This study examines the underlying causes of the 2011 England Riots. In order to do so, it proceeds in six steps. The introduction, which lays out the design, merits and limitations of this study, is followed by a brief description of the 2011 England Riots. This description demonstrates that the recent disorders in Britain are a prime example of rioting, and as such pose a perfect test for existing theories which try to explain the occurrence of collective violence. The third section consists of a review of the scholarly literature on the causes of rioting. This review reveals that the single most prominent explanation of collective violence has been relative deprivation theory, which therefore serves as a basis for deriving the hypotheses of this paper. T
he fourth section lays out the methodology of this study; in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the unrest and its underlying causes, a dual approach is employed: this paper analyzes both the socioeconomic structure of the neighborhoods in which the riots occurred as well as the background of the rioters that were arrested. The results yielded by this approach are presented in the fifth section. The findings strongly support relative deprivation theory; however, some of the alternative explanations controlled for in this study also seem to have played an important role in the occurrence of the 2011 England riots. This shows that collective violence is a multi-causal phenomenon, one that cannot be sufficiently grasped by resorting to a single explanation. The sixth and final section summarizes the main findings of this study, connects them with the broader theoretical debate and indicates the direction for further research on this topic.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The 2011 England Riots: Sequence of Events
3. Literature Review: The Causes of Rioting
4. Examining the Causes of the 2011 England Riots
5. Findings
6. Conclusion
7. References
8. Appendix
Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this research is to examine the underlying causes of the 2011 England Riots by testing the applicability of relative deprivation theory. The paper investigates whether socioeconomic disparities at the neighborhood level and the socioeconomic backgrounds of individual rioters correlate with participation in the civil unrest, while simultaneously controlling for alternative factors such as family breakdown, ethnicity, urban structure, and criminal history.
- Application of relative deprivation theory to contemporary urban rioting.
- Statistical analysis of socioeconomic predictors (poverty, unemployment, education, housing) in London wards.
- Comparative analysis of neighborhoods that experienced riots versus those that remained peaceful.
- Evaluation of secondary factors including gang culture, family structure, and geographic proximity.
- Implications for future policy and social stability in Britain.
Excerpt from the Book
Examining the Causes of the 2011 England Riots
The central questions behind the 2011 England Riots are: Why did the riots occur only in certain parts of England? What characteristics distinguish these areas from others? And what are the reasons that make people riot? The 2011 England Riots were not racial in their nature, as the physical targets singled out by the rioters were not self-evidently racial (as, for example, in the case of the Korean stores in Los Angeles in 1992 or white-owned premises in Bradford in 1995) (Jobard 2009). Thus, we expect the causes of the recent disturbances in Britain to be well explained by relative deprivation theory. The hypotheses tested in this paper, therefore, are the following: (1) The higher the degree of social deprivation in a neighborhood is, the more likely it is to experience riots. (2) The more socially deprived a person is, the more likely he or she is to engage in riots. Taken together, these two hypotheses provide a solid test of relative deprivation theory. If our assertions are correct, we would expect most of the violence linked to the 2011 England Riots to have occurred in neighborhoods with a higher level of social deprivation and most of the rioters to have a lower socioeconomic background.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the research design, objectives, and the scope of the study regarding the 2011 England Riots.
2. The 2011 England Riots: Sequence of Events: Provides a chronological overview of the riots, starting from the shooting of Mark Duggan to the restoration of order.
3. Literature Review: The Causes of Rioting: Reviews academic perspectives on collective violence, establishing relative deprivation theory as the central framework.
4. Examining the Causes of the 2011 England Riots: Formulates the research hypotheses and details the methodology for measuring socioeconomic and control variables across sample wards.
5. Findings: Presents the statistical analysis of the collected data, comparing riot-affected wards and convicted rioters against population averages.
6. Conclusion: Synthesizes the results, confirms the validity of the hypotheses, and discusses the broader implications for social theory and policy.
7. References: Lists the academic literature and data sources cited throughout the work.
8. Appendix: Contains supplementary tables with detailed ward-level data used for the correlation analysis.
Keywords
2011 England Riots, Collective Violence, Relative Deprivation Theory, Social Deprivation, Urban Rioting, Socioeconomic Structure, Unemployment, Poverty, Gang Culture, Criminal Opportunism, Family Breakdown, Civil Insurgence, Neighborhood Analysis, London, Public Disorder.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this study?
This study aims to identify the underlying causes of the 2011 England Riots by evaluating whether social and economic deprivation theories explain why specific neighborhoods experienced violence while others did not.
What are the primary themes addressed?
The work explores themes of social inequality, including poverty, unemployment, educational attainment, and housing conditions, alongside secondary factors like gang culture and family structure.
What is the main research question?
The research asks which socioeconomic characteristics distinguish neighborhoods prone to rioting from those that are not, and whether social deprivation acts as a primary predictor for individual participation in riots.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The study employs a quantitative approach, using correlation analysis to test data from twenty London wards—ten with and ten without riot history—as well as analyzing the socioeconomic profiles of convicted rioters.
What is covered in the main body?
The main body covers the sequence of the 2011 riots, an extensive literature review of collective violence theories, the operationalization of social variables, and a detailed presentation of statistical findings.
Which keywords best describe the work?
Key terms include 2011 England Riots, Relative Deprivation Theory, Social Deprivation, Collective Violence, Urban Rioting, and Socioeconomic Disparity.
To what extent did ethnicity influence the riots according to this study?
The findings suggest that ethnicity was not a decisive factor in the riots; rather, observed ethnic correlations were largely explained by the high levels of socioeconomic disadvantage among certain minority groups.
What role does gang culture play in the author's conclusions?
The study concludes that gang culture and criminal opportunism had the greatest statistical impact on the occurrence of violence among all factors examined.
How is the "relative deprivation" concept used?
It is used as a structural theory to argue that when legitimate expectations regarding socioeconomic conditions are not met, the resulting discontent leads to an increased probability of collective violence.
What is the practical implication for policymakers?
The author suggests that policymakers should anticipate disturbances in areas marked by high social deprivation, high crime rates, and frequent family breakdown, and should address these deeper socioeconomic issues to prevent future unrest.
- Citation du texte
- Michael Neureiter (Auteur), 2011, Collective Violence and Relative Deprivation Theory. Examining the Correlates of the 2011 England Riots, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/962205
