Politics And Society In Contemporary Ireland

In the last quarter century, Ireland has experienced dramatic political and economic change. This broad-ranging text provides an accessible and up-to-date introduction to Irish society, politics and culture, as well as developments in its economy and place in Europe and the world.

This book demonstrates what the polling evidence tells us about changes in Irish opinion since 1970 towards key issues: The economy - has the Celtic tiger economy changed Irish citizens? --- Northern Ireland - have aspirations for a united Ireland disappeared with the peace process? --- The Liberal agenda - has Ireland become less conservative and a more tolerant society on issues such as divorce, abortion, and homosexuality? --- European integration - have Irish attitudes toward the EU changed since accession in 1973? The main source of data used in this research is media commissioned opinion polls that have been undertaken on behalf of The Irish Times and Independent Newspapers Ltd by Irish Marketing Services (IMS), Lansdowne Market Research, and the Market Research Bureau (MRBI). Using a variety of techniques, this book investigates the success of opinion polls in predicting election outcomes and some key factors underpinning political satisfaction ratings. It demonstrates that while there has been considerable socio-economic change in Ireland, there has been much stability in public opinion. An important puzzle is also addressed - why is public opinion on many issues, as measured in polls, inconsistent? This study shows that quite often the public does not have overarching views but has instead bundles of opinion. The book concludes that opinion polls do provide a unique and valuable insight into Irish public opinion, however, poll results do not speak for themselves and need to be interpreted with care.

Thirty years ago the Irish State embarked on a programme of development which rapidly transformed the economy and with it Irish society. This book is about that transformation and its effects. In particular, it focuses on the relationship between the policies pursued by the State and the class structure of Ireland. It argues that, despite promises of general prosperity, the benefits of Ireland's economic development have been very unevenly distributed, leading to a growing polarisation between social classes.

An examination of Irish society and politics, providing a wide-ranging introduction to the involvement of the middle classes in Irish political life and the public sphere accrosss the eighteenth and twentieth centuries. Combines analytical surveys and case/area studies to offer new perspectives on crucial movements and figures in Irish history.

A student-friendly overview of Ireland and the economic and social transformations since the 1980s

As Ireland made the transition from a rural to a post-industrial society from the 1970s onwards, Irish women developed a significant political voice. Long excluded from participation in the civic arena, they organised to make new, challenging and specific demands on government. The relationship between feminist representatives and political decision makers is at the core of this book. It shows how Irish women developed the political skills required to represent women's interests to government effectively, and finds that the political activity of the women's movement in the Republic of Ireland contributed to the dismantling of a range of discriminatory policies against women. Galligan discusses the compromises made by both sides as the political system slowly moved to accomodate the feminist agenda. In doing so, she explores the dynamics of Irish politics from a different, yet complementary, perspective from the institutional approach which characterizes other studies of the Irish political system. This book clearly marks the significant points in the creation of a more woman-friendly society in Ireland from the 1970s to the present day. It is the story of women's rights in contemporary Ireland.