Researcher ORCID Identifier

0009-0003-6888-798X

Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Politics and International Relations

Second Department

Writing and Rhetoric

Reader 1

Glenn Simshaw

Reader 2

Mar Golub

Abstract

This thesis explores the Official IRA and Provisional IRA’s distinct approaches to pursuing Irish independence during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. After examining the organizations’ split and the role of identity in the conflict, the paper categorizes both IRA organizations as “ideologically-endowed,” following Weinstein’s theory of insurgent violence. Through rhetorical analysis, this thesis posits that violence varies based on how an insurgency communicates its ideology to the public. Holding political and cultural context constant, it analyzes the rhetorical appeals used by each group to gain support, mobilize resource-contribution, and convince the public of their ideology. The research finds that “separative” rhetoric (what Dryzek terms “bonding” rhetoric), predicts more extreme violence, while “bridging” rhetoric facilitates institutional means of problem solving. This complicates Weinstein’s binary and proposes a revised theory of insurgent violence — one that emphasizes the communication of ideology, rather than ideology itself.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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