A Study on Inter-relationship between Economic and Religious Factors in Northern Ireland Problem

Abstract

(1)The author has stressed a colonial setting in Northern Ireland economy, which has polarized economic interests among people. For intance, he has found out a great disparity of wealth between industrialzed enclave around Belfast and agrarian districts, which is a result of too much dependence of export and imoprt on Britain. Monopolization of higher staffs in local government and entrepreneurs by Protestant is a result of colonial ruling as well. (2)The author has found out a dualism in social sanction in rural areas. They devide their universe into two fundamental categories, 'friends'(kin) and 'strangers'(non-kin). They distinguish relations between kinsmen from relations between non-kin. Dualism as such is peculiar to traditional societies according to Max Weber. (3)Under the influence of industrialization and social conflicts which the colonial setting has engendered, 'Protestant ethos'(M.Weber)has been fossilized. Protestant people insist that they are superior to Catholic people by nature. On the other hand, Catholic ethos is not suitable to industrialized economy. Catholic people have suffered from their 'inferiority complex', while they have denounced that money and what it brings are God for Protestant people. (4)Polarization of economic interests, tradional dualism in social sanction, and fossilization of Protestant and Catholic ethos have intermingled to engender social conflicts in Northern Ireland.