Guest Editorial [on English riots of summer 2011]

This edition of Safer Communities is dedicated to the social disorder which recently occurred across the country in August 2011. It is clear that the events left us with much to discuss and, in this edition, we seek to discuss some of the most pressing questions. How and why did the social unrest evolve? (Briggs, 2012) Did the police play a role in triggering the ‘riots’? (Klein, 2012) Were there clear political motivations for the disturbances? (Angel, 2012) What was the ‘profile’ of those who were apprehended and charged? (Clarke, 2012) What is different about this social unrest and how is it new? (Baker, 2012) Was it a symbol that society is ‘sick’? (Durkin, 2012) How can we seek to disaggregate the political rhetoric which subsequently followed? (Heap and Smithson, 2012) How can social media networks generate reflexive discussions on the riots? (Kelly and Gill, 2012)

Citation:
Briggs, D. (2012), ‘Guest editorial [on English riots of summer 2011]’, Safer Communities, 11(1), pp. 1-2..