Xu Publishes Article on Polarization Among Catholic and Protestant Youth in Northern Ireland
Posted: 2/5/2026 (CSDE Research)
CSDE Affiliate Jing Xu (Anthropology) and co-authors recently published an article in the Journal of Adolescent Research, titled “Exploring Facilitators and Disruptors of Polarization During Adolescence Within Contested Settings: A Case Study of Catholic and Protestant Youth in Northern Ireland.” Xu and her collaborators draw on interview data to identify key socializing actors and settings within established theoretical frameworks: Ecological Systems Theory, Social Identity, and Intergroup Contact. Findings reveal the importance of family, friends, school, and media as intersecting socializing actors for adolescents. Intergroup contact among peers from different ethno-religious backgrounds disrupted adolescents’ engagement in polarizing and divisive rhetoric. Lastly, adolescents perceived educational actors and settings as less influential than their personal connections to peers and family.