‘The Ceasefire Generation’: exploring conflict legacy, continuity and change

Based on an analysis of my long-term research with young people in some of the communities most affected by Northern Ireland’s Conflict, this paper critically engages with the popular construct of the ‘Ceasefire Generation’. I utilise a social generations approach to examine how ‘post-conflict’ conditions shape the outlooks and experiences of young people born after the Good Friday (peace) Agreement. Focusing on three areas of life impacted by the new social and political framework of Northern Ireland – attitudes towards and experiences of integration, ethno-national identity, and violence – and among one generational unit, I demonstrate how generationalisms, large-scale survey data, and dominant peace narratives conceal complexities, enduring inequalities and the legacies of the past. Utilising the ‘Ceasefire Generation’ as a critical case study, the paper contributes to debates in Youth Studies regarding the analytical value of a generational approach for understanding how young people’s lives are (differentially) shaped by social, political and historical conditions. Addressing criticisms of the approach, the analysis demonstrates how a social generations approach can uncover continuity as well as change not only across generations, but also within them, illuminating social reproduction amidst social change.