Deliberating across Deep Divides

Deeply divided societies would seem to be infertile ground for mass deliberation. ‘Enclave deliberation’, among people on the same side, may well occur. But people on opposing sides may not trust one another, they may not listen with an open mind, or they may regard the other side's arguments as insincere cover for sectional interests. Perhaps, though, we underestimate their deliberative capacities? This article examines a deliberative poll ( DP ) in the O magh area of N orthern I reland, a society having only recently emerged from protracted violence, reflecting and reinforcing the deep divide between C atholics and P rotestants. The topic – the future of the local schools – was one on which many of the issues were heavily impinged by the C atholic– P rotestant divide. We examine the extent to which a representative sample, including both C atholics and P rotestants, was able to deliberate constructively and how the experience changed their policy attitudes and their opinions of one another.