When Citizens’ Grievances Entered the Policy Agenda, 1963-1969
This article analyses how citizens’ grievances entered the policy agenda in the years mounting to 1969 in Northern Ireland. At that critical juncture, a disparate group composed of individuals, organisations and members of the Opposition in the Parliament of Northern Ireland were pushing for compreh...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Centre de Recherche et d'Etudes en Civilisation Britannique
2024-05-01
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| Series: | Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/11860 |
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| author | Joana Etchart |
| author_facet | Joana Etchart |
| author_sort | Joana Etchart |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article analyses how citizens’ grievances entered the policy agenda in the years mounting to 1969 in Northern Ireland. At that critical juncture, a disparate group composed of individuals, organisations and members of the Opposition in the Parliament of Northern Ireland were pushing for comprehensive reforms in the field of civil rights. Their efforts contributed to bringing the question of citizens’ grievances into the realm of public policy, to the extent that a robust reform package was envisaged from 1968, which then went under the heading of community relations in 1969. But the close analysis of that shift also reveals strong resistance to reforms. This was evident in the mechanism consisting in seeking to contain the policy problem within the realm of fate, by invoking change in people’s conduct rather than in public action. Not only did this deny the causal responsibility of executive and legislative authorities in the issues encountered, but it also sought to avoid taking responsibility for the policy that tried to address them. By exploring these developments, this article provides a historical explanation for the tension between comprehensive and restricted interpretations of community relations policy issues, and sheds light on the conflict that existed between the promoters of each. It contends that this was also one of the causes leading to the start of the Troubles. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a0caf1f6e4a64502bbbf79b016a0269c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0248-9015 2429-4373 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-05-01 |
| publisher | Centre de Recherche et d'Etudes en Civilisation Britannique |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique |
| spelling | doaj-art-a0caf1f6e4a64502bbbf79b016a0269c2024-12-09T15:26:07ZengCentre de Recherche et d'Etudes en Civilisation BritanniqueRevue Française de Civilisation Britannique0248-90152429-43732024-05-01292When Citizens’ Grievances Entered the Policy Agenda, 1963-1969Joana EtchartThis article analyses how citizens’ grievances entered the policy agenda in the years mounting to 1969 in Northern Ireland. At that critical juncture, a disparate group composed of individuals, organisations and members of the Opposition in the Parliament of Northern Ireland were pushing for comprehensive reforms in the field of civil rights. Their efforts contributed to bringing the question of citizens’ grievances into the realm of public policy, to the extent that a robust reform package was envisaged from 1968, which then went under the heading of community relations in 1969. But the close analysis of that shift also reveals strong resistance to reforms. This was evident in the mechanism consisting in seeking to contain the policy problem within the realm of fate, by invoking change in people’s conduct rather than in public action. Not only did this deny the causal responsibility of executive and legislative authorities in the issues encountered, but it also sought to avoid taking responsibility for the policy that tried to address them. By exploring these developments, this article provides a historical explanation for the tension between comprehensive and restricted interpretations of community relations policy issues, and sheds light on the conflict that existed between the promoters of each. It contends that this was also one of the causes leading to the start of the Troubles.https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/11860Troubles1960spublic policycitizens’ grievancescommunity relations |
| spellingShingle | Joana Etchart When Citizens’ Grievances Entered the Policy Agenda, 1963-1969 Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique Troubles 1960s public policy citizens’ grievances community relations |
| title | When Citizens’ Grievances Entered the Policy Agenda, 1963-1969 |
| title_full | When Citizens’ Grievances Entered the Policy Agenda, 1963-1969 |
| title_fullStr | When Citizens’ Grievances Entered the Policy Agenda, 1963-1969 |
| title_full_unstemmed | When Citizens’ Grievances Entered the Policy Agenda, 1963-1969 |
| title_short | When Citizens’ Grievances Entered the Policy Agenda, 1963-1969 |
| title_sort | when citizens grievances entered the policy agenda 1963 1969 |
| topic | Troubles 1960s public policy citizens’ grievances community relations |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/11860 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joanaetchart whencitizensgrievancesenteredthepolicyagenda19631969 |