Summary report on attitudes to community relations

ARK Occasional Paper 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey Summary report on attitudes to community relations Paula Devine May 2013 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 1

Contents Section 1: Background... 3 Section 2: Perception of community relations... 4 Section 3: Integration and segregation... 7 Section 4: Achievement of targets... 11 Section 5: Community and shared space... 14 Section 6: Flags and emblems... 17 Appendix... 19 Prepared by: Paula Devine ARK School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work Queen s University Belfast BT7 1NN Tel: 028 9097 3034 Email: p.devine@qub.ac.uk URL: www.ark.ac.uk/nilt 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 2

Section 1: Background The 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) Survey incorporated 1204 face-to-face interviews with adults aged 18 years or over. Most questions within the community relations module were included in the main face-to-face interview, which was carried out using computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI). A shorter self-completion section was then undertaken by the respondent, either using computer assisted self interviewing (CASI) or a paper self-completion booklet. All interviews were conducted during the period from 1st October 2012 to 10th January 2013 (although only 8 were carried out in January 2013). Interviewing was carried out by social survey interviewers employed by Perceptive Insight, in the respondents own home. 2012 was a mixed year in terms of community relations, and has been described as a game of two halves. The political and social situation for the earlier part of the year was relatively stable and peaceful. Notable events include the handshake between Queen Elizabeth and Martin McGuinness, and the announcement of the 2013 G8 summit in Fermanagh (Nolan, 2013). However, Nolan also comments that the 2012 marching season was more volatile than in recent years and contention over marching bands opened up new tensions. Furthermore, on 3rd December, Belfast City Council took the decision to restrict flying of Union flag on Belfast City Hall to 18 days per year. This led to a series of protests and demonstrations, which had serious implications for community relations in Northern Ireland. It is important to highlight that the NILT survey did not run in 2011, as funding could not be secured in time, which interrupts the useful year-on-year comparisons of previous reports. This may mean that differences between the 2012 survey and the previous survey appear more pronounced, as they reflect changes over two years, rather than one. This paper summarises some of the key results concerning community relations in Northern Ireland using NILT data. Section 2 updates time series of perceptions of community relations that have been explored in previous reports, using data from NILT and from the 1989-1996 Northern Ireland Social Attitudes (NISA) surveys. Section 3 is based on integration and segregation. Section 4 focuses on the achievement of targets and concepts within the Shared Future and Good Relations policies, while Section 5 examines new questions on community and shared space. Section 6 explores attitudes to flags and emblems. In conclusion, the Appendix gives tables of results for all community relations questions included in the survey. Please note that aggregated responses (for example, strongly agree and agree ) may vary slightly from that produced by straightforward addition of the individual responses, due to the application of the weight factor. The dataset and tables of results will be available on the NILT website (www.ark.ac.uk/nilt) on 4 June 2013. References: Nolan, Paul, 2013, The Northern Ireland Peace Monitoring Report. Number two, Belfast: Northern Ireland Community Relations Council 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 3

Section 2: Perception of community relations The 2012 NILT survey included questions on community relations and cross-community contact that have also been included in previous NILT surveys, as well as in many of the Northern Ireland Social Attitudes (NISA) Surveys, which ran from 1989 to 1996. Some of the questions were also included in the 1998 and 2003 Elections surveys. Results for these surveys are available on the ARK Surveys Online site at www.ark.ac.uk/sol/surveys/community_relations/time_series/ There are two key indicators that have been consistently used to monitor the public perception of the state of community relations, and results from the 2012 survey indicate some changes from recent years. Firstly, as shown in Figure 1, the proportion of respondents who believe that relations between Protestants and Catholics are better now than five years ago has fallen to 52%, which was the level in 2005. Figure 1: Perceptions of relations between Protestants and Catholics, now compared with years ago 100 90 80 70 60 % 50 40 30 20 10 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 Year Better Same Worse Figure 2 shows that this pattern is partially due to the large drop in positive views among Catholic respondents (from 67% to 53%), whilst the proportion of Protestant respondents thinking that relations are better now than five years ago has not dropped to the same extent (from 59% to 54%). Thus, the convergence of perception of Catholic and Protestants seen in 2009 has returned. What Figure 2 does not show is the large drop in the proportion of those with no religion thinking that community relations are better from 58% in 2010 to 41% in 2012. 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 4

Figure 2: % believing that relations between Protestants and Catholics are better now than 5 years ago, by religion 100 90 80 70 60 % 50 40 30 20 10 0 1989 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Year Protestant 2003 2004 2005 Catholic 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 Secondly, when looking towards the future, respondents are less optimistic about community relations than in previous years. Whilst nearly two thirds of respondents in 2007 (64%) felt that relations between Protestants and Catholics will be better in five years time, this figure fell to 52% in 2009, to 51% in 2010, and to 48% in 2012. Figure 3 shows that the decrease in Protestants thinking this is larger than for Catholics. The gap between these two groups has narrowed from 15 percentage points in 2010 to 8 percentage points in 2012. 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 5

Figure 3: % believing that relations between Protestants and Catholics will be better in 5 years time, by religion % 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1989 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Year Protestant 2003 2004 2005 2006 Catholic 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 Since 2007, Catholics have consistently been the most optimistic. Until 2010, Protestants had been the most pessimistic, although those with no religion at now the least optimistic. Table 1 shows that since 2007, the proportion of respondents saying that community relations will get better in 5 years time has fallen 19 percentage points among Catholic respondents, 14 percentage points among Protestant respondents, and 25 percentage points among those with no religion. As in previous years, the ongoing decrease in optimism about an improvement community relations has not coincided with a similar rise in the proportion who think that things will get worse. Instead, there has been a parallel increase in the proportion thinking that relations will stay about the same. Table 1: Perception of relations between Protestants and Catholics in 5 years time % 2007 Better 72 59 64 64 Worse 2 3 2 3 About the same 24 34 31 30 2008 Better 67 53 61 59 Worse 1 4 2 3 About the same 30 42 33 36 2009 Better 58 46 58 52 Worse 3 6 4 5 About the same 37 47 36 41 2010 Better 60 45 52 51 Worse 5 4 9 5 About the same 35 48 38 42 2012 Better 53 45 39 48 Worse 7 6 9 7 About the same 33 45 44 39 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 6

Section3: Integration and segregation Whilst the majority of respondents would still prefer to live in a mixed-religion neighbourhood, the level of support for this has fallen from 82% in 2010 to 72% in 2012. A similar pattern is seen in relation to preference for working in a mixed-religion workplace, which has fallen from 94% in 2010 to 81% in 2012. Evident in Figures 4 and 5 is the continued convergence of attitudes of Catholic and Protestant respondents. Figure 4: % who would prefer to live in a mixed-religion neighbourhood, by religion % 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1989 1991 1993 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 Year Protestant 2002 2003 2004 Catholic 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 Figure 5: % who would prefer a mixed-religion workplace, by religion % 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1989 1991 1993 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Year Protestant 2003 2004 2005 2006 Catholic 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 7

The proportion of respondents preferring to send their children to a mixed-religion school has also fallen, and this is the case for both Protestant and Catholic respondents, as shown in Figure 6. However, the gap between these two groups has narrowed slightly, from 13 percentage points in 2010 to 6 percentage points in 2012. Figure 6: % who would prefer to send their children to a mixed-religion school, by religion % 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1989 1991 1993 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Year Protestant 2003 2004 2005 2006 Catholic 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 Despite differing levels of support among Catholic and Protestant respondents, support for residential, workplace and school integration continues to be highest among those with no religion - see Tables A3-A5. Attitudes towards mixed-religion marriage were measured firstly by perceptions of how the general public would think, and secondly, by how the respondent themselves would think given a specific scenario. Around one half of respondents (51%) thought that most people in Northern Ireland would mind (a lot or a little) if a close relative were to marry someone of a different religion, which continues the decrease seen between 2009 (62%) and 2010 (56%). Figure 7 reflects a change in attitude among Protestant respondents, whilst the figure for Catholic respondents has remained steady. This is the reverse of the pattern between 2009 and 2010, meaning that the gap between these two groups has closed somewhat (14 percentage points in 2012, compared with 23 percentage points in 2010). Repeating the pattern found in previous years, the proportion of respondents who say that they personally would mind if a close relative married someone of a different religion is much lower (18%). Protestant respondents are more than twice as likely as Catholic respondents to take this view (28% and 12% respectively), and these figures are almost identical to those in 2010. 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 8

Figure 7: % who think that most people in Northern Ireland would mind having a close relative marry someone of a different religion, by religion % 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1989 1996 1998 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2012 Year Protestant Catholic Levels of day-to-day segregation among Life and Times respondents are fairly high, and these figures are broadly similar to previous years. In particular, Nearly two thirds of respondents (63%) say that all or most of their friends are the same religion as they are. Just over one half of respondents (58%) say that all or most of their neighbours are the same religion as they are. Table 2 indicates that Protestant and Catholic respondents experience similar patterns of segregation as each other. Table 2: Levels of segregation, by religion % saying all or most are the same religion* Friends 66 65 43 63 Neighbours 59 61 45 58 * excludes respondents who respond to this question by saying that they have no religion, or are not Catholic or Protestant As in previous years, such strong residential, familial and friendship segregation is within the context of the vast majority (87%) of respondents thinking that better relations between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland will only come about through more mixing of the two communities see Table A46 which is similar to the figures for the previous three years. Following on from this, respondents were presented with six different aspects of general life, and asked if they supported more or less mixing within each one. Across all these arenas, very few respondents (less than 2%) supported more separation. Reflecting this, Table 3 shows that there was overwhelming support for much or a bit more mixing in the 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 9

first five of the listed arenas, with a much lower level of support for mixing in people s marriages (albeit higher than the figure in 2010). Whilst Protestant respondents were the least supportive of increased mixing, the differentials between Catholic and Protestants are small, with the exception of marriage. Table 3: Support for mixing, by religion % saying much more or a bit more mixing All 2010 Primary school 83 81 87 82 85 Secondary school 86 82 87 84 85 Where people live 85 81 86 83 85 Where people work 89 84 89 87 85 Sports/leisure 89 84 89 87 88 Marriages 78 63 82 72 64 Despite the high level of support for mixing within schools, a very low proportion of children in Northern Ireland attend integrated schools. This may be due to ideological reasons, whilst other explanations may be more pragmatic, such as location or reputation. Thus, in 2012, the 27% of respondents with school-age children were asked to identify some of the reasons that helped to decide which school their child(ren) attended. Table 4 suggests that having a good reputation was the most important reason, and was identified by around three quarters of respondents. This was followed by ease of access (61%), a safe area (49%) and family or friends going there (48%). The religion of the school appears to be less important, with a school of our religion or a mixed religion school each being identified by around one in five respondents. Whilst the responses of Catholic and Protestant respondents were similar for most of the options, Catholic respondents were more likely than Protestant respondents to identify a school of our religion, whilst the reverse was true in relation to a mixed religion school. Table 4: Reasons that helped to decide which school children attended, by religion % of respondents with school age children identifying each reason* Catholic Protestant All Good reputation 79 73 73 Easy to get to 59 63 61 It s in a safe area 52 48 49 Family or friends go there 50 48 48 It s for both boys and girls 34 30 32 It s a school of our religion 33 12 22 It s a mixed religion school 14 26 20 There was no real choice 7 13 9 It s a single-sex school 5 7 6 Something else (specify) 11 8 9 Don t know 0 0 0 * due to the small number of respondents in this category, percentages cannot be calculated for those with no religion 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 10

Section 4: Achievement of targets A set of questions was introduced in the 2005 survey that focused on public perceptions of the government s strategy relating to good relations and a shared future. The following eight targets were listed: 1. Northern Ireland is a normal civic society in which all individuals are equal, where differences are resolved though dialogue and where all people are treated impartially 2. Northern Ireland is a place free from displays of sectarian aggression 3. Towns and city centres in Northern Ireland are safe and welcoming places for people of all walks of life 4. Schools in Northern Ireland are effective at preparing pupils for life in a diverse society 5. Schools in Northern Ireland are effective at encouraging understanding of the complexity of our history 6. The government is actively encouraging integrated schools 7. The government is actively encouraging schools of different religions to mix with each other by sharing facilities 8. The government is actively encouraging shared communities where people of all backgrounds can live, work, learn and play together For each target, respondents were asked to rate on a scale of 1 to 10 whether the target has been achieved. A score of 1 means that the target has definitely not been achieved, and a score of 10 means that the target definitely has been achieved. In previous years of the survey (2005-2007), the preamble to the question specifically stated that The government has set some targets about the kind of society that it wants Northern Ireland to become, and respondents were asked whether this target had been achieved. However, the preamble to the question changed in 2008. Instead of highlighting government targets, the text was People have ideas for the kind of society Northern Ireland should become. For each of the following statements, can you tell me on a scale of 1 to 10 whether you think that the idea has been achieved. Despite this change in text, and an acknowledgement of the effect this may have on responses, the following tables include statistics from previous years, in order to provide comparisons. The summary statistics (mean and median) presented in Table 5 indicate the similar patterns as in 2010. Firstly, for all targets, the mean score in 2010 approximately matches, or is slightly larger than, the figure for the previous year the largest difference between the means is 0.27 (target 8). The one exception is target 1, where there was a very small decrease of 0.12). Secondly, the 2012 mean scores for six out of the eight targets are higher than the 2005 figure, which suggests an improvement over the 7 years in the perception of how well government is achieving the targets. The two exceptions both relate to education target 6 (The government is actively encouraging integrated schools) and target 7 (The government is actively encouraging schools of different religions to mix with each other by sharing facilities). As in 2009 and 2010, target 7 still maintains the highest mean score. Target 2 (Northern Ireland is a place free from displays of sectarian aggression) continues to be the least successful, as evidenced by the fact that one quarter of respondents (27%) think this has definitely not been achieved.. 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 11

Table 5: Rating of target achievement %* Target number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 - Definitely NOT achieved 12 27 7 4 5 4 3 3 2 10 20 6 4 5 4 4 5 3 12 16 10 6 7 6 6 6 4 15 13 11 10 10 7 7 9 5 18 13 20 23 22 19 17 18 6 13 6 9 15 16 19 17 16 7 12 4 15 16 17 18 18 18 8 6 1 11 13 12 14 16 16 9 1 <0.5 6 5 4 6 8 6 10 - Definitely has been achieved 2 1 5 2 3 4 4 4 Mean 2012 4.52 3.07 5.41 5.65 5.58 5.90 6.13 5.97 Mean 2010 4.64 3.06 5.36 5.60 5.43 5.68 6.08 5.70 Mean 2009 4.60 3.12 5.15 5.71 5.49 5.58 6.00 5.54 Mean 2008 4.37 3.16 4.86 5.47 5.33 5.58 5.83 5.23 Mean 2007 4.94 3.50 5.22 5.68 5.46 6.02 6.09 5.63 Mean 2006 4.22 3.02 4.72 5.43 5.20 5.86 5.88 5.51 Mean 2005 3.90 2.55 4.40 5.17 5.03 6.21 6.19 5.38 Median 2012 5 3 5 6 6 6 6 6 Median 2010 5 3 5 6 5 6 6 6 Median 2009 5 3 5 6 5 5 6 6 Median 2008 5 3 5 5 5 5 6 5 Median 2007 5 3 5 6 5 6 6 6 Median 2006 4 3 5 5 5 6 6 5 Median 2005 4 2 4 5 5 7 6 5 * the don t know responses have been excluded from this table, in order to calculate mean and median scores As in 2010, Catholic respondents have the highest mean score for seven out of eight targets, whilst respondents with no religion are the most pessimistic in relation to all eight targets (see Table 6). Looking at the difference between the largest and smallest mean score for each target gives an indication of the diversity or consistency of opinion among the three religious categories. The smallest difference in mean scores between the religious groups in 2010 relates to target 2 (Northern Ireland is a place free from displays of sectarian aggression), followed closed by target 3 (Towns and city centres in Northern Ireland are safe and welcoming places for people of all walks of life), which indicates that all three groups feel similarly about how well these aspirations have been achieved. From 2008 to 2010, the largest max-min difference related to target 5 (Schools in Northern Ireland are effective at encouraging understanding of the complexity of our history). However, this position is now held by target 7, where the mean score for Catholic respondents is 6.29, compared with 5.35 for respondents with no religion. 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 12

Table 6: Mean scores by religion of respondent (highest mean scores are in bold), by religion 1. Northern Ireland is a normal civic society in which all individuals are equal, where differences are resolved though dialogue and where all people are treated impartially Cath Prot No religion Max-min 4.55 4.67 3.98.69 2. Northern Ireland is a place free from displays of sectarian aggression 3.17 3.02 2.79.38 3. Towns and city centres in Northern Ireland are safe and welcoming places for people of all walks of life 5.54 5.38 5.15.39 4. Schools in Northern Ireland are effective at preparing pupils for life in a diverse society 5.78 5.74 5.03.75 5. Schools in Northern Ireland are effective at encouraging understanding of the complexity of our history 5.80 5.53 5.07.73 6. The government is actively encouraging integrated schools 6.05 6.00 5.18.87 7. The government is actively encouraging schools of different religions to mix with each other by sharing facilities 6.29 6.23 5.35.94 8. The government is actively encouraging shared communities where people of all backgrounds can live, work, learn and play together 6.10 6.06 5.32.78 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 13

Section 5: Community and shared space To further develop the theme of shared space, a new battery of questions was included in the Community Relations module in 2012, which were focused on the area where the respondent lived. Around two thirds of respondents (67%) thought that there was a very or fairly strong sense of community among the people living within half a mile of them. This was lower for those with no religion (58%) than for Catholic (71%) or Protestant (69%) respondents. Most respondents (71%) felt a sense of belonging to that community, and again, this was lowest for those with no religion (60%), than for Catholic (73%) or Protestant (75%) respondents. As might be expected those living in an area with a strong sense of community were more likely to feel a sense of belonging to the community. Respondents were then asked to identify some of the reasons why they decided to live in their area. As might be expected, people live in an area for a variety of reasons, and more than half of respondents identified at least three options. Being near family and friends was important for one half of respondents, closed followed by having always lived in that area (47%) and safety (39%). The religious make up of the area was identified by a small proportion of respondents, with a mixed area being identified by a higher proportion than those identifying single religion areas. Responses of Catholic and Protestant respondents were fairly similar, although being near family and friends, and good quality or affordable housing was identified by a higher proportion of Protestants. Those with no religion were least tied to family and friends, and least likely to have always lived around their area. Table 7: Reasons for living in area, by religion % identifying each reason Catholic Protestant No religion All Near family or friends 48 55 38 50 I ve always lived around here 49 50 35 47 It s a safe area 36 39 42 39 It s easy to get to work, school or college 34 40 31 36 Good quality housing 26 37 31 32 Near shops 26 27 28 27 Affordable housing 23 31 29 27 There is a sense of community 23 25 24 23 It s a mixed area 16 16 18 16 It s rural 15 17 15 16 I had no choice 11 11 12 11 It s a Catholic area 11 <0.5 1 5 It s a Protestant area 0 9 2 4 It s urban 4 5 4 4 Something else (specify) 11 10 17 12 Don t know 0 0 0 <0.5 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 14

Looking further at the idea of shared space, around three in five respondents did not think that their community was divided, and this was similar for Protestant and Catholic respondents. Only 12% thought otherwise, that is, that Protestants and Catholics tend to go to different shops or use different services (see Table A20). Respondents were then asked if four specific local facilities were shared and open to both Protestants and Catholics. Whilst the majority thought that leisure centres (84%), parks (85%) and libraries (90%) were, a much smaller proportion thought this in relation to pubs (55%). The module then explored willingness to move outside the local area. The vast majority of respondents said that they would be happy to change to a GP in either a Catholic of Protestant area. Nevertheless, as might be expected, Catholic respondents were slightly less willing to move to a surgery in a Protestant area, and vice versa. Table 8: Willingness to move to GP surgery in another area, by religion % who would not mind moving to... GP surgery in mainly Catholic area 93 77 84 84 GP surgery in mainly Protestant area 81 92 89 86 Respondents were then asked to think about an event that they wanted to go to in a nearby town, and consider how they would feel if it was to be held in four different premises. Overall, each location was deemed to be very or quite safe by the majority of respondents, with secondary schools being seen as particularly safe: eight out of ten respondents said they would feel safe in a Catholic secondary school, with a similar proportion saying this in relation to a Protestant secondary school. Nevertheless, there were differences according to the religion of the respondents (see Table 9). Thus, less than one half of Catholic respondents would feel safe in an Orange Hall, and a similar proportion of Protestant respondents said that they would feel safe in a GAA club. For three out of the four locations, the proportion of respondents with no religion feeling safe was between that for Catholics and for Protestants. The exception is a Protestant secondary school, where this group was the most likely to feel safe. Table 9: Feeling of safety in locations in nearby town, by religion % feeling very or quite safe A GAA club (Gaelic Sports club) 89 49 59 67 An Orange hall 46 79 67 62 A Catholic secondary school 92 72 77 81 A Protestant secondary school 78 84 88 82 Related to feelings of security, the vast majority of respondents (94%) said that they had not been put off going to an event because they felt that people of their religion might not be welcome there, and this was the case for both Catholic and Protestant respondents. Similarly, 94% of respondents said that they have not avoided using public transport to get 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 15

somewhere because it would take you through an area where people of your religion might not be welcome. Within the self-completion questionnaire, two new questions about rioting or sectarian troubles were included. The first of these asked if these had taken place in the respondent s neighbourhood in the previous year: four out of five said that they had not, although 8 per cent were not sure (see Table A59). When asked to identify the main reason why some people get involved in rioting or sectarian trouble, three out of ten blamed paramilitaries, or a specific incident. Those with no religion were most likely to identify paramilitaries as the main reason, and were least likely to identify a specific incident see Table 10. Table 10: Main reason that some people get involved in rioting or sectarian trouble, by religion % Paramilitaries organise it 26 34 39 31 A specific incident usually sparks it 31 30 24 29 People like the excitement 15 12 10 13 It s a response to being provoked 12 13 10 12 Something else please say what 6 4 5 5 Can t choose 11 8 12 11 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 16

Section 6: Flags and emblems The 2012 survey incorporated several long-standing time-series questions on flags, which are pertinent given the dispute about flying of the Union flag over Belfast city Hall which began in December 2012. Overall, around one in eight respondents feel that there has been an increase in the amount of republican murals and flags, whilst the proportion thinking this about loyalist emblems is slightly higher see Table 11. There has been a fall in the proportion of respondents saying that there are less flags, and this has been matched by an increase saying that they did not know. Matching the pattern in of previous years, more Protestants than Catholics think there are more republican displays, while the reverse is true in relation to loyalist emblems see Tables A12 and A15. Table 11: Perception of amount of flags compared to five years ago % Republican murals and flags Loyalist murals and flags More 13 18 Less 32 28 About the same 42 45 Don t know 12 9 Within the self-completion questionnaire, respondents were asked who they think usually puts up flags on lampposts. In general, the perception of who puts up Union flags and who puts up Irish Tricolours on lampposts are similar, with paramilitary groups being identified by just over one half of respondents for each scenario (see Table 12). One difference is that town councils are perceived by 13% of respondents as being responsible for putting up Union flags on lampposts, while the relevant figure relating to Irish Tricolours is 4%. These perceptions are mostly consistent for all religious groups. However, Catholic respondents were less likely to think that cultural or community groups were responsible for putting up flags, but more likely to think that isolated individuals were (see Tables A53 and A54). Table 12: Perceptions of who puts up flags on lampposts % identifying each source Union flags Irish Tricolour Town councils 13 4 Political parties 21 24 Cultural groups 20 23 Paramilitary groups 56 59 Other community groups 15 15 Isolated individuals 28 31 Don t know 15 13 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 17

Few respondents supported flying the Union flag or the Irish Tricolor on lampposts on mail streets all year round. However, Tables 13 and 14 indicate that there have been several small changes in attitudes towards the legitimacy of flying of flags on lampposts. In particular, the proportion of those saying that never has fallen in relation to both flags, and 14% give a conditional answer. Reflecting the pattern seen in 2010, similar proportions of Catholics feel it is never legitimate to fly the Union flag in these circumstances (29%) as feel it is never legitimate to fly the Irish Tricolour (26%). However, these figures are less than in 2010 (42% and 40% respectively). The proportion of Protestant respondents saying that the Irish Tricolour should never be flown on lampposts on main streets has dropped from 50% in 2008 to 41% in 2010 and 34% in 2012. Around one third of this proportion (11%) feels that the same in relation to the Union flag - see Tables A55 and A56. Table 13: Perceptions of when it is legitimate to fly a Union flag on lampposts on main streets % 2010 2012 All year round 5 4 Only for a few weeks around special events 42 41 For the months around special events 12 13 Never 28 21 It depends 9 14 Can't choose 4 7 Table 14: Perceptions of when it is legitimate to fly an Irish Tricolour on lampposts on main streets % 2010 2012 All year round 1 2 Only for a few weeks around special events 33 35 For the months around special events 9 10 Never 42 31 It depends 11 14 Can't choose 5 7 As well as questions about flag flying on lampposts in main streets in Northern Ireland, respondents were also asked if they would support flag flying on lampposts in their own neighbourhood. Three quarters of respondents said that they did not (down from 81% in 2010), with a higher proportion of Catholic respondents saying this (81%) compared with those with no religion (78%) or Protestant respondents (67%) see Table A16 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 18

Appendix Note: Due to rounding, column totals will not always total 100%. Table A1. What about relations between Protestants and Catholics? Would you say they are better than they were 5 years ago, worse, or about the same now as then? Better 53 54 41 52 Worse 6 7 5 6 About the same 37 36 48 38 Other <0.5 1 1 1 (Don t know) 4 2 5 4 Table A2. And what about in 5 years time? Do you think relations between Protestants and Catholics will be better than now, worse than now, or about the same as now? Better 53 45 39 48 Worse 7 6 9 7 About the same 33 45 44 39 Other 1 <0.5 0 1 (Don t know) 6 4 8 6 Table A3. If you had a choice, would you prefer to live in a neighbourhood with people of only your own religion, or in a mixed-religion neighbourhood? Own religion only 19 22 9 19 Mixed religion neighbourhood 71 70 78 72 Other 6 5 8 6 Don t know 4 3 5 4 Table A4. And if you were working and had to change your job, would you prefer a workplace with people of only your own religion, or a mixed religion workplace? Own religion only 12 12 3 10 Mixed religion workplace 81 79 87 81 Other 4 6 6 5 Don t know 3 3 4 3 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 19

Table A5. And if you were deciding where to send your children to school, would you prefer a school with children of only your own religion, or a mixed-religion school? Own religion only 37 31 8 30 Mixed religion school 56 62 81 62 Other 5 3 5 4 Don t know 3 4 6 4 Table A6. What are some of the reasons that helped to decide which school(s) they would go to? (% of respondents with school age children identifying each reason) Catholic Protestant All % % % Good reputation 79 73 73 Easy to get to 59 63 61 Family or friends go there 50 48 48 It s a single-sex school 5 7 6 It s for both boys and girls 34 30 32 It s a school of our religion 33 12 22 It s mixed religion school 14 26 20 It s in a safe area 52 48 49 There was no real choice 7 13 9 Something else (specify) 11 8 9 Don t know 0 0 0 * due to the small number of respondents in this category, percentages cannot be calculated for those with no religion Table A7. Which of these best describes the way you think of yourself? British 9 68 42 39 Irish 68 3 11 32 Ulster <0.5 2 5 2 Northern Irish 17 24 30 22 Other (WRITE IN) 7 3 12 6 (Don t know) 0 <0.5 0 <0.5 Table A8. And do you think most people in Northern Ireland would mind or not mind if one of their close relatives were to marry someone of a different religion? Would mind a lot 11 18 8 13 Would mind a little 34 40 41 37 Would not mind 48 38 41 43 (Don t know) 8 4 10 7 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 20

Table A9. And you personally, would you mind or not mind? Would mind a lot 4 10 1 6 Would mind a little 8 19 8 13 Would not mind 86 70 90 79 (Don t know) 3 2 1 2 Table A10. Has there been any time in the last year when you personally have felt intimidated by republican murals, kerb paintings, or flags? Yes 11 15 12 12 No 89 85 87 87 Other 0 <0.5 1 <0.5 Don t know <0.5 0 0 <0.5 Table A11. Has there been any time in the last year when you personally have felt annoyed by republican murals, kerb paintings, or flags? Yes 19 27 23 23 No 80 72 77 76 Other <0.5 <0.5 0 <0.5 Don t know 1 1 1 1 Table A12. Do you think there are more republican murals and flags on display these days than there were five years ago, less, or about the same number? More 11 17 16 13 Less 41 27 25 32 About the same number 39 45 46 42 Other <0.5 0 0 <0.5 Don t know 9 12 14 12 Table A13. And has there been any time in the last year when you personally have felt intimidated by loyalist murals, kerb paintings, or flags? Yes 24 10 14 17 No 73 87 82 80 Other <0.5 1 0 1 Don t know 3 2 4 3 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 21

Table A14. And has there been any time in the last year when you personally have felt annoyed by loyalist murals, kerb paintings, or flags? Yes 34 23 29 28 No 63 75 70 70 Other 1 <0.5 0 1 Don t know 2 2 1 2 Table A15. Do you think there are more loyalist murals and flags on display these days than there were five years ago, less, or about the same number? More 24 14 16 18 Less 22 34 27 28 About the same number 43 46 47 45 Other 1 <0.5 0 1 Don t know 10 6 11 9 Table A16. In general, would you, or do you support flag flying on lampposts in your own neighbourhood? Yes 9 22 14 15 No 81 67 78 75 Other, please specify 5 6 5 5 Don t know 5 5 3 5 Table A17. Thinking of the area within about half a mile of here. Do you think there is a strong sense of community or a weak sense of community among people living here? Very strong 32 25 17 26 Fairly strong 39 43 41 41 Neither 9 13 12 12 Fairly weak 13 12 18 13 Very weak 3 3 5 4 Don t know/not sure 5 3 7 5 Table A18. And do you personally feel a sense of belonging to that community? Yes, definitely 42 36 28 37 Yes, probably 32 39 31 34 Probably not 18 19 23 20 Definitely not 7 3 17 7 (Don t know) 2 3 2 3 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 22

Table A19. What are some of the reasons why you decided to live in this area? Catholic Protestant No All religion It s easy to get to work, school or college 34 40 31 36 Near family or friends 48 55 38 50 I ve always lived around here 49 50 35 47 Affordable housing 23 31 29 27 Good quality housing 26 37 31 32 Near shops 26 27 28 27 It s a safe area 36 39 42 39 It s rural 15 17 15 16 It s urban 4 5 4 4 It s a Catholic area 11 <0.5 1 5 It s a Protestant area 0 9 2 4 It s a mixed area 16 16 18 16 There is a sense of community 23 25 24 23 I had no choice 11 11 12 11 Something else (specify) 11 10 17 12 Don t know 0 0 0 <0.5 Table A20. In some areas the communities are divided and Protestants and Catholics tend to go to different local shops or use different GP surgeries and other services. Thinking about this area, would you say that this happens a lot, a little or not at all? A lot 13 11 13 12 A little 23 20 19 21 Not at all 55 62 59 58 Don t know 9 8 9 9 Table A21. Suppose you had to change to another GP in the wider area. Would you mind if you had to move to a GP surgery that was in a mainly Catholic area? Yes 4 19 9 11 No 93 77 84 84 Don t know 3 4 7 5 Table A22. And would you mind if you had to move to a GP surgery that was in a mainly Protestant area? Yes 13 5 6 9 No 81 92 89 86 Don t know 6 3 5 5 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 23

Table A23. Are facilities in this area shared and open to both Protestants and Catholics? Yes definitely Yes probably No probably not No definitely not Don t know % Leisure centres 61 23 7 4 5 Parks 61 24 8 4 4 Libraries 67 24 4 2 3 Pubs 34 21 19 15 11 * excludes respondents saying none in this area Table A24. Are facilities in this area shared and open to both Protestants and Catholics? (% saying Yes, definitely or Yes, probably ) Leisure centres 82 86 87 84 Parks 84 84 89 85 Libraries 92 89 92 90 Pubs 53 55 61 55 Table A25. Supposing there was an event that you wanted to go to in a nearby town. How safe do you think you would you feel going if it was to be held in these premises? Very Quite Neither safe Quite Very Don t safe safe nor unsafe unsafe unsafe know % % A GAA club (Gaelic Sports club) 40 27 12 10 4 6 An Orange hall 30 32 18 10 5 6 A Catholic secondary school 49 32 11 4 2 3 A Protestant secondary school 46 36 12 3 1 3 Table A26. Supposing there was an event that you wanted to go to in a nearby town. How safe do you think you would you feel going if it was to be held in these premises? (% saying Very safe or Quite safe. A GAA club (Gaelic Sports club) 89 49 59 67 An Orange hall 46 79 67 62 A Catholic secondary school 92 72 77 81 A Protestant secondary school 78 84 88 82 Table A27. During the last year have you ever been put off going to an event because you felt that people of your religion might not be welcome there? Yes 5 5 5 5 No 94 94 93 94 Don t know 1 1 2 1 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 24

Table A28. During the last year have you ever avoided using public transport to get somewhere because it would take you through an area where people of your religion might not be welcome? Yes 4 3 2 3 No 96 96 98 97 Don t know <0.5 <0.5 0 <0.5 * Excludes respondents who say that they don t use public transport Table A29. Suppose you were applying for a job, would you avoid workplaces situated in a mainly Protestant area? Catholic Protestant No All religion Yes, definitely 6 2 4 4 Yes, probably 18 6 6 11 Probably not 30 15 17 22 Definitely not 43 74 71 59 (Don t know) 4 3 2 4 Table A30. Suppose you were applying for a job, would you avoid workplaces situated in a mainly Catholic area? Yes, definitely 2 7 3 4 Yes, probably 5 14 8 9 Probably not 21 26 21 23 Definitely not 71 49 66 61 (Don t know) 2 5 2 4 Table A31. About how many of your friends would you say are the same religion as you?* All 11 10 4 10 Most 55 55 40 53 Half 27 26 38 28 Less than half 6 7 12 7 None <0.5 0 0 <0.5 (Don t know) 1 1 7 2 * excludes those who respond to this question by saying that they have no religion, or are not Catholic or Protestant 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 25

Table A32. What about your neighbours? About how many are the same religion as you?* All 25 15 10 19 Most 34 46 35 39 Half 22 21 21 21 Less than half 9 6 8 8 None 2 1 1 1 (Don t know) 7 12 25 12 * excludes those who respond to this question by saying that they have no religion, or are not Catholic or Protestant Table A33. How much do you understand about the Catholic community s culture and traditions? Would you say a lot, 80 28 43 52 a little, 16 54 38 35 hardly anything, 3 15 11 9 or nothing at all? 1 3 7 3 Don t know 1 <0.5 1 1 Table A34. And how much do you understand about the Protestant community s culture and traditions? Would you say a lot, 35 71 51 51 a little, 47 26 34 37 hardly anything, 14 3 8 9 or nothing at all? 4 0 7 3 Don t know <0.5 1 1 1 Table A35. How much respect do you have for the Catholic community s culture and traditions? Would you say a lot, 81 53 50 65 a little, 16 34 37 27 hardly any 1 8 5 5 or none at all? <0.5 2 2 1 (Don t know) 1 3 5 2 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 26

Table A36. How much respect do you have for the Protestant community s culture and traditions? Would you say a lot, 60 77 56 66 a little, 29 19 32 26 hardly any 7 1 6 5 or none at all? 1 <0.5 2 1 (Don t know) 2 2 4 3 People have ideas for the kind of society Northern Ireland should become. For each of the following statements, can you tell me on a scale of 1 to 10 whether you think that the idea has been achieved. You can give a score of 1 if you think that it has definitely not been achieved and a score of 10 if you think that it definitely has been achieved, or you can give a score somewhere between 1 and 10 if you think it has been partly achieved. You might not personally agree with some of the ideas but please score them anyway. Table A37. Northern Ireland is a normal civic society in which all individuals are equal, where differences are resolved though dialogue and where all people are treated impartially 1-3 33 30 42 33 4-6 46 45 41 45 7+ 18 24 13 20 Don t know 3 1 4 3 Table A38. Northern Ireland is a place free from displays of sectarian aggression 1-3 61 63 65 62 4-6 31 32 27 31 7+ 7 4 4 5 Don t know 2 1 4 2 Table A39. Towns and city centres in Northern Ireland are safe and welcoming places for people of all walks of life 1-3 23 22 27 22 4-6 36 43 38 40 7+ 39 45 32 36 Don t know 3 1 3 2 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 27

Table A40. Schools in Northern Ireland are effective at preparing pupils for life in a diverse society 1-3 12 13 19 13 4-6 45 45 43 45 7+ 36 35 22 33 Don t know 7 7 15 9 Table A41. Schools in Northern Ireland are effective at encouraging understanding of the complexity of our history 1-3 13 15 21 15 4-6 40 46 43 43 7+ 38 31 21 32 Don t know 10 9 15 11 Table A42. The government is actively encouraging integrated schools 1-3 12 11 24 13 4-6 39 43 38 41 7+ 40 40 28 38 Don t know 10 6 11 9 Table A43. The government is actively encouraging schools of different religions to mix with each other by sharing facilities 1-3 10 9 22 11 4-6 36 38 36 37 7+ 45 45 29 42 Don t know 9 7 12 9 Table A44. The government is actively encouraging shared communities where people of all backgrounds can live, work, learn and play together 1-3 13 9 21 12 4-6 36 44 39 40 7+ 44 42 30 41 Don t know 7 6 9 7 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 28

Table A45. Equality laws have been drawn up in Northern Ireland to make sure that everyone is treated equally. In your view, are any of the groups on this card generally treated unfairly when compared with other groups? % identifying each group Catholics 13 5 11 9 Protestants 7 11 12 9 Gays/lesbians/bisexuals 45 35 40 40 Disabled 25 28 29 27 Elderly 22 26 27 24 Travellers 41 29 39 35 Other ethnic minorities 28 21 32 25 Women 8 5 11 7 Men 5 3 5 4 Transgender people 39 28 44 34 Children 5 5 8 5 Self-completion questionnaire Table A46. Some people think that better relations between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland will only come about through more mixing of the two communities. Others think that better relations will only come about through more separation. Which comes closest to your views Catholic Protestant No All religion Better relations will come about through more mixing 87 88 86 87 Better relations will come about through more separation 3 5 4 4 Can t choose 10 7 10 9 Table A47. And are you in favour of more mixing or more separation in primary schools? Catholic Protestant No All religion Much more mixing 48 43 65 48 Bit more mixing 35 38 22 35 Keep things as they are 15 18 8 15 Bit more separation <0.5 <0.5 1 1 Much more separation <0.5 <0.5 0 <0.5 Can t choose 1 1 4 2 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 29

Table A48. And are you in favour of more mixing or more separation in secondary and grammar schools? Catholic Protestant No All religion Much more mixing 49 43 65 48 Bit more mixing 36 40 22 36 Keep things as they are 11 16 8 13 Bit more separation <0.5 1 1 1 Much more separation <0.5 <0.5 1 <0.5 Can t choose 2 1 4 2 Table A49. And are you in favour of more mixing or more separation in where people live? Catholic Protestant No All religion Much more mixing 47 38 57 44 Bit more mixing 38 43 29 39 Keep things as they are 13 17 9 14 Bit more separation <0.5 <0.5 1 <0.5 Much more separation 1 <0.5 1 1 Can t choose 2 1 3 2 Table A50. And are you in favour of more mixing or more separation in where people work? Catholic Protestant No All religion Much more mixing 52 43 60 49 Bit more mixing 37 41 29 38 Keep things as they are 9 14 7 11 Bit more separation <0.5 <0.5 1 <0.5 Much more separation <0.5 <0.5 1 <0.5 Can t choose 2 1 4 2 Table A51. And are you in favour of more mixing or more separation in people s leisure or sports activities? Catholic Protestant No All religion Much more mixing 54 45 62 51 Bit more mixing 35 40 27 36 Keep things as they are 9 15 7 11 Bit more separation 0 <0.5 1 <0.5 Much more separation 1 <0.5 1 1 Can t choose 2 <0.5 3 2 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 30

Table A52. And are you in favour of more mixing or more separation in people s marriages? Catholic Protestant No All religion Much more mixing 43 29 56 39 Bit more mixing 35 34 27 33 Keep things as they are 18 29 11 22 Bit more separation 1 1 1 1 Much more separation <0.5 2 1 1 Can t choose 3 5 5 5 Table A53. Thinking about flags being flown on lampposts in Northern Ireland, in your opinion, who usually puts up Union flags on lampposts? Table shows % of respondents identifying each source. Catholic Protestant No All religion Town councils 11 13 14 13 Political parties 24 20 17 21 Cultural groups 15 25 24 20 Paramilitary groups 51 58 65 56 Other community groups 10 20 21 15 Isolated individuals 31 27 22 28 Don t know 19 9 14 15 Table A54. In your opinion, who usually puts up Irish Tricolour flags on lampposts? Table shows % of respondents identifying each source. Catholic Protestant No All religion Town councils 4 4 4 4 Political parties 26 23 19 24 Cultural groups 19 27 27 23 Paramilitary groups 50 66 70 59 Other community groups 12 17 22 15 Isolated individuals 35 29 25 31 Don t know 14 11 14 13 Table A55. And thinking about flags flown on lampposts on main streets in Northern Ireland, when do you think it is legitimate to display Union flags on main streets? All year round 1 6 5 4 Only for a few weeks around special events 40 44 37 41 For the months around special events 9 18 12 13 Never 29 11 25 21 It depends 14 16 12 14 Can't choose 8 5 8 7 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 31

Table A56. And thinking about flags flown on lampposts on main streets in Northern Ireland, when do you think it is legitimate to display Irish Tricolours on main streets? All year round 4 1 0 2 Only for a few weeks around special events 39 32 35 35 For the months around special events 9 12 8 10 Never 26 34 37 31 It depends 13 16 11 14 Can't choose 7 5 9 7 Table A57. Would you be less willing to shop in neighbourhoods with displays of loyalist flags or murals, more willing or would it make no difference? Less willing 48 22 32 34 More willing 1 6 2 3 Would make no difference 45 71 60 59 Can't choose 6 2 6 4 Table A58. Would you be less willing to shop in neighbourhoods with displays of republican flags or murals, more willing or would it make no difference? Less willing 26 44 47 37 More willing 6 1 1 3 Would make no difference 62 52 47 56 Can't choose 6 3 5 5 Table A59. Have there been any riots or sectarian troubles in this neighbourhood in the last twelve months? Yes 12 12 13 12 No 80 83 76 80 Not sure 9 5 11 8 Table A60. In your opinion, what is the main reason that some people get involved in rioting or sectarian trouble? A specific incident usually sparks it 31 30 24 29 It s a response to being provoked 12 13 10 12 People like the excitement 15 12 10 13 Paramilitaries organise it 26 34 39 31 Something else please say what 6 4 5 5 Can t choose 11 8 12 11 2012 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey: Attitudes to community relations 32