Violence in a changing political context: Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland and South Africa are moving from conflict to post-conflict societies. Both countries have new political dispensations and seek to eschew the legacy of bitter and bloody violence. However, the history of the political struggles has embedded a culture tolerant of violence characterised by descriptions such as ‘an acceptable level of violence’ or ‘an imperfect peace’. Somehow, the threshold of violence is different/higher in these countries because of their transitional status.