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Postgraduate Students

• • Full List
  • Mohammed Al-Shehri
  • Samaila Ammani
  • Matej Blazek
  • Laura Booth
  • Canford Chiroro
  • Neil Davidson
  • Catriona Fyffe
  • Will Halkett
  • Ambark Hamd
  • Amy Holden
  • Timothy Lewis
  • Elaine Morrison
  • Martin Muir
  • Stuart Muirhead
  • Victoria Powell
  • Shiraz Sheriff
  • Sophie Sherriff
  • Alexandra Stam
  • Josselin Rouillard
  • Morgan Windram-Geddes
  • Andrew Wooff
  • Mike Woolvin
  • David Yawson
  • Elizabeth Young

Andrew Wooff

PhD Thesis

Space, Place and Anti Social Behaviour in Scottish Rural Communities

Project Context

Although the roots of anti social behaviour (ASB) legislation lie in the 1980s, since coming to power in 1997 New Labour have made tackling ASB a key priority (Labour Party Manifesto, 1997). Through the introduction of numerous pieces of policy, including The Crime and Disorder Act 1998, The Policing Reform Act 2002, The Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003 and the TOGETHER and Respect Campaigns, New Labour have attempted to tackle low-level 'quality of life' crime through the use of a public order enforcement context (Millie, 2008). A growing body of academic literature discusses the mixed success of ASB legislation in an urban context - in particular the lack of critical theoretical grounding of ASB in policy, the problematization of ASB as a concept and the lack of empirical engagement with the 'problem' of ASB by the government (Squires and Stephen, 2005; Prior, 2009; Millie, 2008; Cromby et al, 2010).

However, the links between community, active citizenship and ASB in rural communities remain largely under researched (Millie, 2008; Yarwood, 2007). The rural is often portrayed through the popular media as being idyllic and having a strong sense of community spirit (Mathews et al, 2000; Valentine 1997). However, rather than being part of the ideal community, many young adults, especially the least affluent, feel both spatially and temporally dislocated from village life and wider society (Mathews et al, 2000). These are feelings which are often conducive to causing ASB (Scottish Government, 2007). Furthermore, with the different legal context used in Scotland and a large rural population, this project aims to further knowledge in the Scottish Government's strategic objective for a 'safer stronger' Scotland (Scottish Government, 2009).

The Study

This study will proceed through case studies to explore the nature, impact and responses to ASB in rural communities in Scotland. In particular the impact of active citizenship and positive social behaviour in rural communities will be explored in relation to ASB and through analysis of existing urban ASB literature, the perception that rural settlements have a greater sense of community and therefore lower ASB will be tested. The study employs a qualitative methodology to answer the following research aims:

• A critical assessment of the nature and meaning of anti social behaviour in rural communities, in particular looking at the definitional variations across space and place between different community settings and people
• An analysis of the impact of anti social behaviour in rural communities through assessment of community and individual experiences
• A critical assessment of the response of rural communities to anti social behaviour through critical analysis of formal and informal policing methods, in particular neighbourhood watches, community policing and other forms of active citizenship