ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the loyalist and, more explicitly, on the Unionist community in general to try and identity the reasons why young Unionists might turn to violent behaviour. Given that the Good Friday Agreement guaranteed Northern Ireland’s stay within the United Kingdom (within certain restrictions) and hence seemed to establish ongoing power and political security for Unionists, it is somewhat surprising that their community seems to be increasingly unhappy with the agreement and its aftermath. Looking at economic factors, demographic changes, opposing movements within the Unionist areas, and the political situation in the United Kingdom and the European Union, this part uses the concept of social identity as a base to explore different theories of how young Unionists’ identities are shaped in a post-agreement Northern Ireland, given that the Good Friday Agreement aimed at erasing the social, political, and economic differences between the communities.
