Artikelomschrijving

The current growth of incidents of public disorder around the world can be seen as symptomatic of major transformations in globalized society, government and technology. But while disorder is routinely perceived as a disturbing phenomenon, it can also be a catalyst for positive transformation and regeneration. As social media is increasingly used as a platform for mobilisation and organisation, local disorder may spread outward through national borders, receiving international coverage and visibility as well as triggering a domino effect of global unrest. Combining qualitative and quantitative research, this ground-breaking text analyses oppositional notions of order and disorder in global, national and local contexts and considers the role of the police, justice and other authorities in developing a range of responsive strategies. The author develops a new comprehensive framework for engaging in comparative and historical analysis of public disorder by drawing upon international case studies of public unrest such as 2005 in Paris and 2011 in London, the events in Ferguson and Baltimore that seeded Black Lives Matter, the Occupy movements in Zuccotti Park, Gezi Park and Hong Kong, and the terror attacks in Paris and Brussels. This dynamic comparative study is informed by extensive international interviews and will be a required reading for students and scholars of criminology, sociology, political science and urban studies.