ABSTRACT
The relationships between women, ethnicity and nationalism in Northern Ireland are complex.1 To explore them, I examine three main themes: identity, location and plurality. First, competing identities dominate nationalist discourse. Northern Ireland represents a clash of nationalisms where there is a serious conflict between core sources of shared cultural identity like symbols, myths and aspirations. Cultural, class, ethnic, gender and political identities intersect and require intricate negotiation. Second, women activists in Northern Ireland respond to the politics of location. Women’s communal activism is a situated politics of everyday life. Third, feminist analyses on ethnicity and nationalism in divided societies include a politics of plurality. Such a politics appreciates that common interests on issues of justice, equality and socio-economic matters will be interpreted differently. Despite women’s groups in Northern Ireland agreeing over many shared goals, entrenched divisions render it difficult to formulate common political agendas. Developing plural modes of citizenship that incorporate the diverse practices of women’s narratives is crucial.
