The Relative Deprivation Concept. (Xxxxx Xxxxxxx) and the underlying causes of the outbreak of The Troubles (1968-1969) Xxxxxxx argues that there is enough evidence to substantiate the view that most Catholics consider themselves unjustly treated in comparison to Protestants (Xxxxxxx, 1972, pp. 320-321). Taking into account Xxxxxxxx‟s three categories of inequalities, which are explained in the Introduction Chapter, in the Northern Ireland case, grievances concerning economic deprivation focused mostly on religious discrimination in employment opportunities in both public and private sectors. (ibid, p. 321) Xxxx found out that two-thirds of all the unemployed are Catholics, whereas Catholics constitute one-third of the population. While unemployment rate for Protestants was four percent, for Catholics it was eleven percent. Xxxx‟s findings also pointed out that Catholics were proportionately more numerous in the bottom income group (Rose, 1971, p. 298). The strongest sense of social grievance was in housing allocations. Catholics complained that Unionists controlled most of the city councils and in the allocation of council houses they were not treated fairly. This was also among the findings of the Cameron Report, that is, inadequate housing provision by certain local authorities, unfair methods of allocation and the use of discretionary powers in the allocation of houses with the aim of perpetuating Unionist control of local authorities (XXXX Xxxxxxx Report, 2024). At the local government level Catholics complained also that they were deprived of political control of areas where although they constituted the majority of the population through the gerrymandering of constituency boundaries. Although Catholics constituted 61.9 % of adult population, the percentage of all non-Unionist councillors were 40 percent (X'Xxxxx, 1983, p. 440). Such was the case in Derry / Londonderry, which was the second largest city in Northern Ireland after Belfast and populated mostly by Catholics, where the sense of discrimination was strongest. The sense of deprivation of Catholics is directed at both central and local government systems. Catholics felt they were excluded from the possibility of participating in the policy-making process at Stormont because of the single majority electoral system (Xxxxxxx, 1972, pp. 321-322). The strong reaction of the British Government to the civil rights movements and the introduction of internment and Special Powers Act increased frustration of Catholic community and fina...
