University College Dublin, Queen's University Belfast, the University of Ulster, and practitioners in the field.

In the Irish Republic, students examine issues of urbanization, multiculturalism, the environment, and the creation of new and sustainable communities. During the program period in the North, students focus on the rebuilding of civil society and the creation of an inclusive political process after years of sectarianism and political violence. The challenges presented in both settings stretch traditional notions of identity and culture.

Read one student's reflection on the program's weeklong excursion to County Mayo to study the Corrib gas line conflict

Studying Abroad Offers Much More Than an Education
SIT Study Abroad alum shares her experiences on Ireland: Transformation of Social and Political Conflict program. Read article...

2007 Alum Awarded Watson Fellowship
2007 Alum of this program and current Scripps College senior awarded prestigious Watson Fellowship. Read Article...

Browse this program's Independent Study Projects/Undergraduate Research