England’s Riots: community, consumerism and the ‘sick’ society’

The August riots across England began as a protest about the police killing of Mark Duggan, but rapidly grew into something more than that. Retailers, high-street shops, cars and homes were smashed and set on fire, with widespread looting of business, big and small. The demographic of the ‘rioters’ is notable for its racial and social mix, as well as the young age of many who indulged in the looting and vandalism of their own high streets and communities.  From Tottenham to Hackney and across many London boroughs, from Birmingham to Liverpool and Manchester and beyond, the police seemed unable to get abreast of the situation. Were the rioters too much to handle, or was there a collapse in police authority?

Many explanations for the riots have been mooted, from the plausible to the opportunist. Labour politicians such as Harriet Harman have tried to explain the riots as a reaction against spending cuts, an increase in tuition fees and the withdrawal of the Education Maintenance Allowance. Conservatives have pointed to a lack of morality and family breakdown. While some commentators – as usual – blame rap music and video games, the new culprits demonised by pundits are social media and twitter storms.  Some have rejected all ‘sociological’ explanations; Prime Minister David Cameron simply labelling it a ‘sickness’ in society. Do any of these explanations reflect reality?

What do these riots and the reactions to them - tell us about the state of community and solidarity today? Or can the riots be seen as a breakdown of social solidarity?  If so, how does one understand the seemingly positive expressions of community that were in evidence when people joined the post-riot clean-up or spontaneously defended their neighbourhoods (like the Turkish shop-owners in Dalston or the Sikh community in Southall) or formed vigilante groups such as the Enfield Defence League?