Protestant support for mixed neighbourhoods in Northern Ireland has fallen by more than 20 percentage points in five years, a new survey has revealed.
From 1996 to 2001 Protestant backing for mixed areas fell from 81% to 59% while support from Catholics fell from 85% to 72%.
The University of Ulster survey revealed that community relations have deteriorated in the last seven years with both sides of the community showing a greater preference to work and live apart.
Dr Gillian Robinson from the UU School of Policy studies, told an audience at the Economic and Social Research Council conference that the proportion of people who believed that relations between the two communities had improved fell by 22% in the period from 1996 to 2001, with the fall in confidence most pronoun- ced among Protestants.
The survey also revealed that support for mixed religion workplaces had fallen by 25% among Protestants and 15% among Catholics.
Dr Robinson said the results showed Protestant and Catholic attitudes had drifted further apart over the past five years.
"The indicators suggest a marked deterioration in community relations and a distinct retreat towards single-identity environments among both communities since 1996," she said.
"Moreover the survey evidence also indicates that since 1996 the Catholic and Protestant communities have developed notably different attitudes on a range of issues".
Dr Robinson noted growing unrest among Protestants surveyed.
"In general Catholics seem more amenable to efforts to promote cross-community contact as demonstrated by their greater willingness to integrate.
"The general optimism inherent in Catholic responses is, however, tempered by a growing distrust and unease within the Protestant community.
"Although the intention of the Good Friday Agreement is to create an inclusive society, the survey findings provide little evidence to suggest that this is the type of environment which is currently perceived by most Protestants," she added.
