Young People and Interfaces Report - Institute for Conflict Research

YOUNG PEOPLE AND INTERFACES
3. Living at the Interface
The following section is structured thematically and aims to document some of the key
themes which emerged in the discussions with young people as well as the less formal
engagements with youth and interface workers.
3.1 Terminology
At the outset it is also important to recognise that while the majority of young people are familiar
with the term ‘interface’, and felt that it referred to a ‘border between two communities’ or ‘division’
more generally, a very small number of young participants had not previously heard of the term.
This is significant for two reasons. Firstly, it means that in terms of engaging with young people
researchers and those in the community and voluntary sector and beyond must be careful to not
further entrench an ‘us’ and ‘them’ mindset. Secondly, it is important that in its usage the term does
not become a mere byword for an area which only experiences violence with neighbouring
communities. While in many cases this can indeed be the case, this restricts the focus to some of
the more negative connotations which can be associated with living in interface areas. As such,
some young people preferred to focus on ‘my area’ as a point of reference for where they lived as
they felt that the term ‘interface’ was often predicated on these notions of tension or violence.
3.2 Views on the walls
While the vast majority of young people believed that one could live in an interface area if there
were no physical barriers or walls separating communities, for many the defining feature of an
interface area was that there was a physical barrier separating communities. In general, young
people were very aware of where the main interfaces were in relation to their local area, however
on one occasion several young people were unsure as to where some of the barriers in their
community were located:
…that big green fence? Are you talking about the one beside the school? I just thought that was
a wee entry (Young Catholic female).
There were very mixed views among young people as to the actual purpose which interface
barriers served. While the majority were aware of the reasons as to why the walls had been put up
in the first place in terms of ‘stopping the fighting’, there were differing views as to whether or not
the walls continued to serve any purpose. While one youth worker felt that the walls ‘limit young
people’s ability to metaphorically see life beyond their own environment’, some young participants
felt that the walls were now ‘pointless and ugly’ and ‘just make it worse’:
It’s just sort of excluding the communities in a way. Like it doesn’t do anything (Young Catholic
male).
I just think it blocks communities. It doesn’t make you any safer (Young Protestant male).
A small number of young people felt that as they were used to the presence of the walls, they were
therefore relatively meaningless to them:
The walls don’t really bother us – you get used to them… (Young Protestant female).
At various times young people debated amongst themselves as to whether or not they felt any
safer living in their area as a result of the walls:
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