Connectors, not Communities, in Preventing and Responding to Violence and Disaffection; Marginalised Youth in relation to Complexities of 'Community'.

预防和应对暴力和不满的联系者，而不是社区；

• 批准号: AH/L013169/2
• 负责人: Basia Spalek
• 金额: $ 0.66万
• 依托单位: University of Derby
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2015 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FL013169%2F2
• 关键词: Connectors; Communities; Preventing; Responding; Violence

A critical theme emerging from three scoping studies conducted as part of the Connected Communities programme is that, in relation to marginalised young people and their "connections and disconnections" with communities, key individuals ['connectors'] working within and across multiple communities often play a significant role in mediating many of the critical issues facing their lives. The scoping studies suggest that it is these 'connectors', who are positioned at the intersections of sometimes overlapping communities, who act as conduits of connectivity. In relation to Muslim youth, as a result of significant policy and practice focus upon preventing and responding to Al Qaeda linked terrorism, young Muslims have come under increasing scrutiny and suspicion, identified as the most susceptible to AQ ideology and in need of support. A generation of young Muslims have experienced their formative years in a post-9/11 world in which state and non-state violence - a 'war on terror', on Afghanistan, on Iraq, on 'Islamism', and a stream of terror attacks across the world - have been linked to their own beliefs and identities by the most dominant discourses of their day (McDonald, 2011). White, working class, marginalised youth have experienced similar demonization around issues of criminalisation/gangsterisation alongside 'radicalisation' (Davis and Bourhill, 1997; Squires and Stephen, 2005). Initially mobilised through political rhetoric and legislation designed to tackle 'anti-social' behavior (Squires and Stephen, 2005), the criminalization of poor youth escalated quickly and eventually encompassed significantly more serious criminality including knife and gun crime (Squires and Goldsmith, 2010; Goldson, 2011).Within these contexts, key 'connectors' have been working with marginalised youth, often in areas marked by poverty, exclusion and gang violence, to support and develop young people and to prevent their 'violent radicalisation' (Baker, 2011; Bulloch and Tilley, 2008). On the streets and in the homes of poor neighbourhoods intricate networks of connection are used by young people to manage the impact of a degraded and disconnected welfare state and as an attempt to ameliorate poverty and exclusion and resist further marginalisation, victimisation and processes of criminalisation (Cavalcanti et al 2011). These connections primarily operate through kith and kin relationships, particularly in more established communities, but can also include others; such as trusted youth workers, sports leaders, and community activists. Despite the seeming significance of 'connectors' when exploring modes of connectedness and disconnectedness amongst young people, to date very little research has been conducted specifically on the role that 'connectors' play in relation to working and connecting with marginalised youth. This study has the following objectives:(1) To better understand who 'connectors' are, how they work with marginalised young people, and how they are viewed by wider communities.(2) To examine how 'connectors' claim and sustain legitimacy and influence. (3) To examine some of the limits to the connector role and possible pressures to move connectors to the role of 'grass'.(4) To explore the role of 'connectors' from an historical perspective, exploring key cases in the past where interventions in relation to disaffection and violence might be conceptualized as involving 'connectors'.These objectives will be pursued by focussing on the following key research questions:How are individual connectors viewed within the communities they bridge? How have they been viewed through time?How are individuals 'chosen' by those with whom they interact? What tensions are felt and/or created by these individuals, and how may they alter the boundaries of communities? Can connectors critique government policy, and if so, what are the implications for their work with young people?

作为连通社区方案的一部分进行的三项范围研究中出现的一个关键主题是，关于边缘化青年及其与社区的“联系和断开”，在多个社区内和跨社区工作的关键个人（“联系人”）往往在调解他们生活中面临的许多关键问题方面发挥重要作用。范围研究表明，正是这些“连接者”，他们位于有时重叠的社区的交叉点，充当连接的管道。关于穆斯林青年，由于政策和实践的重点是防止和应对与基地组织有关的恐怖主义，穆斯林青年受到越来越多的审查和怀疑，被认为最容易受到基地组织意识形态的影响，需要得到支持。一代年轻的穆斯林在9/11后的世界中经历了他们的成长时期，在这个世界中，国家和非国家暴力-“反恐战争”，阿富汗，伊拉克，“伊斯兰主义”，以及世界各地的恐怖袭击-与他们自己的信仰和身份联系在一起，这是他们那个时代最占主导地位的话语（麦克唐纳，2011）。白色、工人阶级、边缘化的青年也经历了类似的妖魔化，围绕着犯罪化/帮派化以及“激进化”的问题（戴维斯和布尔希尔，1997年;斯奎尔斯和斯蒂芬，2005年）。最初是通过政治言论和旨在解决“反社会”行为的立法来动员的（Squires和Stephen，2005年），贫穷青年的犯罪化迅速升级，最终包括更严重的犯罪，包括刀和枪犯罪（Squires和金匠，2010年;在这些背景下，关键的“连接者”一直在与边缘化青年合作，这些青年往往生活在贫困、排斥和帮派暴力的地区，支持和发展年轻人，防止他们的“暴力激进化”（贝克，2011年;布洛克和蒂利，2008年）。在贫困社区的街道和家中，年轻人利用错综复杂的联系网络来管理退化和脱节的福利国家的影响，并试图减轻贫困和排斥，抵制进一步的边缘化，重新融入社会和犯罪化进程（Cavalcanti等人，2011年）。这些联系主要是通过亲戚关系来运作的，特别是在更成熟的社区，但也可以包括其他人;例如值得信赖的青年工作者，体育领袖和社区活动家。尽管在探索年轻人之间的联系和脱节模式时，“连接器”似乎很重要，但迄今为止，很少有研究专门针对“连接器”在与边缘化青年的工作和联系方面所起的作用。这项研究有以下目标：（1）更好地了解“连接者”是谁、他们如何与边缘化年轻人合作以及更广泛的社区如何看待他们。(2)研究“连接器”如何声称和维持合法性和影响力。(3)检查连接器角色的一些限制以及将连接器移动到“草”角色的可能压力。(4)从历史的角度探讨“连接器”的作用，探索在过去的干预有关的不满和暴力的关键情况下，可能会被概念化为涉及“连接器”。这些目标将通过集中在以下关键研究问题追求：如何个别连接器内的社区，他们桥看？它们是如何被时间观察的？个体是如何被与之互动的人“选择”的？这些人感受到和/或制造了什么样的紧张关系，他们如何改变社区的界限？连接器可以批评政府的政策，如果可以，他们与年轻人的工作有什么影响？