Mad Mobs and Englishmen?: Myths and realities of the 2011 riots

Cliff Stott · Steve Reicher

Nov 2011 · Sold by Robinson

About this ebook

In August 2011, London and many other English towns and cities erupted into some of the worst rioting for decades. David Cameron blamed a broken society with a sick morality; Tony Blair a defiant underclass. Yet with no evidence to support their claims, their remarks were typical of the storm of uninformed comments that followed the riots, based largely on longstanding misconceptions of why people riot. With their extensive expertise in crowd behaviour and psychology, and years of research experience studying crowds, riots and hooliganism worldwide, psychologists Steve Reicher and Cliff Stott challenge the myths of the 2011 riots perpetuated in the media and elsewhere; consider the reality on the ground and how to avoid a repeat scenario.

About the author

Professor Steve Reicher works in the psychology department at the University of St Andrews and is an established authority on crowd behaviour. DR CLIFF STOTT is a psychology lecturer at the University of Liverpool and a leading expert on the relationships between crowd psychology and public-order policing.