Reading the Riots

Colleagues,

I have been following the on-going research-based analysis of the causes and effects of the riots over the summer, which is a joint operation between The Guardian and the LSE.

I've got some doubts about the approach, but these are largely issues of methodology, but overall the project seeks to achieve much more than the essential knee-jeekery that we've had from the government.

Two of the latest pieces published centre on the issue of race and they throw up many points of significance for those of us interested in the future stability and cohesion of large, black communities in the UK.

Overall the evidence to-date, the joint project asserts, indicates that race was not a significant factor in the riots, particularly of a causal nature.

The first piece (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/08/muslim-rioters-police-discrimination-motivated) does suggest however, that the legacy of poor relations between black communities and the police were critical factors in drawing in people to engage with the riots.

The second recent article (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/08/were-the-riots-about-race) provides an outline picture where race features as part of the riot, but in a nuanced, complex manner. For example, the racial profile of those jailed following the riots tells us as much about social deprivation in the UK, than it does whether young black men have a greater propensitty to engage in riotous behaviour. The article states, for example, "Race played its part – that much is clear from our conversations with many of those involved in the riots. But its role in terms of who took part and why is difficult to categorise in a manner simplistic enough to give anybody certainty."

Please have a look at these articles and post a reply.

There is a dedicated area of the Guardian's web-site where research evidence and articles (and other allied elements) can be seen: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/series/reading-the-riots

In Solidarity

Ian