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Researching the riots

  1. Richard Phillips1,
  2. Diane Frost2,
  3. Alex Singleton3

Article first published online: 21 MAR 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4959.2012.00463.x

Issue

The Geographical Journal

The Geographical Journal

Volume 179, Issue 1, pages 3–10, March 2013

Additional Information

How to Cite

Phillips, R., Frost, D. and Singleton, A. (2013), Researching the riots. The Geographical Journal, 179: 3–10. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-4959.2012.00463.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK. E-mail: Richard.Phillips@sheffield.ac.uk

  2. 2

    Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK

  3. 3

    School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 28 JAN 2013
  2. Article first published online: 21 MAR 2012
  3. This paper was accepted for publication in February 2012

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Keywords:

  • riots;
  • cities;
  • children

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.

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