Researching the riots
Richard Phillips; Diane Frost; Alex Singleton (2013). The Geographical Journal, 179(1), 3-10. DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4959.2012.00463.x
Abstract
This commentary sets out an agenda for researching the riots that swept through English cities in 2011, and for exploring the broader issues raised by these events. Drawing inspiration from groundbreaking social and cultural geographies of the 1981 riots, and also from mappings and quantitative studies of the more recent disturbances, this paper sets out a framework for researching the riots, and underlines the importance of doing so. It concludes that while riots are traumatic experiences for many, they can also be opportunities, which effective research can help to realise, recasting these events as catalysts for change.
Extended Summary
This research proposes a comprehensive agenda for investigating the 2011 English riots and their broader social implications through geographical perspectives. The paper builds upon methodological approaches from studying the 1981 riots, combining qualitative research methods such as oral histories and archival analysis with quantitative spatial analysis of recent disturbances. The study emphasises three key research dimensions: examining how riots are represented in media and political discourse, developing effective methods for listening to those directly affected by riots, and complementing qualitative studies with numerical and statistical analysis. The research highlights how media coverage of riots often relies on problematic ‘imagined geographies’ that construct inner cities as dystopian spaces, enabling mainstream society to distance itself from urban unrest. Drawing from Jacqueline Burgess’s pioneering work on 1981 riot coverage, the paper demonstrates how media representations function as myth systems rather than accurate reporting. The study advocates for systematic listening to rioters’ voices, particularly children and young people, challenging the tendency to dismiss participants as having no legitimate grievances. Historical examples from 1981, including interviews with Liverpool residents like Michael Simon, illustrate how formal enquiries eventually revealed genuine concerns about police brutality and community alienation. The research examines quantitative analysis of the 2011 riots using Ministry of Justice data, which revealed that 90% of those charged were male, with many coming from households receiving benefits and having special educational needs. However, the paper critiques simplistic correlations between deprivation and rioting, arguing for more sophisticated explanatory models that avoid conflating area characteristics with individual behaviours. The study identifies significant ethical concerns around mapping riot data at high resolution, particularly regarding privacy and potential misuse of individual location information. Geographically, the research notes that riots occurred in some English cities but not others, with Welsh and Scottish cities remaining calm, raising important questions about why disturbances happened in specific locations. The paper concludes that riots, while traumatic, can serve as catalysts for positive change when properly researched and understood. It argues that effective investigation requires both qualitative and quantitative approaches, historical and contemporary perspectives, to transform these events into opportunities for social reform and policy development.
Key Findings
- Media coverage of riots relies on ‘imagined geographies’ that construct inner cities as dystopian spaces separate from mainstream society.
- Systematic listening to rioters reveals genuine grievances about policing and social conditions, contrary to dismissive mainstream narratives.
- Quantitative analysis shows 90% of charged rioters were male, many from benefit-dependent households with special educational needs.
- Simple correlations between area deprivation and rioting are problematic without sophisticated explanatory models addressing individual versus area characteristics.
- Effective riot research requires combining qualitative methods with quantitative spatial analysis to transform traumatic events into catalysts for change.
Citation
@article{phillips2013researching,
author = {Richard Phillips; Diane Frost; Alex Singleton},
title = {Researching the riots},
journal = {The Geographical Journal},
year = {2013},
volume = {179(1)},
pages = {3-10},
doi = {10.1111/j.1475-4959.2012.00463.x}
}