The cessation of violence in Northern Ireland did not signal an end to conflict; rather, it ushered in an era marked by different kinds of contestations experienced within as well as across traditional sectarian divides. In Unionists, Loyalists and Conflict Transformation in Northern Ireland, the sociologist Lee Smithey contributes to a growing literature on the uncertain and arduous processes that accompany conflict transformation. Smithey develops a nuanced understanding of identity formation. Examining a rich set of examples of public displays and performances of heritage and cultural expression in Protestant, Unionist, and loyalist communities, Smithey explains the significance of—and also identifies the potentials and problems associated with—"cultural traditions" work. Central to the book's argument is the notion that collective identity should be understood as a process, not a product, of conflict transformation.