A social identity model of riot diffusion : from injustice to empowerment in the 2011 London riots
Abstract
Previous research has shown that riots spread across multiple locations, but has not explained underlying psychological processes. We examined rioting in three locations during the August 2011 disorders in England to test a social identity model of riot diffusion. We triangulated multiple sources to construct a narrative of events; and we analysed interviews with 68 participants to examine experiences. In line with the model, we found evidence for two pathways of influence: “cognitive” and “strategic”. For some participants, previous rioting was highly self-relevant, and shared identity was the basis of their subsequent involvement. For others, previous rioting was empowering because it demonstrated the vulnerability of a common enemy (the police). In each location, interaction dynamics mediated the link between initial perceptions and collective action. The utility of this social identity approach is that it is able to account for both the boundaries and the sequence of urban riot diffusion.
Citation
Drury , J , Stott , C , Ball , R , Reicher , S D , Neville , F G , Bell , L , Biddlestone , M , Choudhury , S , Lovell , M & Ryan , C E 2020 , ' A social identity model of riot diffusion : from injustice to empowerment in the 2011 London riots ' , European Journal of Social Psychology , vol. 50 , no. 3 , pp. 646-661 . https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2650
Publication
European Journal of Social Psychology
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
0046-2772Type
Journal article
Description
This work was supported by a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (grant number ES/N01068X/1) to John Drury, Stephen Reicher, and Clifford Stott.Collections
Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Strength in a weakened state : interpreting Hizb’allah’s experiences as a social movement and governing coalition in Lebanon 1985-2013
Bernhoff, Arthur (University of St Andrews, 2015-06-23) - ThesisThis study investigates Hizb’allah’s successful but competing dual development as an extra-institutional Shi’a social movement and an institutional political party. Hizb’allah has traditionally been studied from the ... -
Radical social innovations and the spatialities of grassroots activism : navigating pathways for tackling inequality and reinventing the commons
Apostolopoulou, Elia; Bormpoudakis, Dimitrios; Chatzipavlidis, Alexandros; Cortés Vázquez, Juan José; Florea, Ioana; Gearey, Mary; Levy, Julyan; Loginova, Julia; Ordner, James; Partridge, Tristan; Pizarro Choy, Alejandra; Rhoades, Hannibal; Symons, Kate; Veríssimo, Céline; Wahby, Noura (2022-04-05) - Journal articleIn this article, by drawing on empirical evidence from twelve case studies from nine countries from across the Global South and North, we ask how radical grassroots social innovations that are part of social movements and ... -
Wellbeing and social network characteristics in rural communities : findings from a cohort in social housing in Cornwall, United Kingdom
Long, Emily; Stevens, Sebastian; Topciu, Raluca; Williams, Andrew James; Taylor, Timothy; Morrissey, Karyn (2022-05-19) - Journal articleBackground: The mental wellbeing of those living in resource poor and rural localities is a public health priority. Despite evidence of a link between social networks and mental wellbeing, little is known about this ...