To seek a greater understanding of peacebuilding there is a need for a multifaceted approach. This in part entails exploring the contextual economic conditions of conflicts, and the possibilities of removing these conditions and utilizing economic gains to act as incentives to create stakeholders in peace processes. In Northern Ireland there was a perceived link between the weak economic situation and violent conflict. Economic inequality was stoking animosity and unemployment was generating disillusionment. As peace was reached in 1998 and successfully sustained, there is an intrinsic value in exploring the peacebuilding processes. Through a mixed-method approach incorporating a content analysis of The Irish Times articles from 1994-1998 and a sequential analysis of descriptive statistics from 1998-2019 the concept of peace dividends has been explored. The results show how a coherent and consistent construction of peace dividends was made by political and economic elites and disseminated to the public, building expectations from peace. A peace dividend was constructed based on increased trade and improved economic co-operation with Ireland, inclusive/equitable distribution of prosperity and opportunities, job creation, and increased FDI and jobs generated through FDI. Following an analysis of the development of these aspects of peace dividends, the results indicate improvements regarding increased trade and economic co-operation with Ireland, increased ability to attract FDI projects, and a consistent yearly improvement of disposable household income. Where the most significant development can be observed and, hence, the part of the peace dividend that has been most successful, is within the labour market. Unemployment has decreased and a convergence in opportunities to participate between Protestant and Catholic communities has been facilitated. Generating a more inclusive labour market and diminishing the disillusionment of unemployment from the past.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:su-230384 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Fehrling, Morgan |
| Publisher | Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för ekonomisk historia och internationella relationer |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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