Integration, Forms of Communication and Development: Center-Periphery Relations in Ireland, Past and Present

Samenvatting

Until the last quarter of the 19th century, Ireland was characterized by a rigid social dichotomy. Its political center was strongly established but interfered only incidentally with the lives of the predominantly rural population. The relationship between center and periphery was limited in size and scope; effective central control and a bureaucratic apparatus were small. Brokerage was the main institution that linked center and periphery. When England began to reorganize its administrative system at the turn of the century, the impact was also felt in Ireland where bureaucracy expanded explosively after 1922. The main question asked is: "why does the periphery continue to make use of the informal communication mechanism of brokerage, while the center increases its influence on the periphery through an ever-expanding bureaucratic apparatus?" 3 factors are offered in explanation: (1) the cultural factor, (2) the electoral system, and (3) the nature of the relationship between brokers and bureaucrats. The general conclusion is that a widespread idea, namely that brokerage is a result of a country's poor development, can also be reversed. J. Shiffer