Consociational Theory: McGarry and O'Leary and the Northern Ireland Conflict

ISBN-13: 9780415666015 / Angielski / Miękka / 2011 / 402 str.

Rupert Taylor

Opis

Consociational power sharing is increasingly gaining ground, right around the world, as a means for resolving political conflict in divided societies. In this volume, edited by Rupert Taylor, nineteen internationally-respected scholars engage in a lively debate about the merits of the theory underlying this approach. The volume focuses specifically on one of the leading cases under the global spotlight, the Northern Ireland conflict, and brings together the most prominent proponents and opponents of consociationalism. Northern Ireland's transition from war to peace is seen by consociationalists as flowing from the historic Belfast Agreement of 1998, and specifically from the Agreement's consociational framework. The Northern Ireland case is marketed by consociationalists as representing best practice, and as providing a template for ending conflicts in other parts of the world. However, as this volume interrogates, on what grounds, and to what extent, can such a positive reading be upheld? Taken as a whole, this volume, structured as a symposium around the highly-influential argument of John McGarry and Brendan O'Leary, offers comparative, engaging, and critical insight into how political theory can contribute to the creation of a better world. Consociational Theory is an important text for anyone with an interest in political theory, conflict resolution in divided societies, or Irish politics.

Spis treści

Introduction: The Promise of Consociational Theory Rupert Taylor  Part 1: Argument  1. Power Shared after the Death of Thousands John McGarry and Brendan O’Leary Part 2: Commentaries  2. Recognition, Equality, Difference: Achieving Democracy in Northern Ireland Shane O’Neill  3. Consociationalism and the Wider Peace Process  Adrian Guelke  4. Peace by Design? Towards "Complex Power Sharing" Stefan Wolff  5. Implementing Consociation in Northern Ireland John Coakley  6. Ethnic Party Competition and the Dynamics of Power-Sharing in Northern Ireland Paul Mitchell and Geoffrey Evans  7. Consociationalism and the Creation of a Shared Future for Northern Ireland Stephen Farry  8. Consociational Government: Inside the Northern Ireland Executive Rick Wilford  9. In Search of the Consociational "Spirit of Accommodation"Jürg Steiner  10. A Culture of Power-Sharing Michael Kerr  11. From Consociationalism to Interculturalism Robin Wilson  12. Squaring some Vicious Circles: Transforming the Political in Northern Ireland John Cash  13. Sunningdale for Slow Learners? Towards a Complexity Paradigm Adrian Little  14. Progressive Integration (and Accommodation, too)Ian O’Flynn  15. Ways of Seeing? Consociationalism and Constitutional Law Theory John Morison  16. Debating the Agreement: Beyond a Communalist Dynamic? Liam O’Dowd  17. The Injustice of a Consociational Solution to the Northern Ireland Problem Rupert Taylor  Part 3: Response  18. Under Friendly and Less Friendly Fire John McGarry and Brendan O’Leary

O autorze

Rupert Taylor is Associate Professor of Politics at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.