Description
Any long-term goals requiring global cooperation need the dedication and support of a vast array of communities. However, as we strive for these global goals, expressions of alienation, political disenfranchisement, and scepticism of global initiatives build in communities who feel left behind in an increasingly neo-liberalised and multi-cultural world. This paper compares narratives of alienation and disenfranchisement in two such identity groups: the Ulster Loyalist and British white working-class communities. The high levels of alienation and disenfranchisement reported by these communities, traditionally thought to hold privileged positions within their societies due to racial or religious hierarchy, deserve close investigation. By incorporating a critical narrative analysis of documentary and interview materials, the paper allows for a more detailed picture of how institutional discourses relate to the everyday stories of these communities. It argues that a wider understanding of alienation is necessary to meaningfully compare the narratives of these two communities. In doing so, this comparison reveals the role of systemic factors driving mass experience and expression of alienation across mainland Britain and Northern Ireland. It is hoped that this understanding can contribute to creating global agendas which do not further alienate these communities but build trust and promote peace and partnership.
