Youth voices in post-English riots Tottenham: the role of reflexivity in negotiating negative representations

Elster, Julius (2020) Youth voices in post-English riots Tottenham: the role of reflexivity in negotiating negative representations. The Sociological Review, 68 (6). pp. 1386-1402. ISSN 0038-0261

Preview

Text Youth voices in post-English riots Tottenham - final manuscript for The Sociological Review - Dr Julius Elster.pdf - Accepted Version Download (479kB) | Preview

Abstract / Description

Numerous negative representations of youth emerged in the aftermath of the 2011 English riots. This paper intends to fill a gap in the literature on the ‘riot-affected’ areas by looking at how youths from Tottenham (the North London constituency where a peaceful demonstration escalated into the English riots of 2011) deal with stereotypical and homogeneous portrayals put forward by the British mainstream news media and many Government Ministers. In drawing on an alternative conceptualisation of reflexivity that spells out how reflexive orientations relate to lived experiences, the paper aims to open up novel pathways for understanding youth reflexivity in the context of being regularly subjected to negative representations. This is achieved by tying reflexive activity more closely to Alfred Schütz’s notion of ‘stock of knowledge.’ The study applies qualitative methods to empirically address how a group of eighteen 15- to 25-year-olds from Tottenham reflexively negotiate the harmful consequences of stigmatised identities. The most striking conclusion to emerge from the data is that Tottenham’s young people embody a diverse range of youth identities and reflexive attitudes; a conclusion that flies in the face of the way in which much of the media depicted youths after the riots.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	2011 English riots, moral panic, reflexivity, representations of youth, sociology of youth, stereotypes, stock of knowledge, youth studies, youth voices, social theory
Subjects:	100 Philosophy & psychology > 120 Epistemology, causation & humankind 100 Philosophy & psychology > 140 Specific philosophical schools 100 Philosophy & psychology > 150 Psychology 300 Social sciences 300 Social sciences > 320 Political science 300 Social sciences > 360 Social problems & services; associations 300 Social sciences > 370 Education
Department:	School of Social Sciences and Professions School of Social Professions (to June 2021)
Depositing User:	Julius Elster
Date Deposited:	02 Apr 2020 08:14
Last Modified:	11 Nov 2022 11:01
URI:	https://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/id/eprint/5713

Downloads

Actions (login required)

View Item