Reflections on ‘Reading’ the Riots from an Early-Career Perspective: listening, storytelling and third-space subjectivities

Abstract

In this short article, we offer some ‘work in progress’ reflections about the role and identities of academics in ‘reading the riots’ that occurred in England and Northern Ireland in summer 2024, based on our attendance at the ‘Reading the Riots workshop. We begin by exploring how our personal and professional identities have led us to an interest in ‘reading the riots’ and shaped our interpretations of these events. Next, we introduce the concept of subjectivities and the third space to think through how we can come to understand and interpret the riots. Having considered the official reports that have been produced in response to the riots, we suggest that aside from the report titled ‘Children’s Involvement in the Riots’, there is often an absence of listening to each other when trying to interpret and understand the ‘conditions’ that contributed to the riots. This leads us to propose that our role as academics should be focused on listening to a diverse range of perspectives and stories if we are to successfully ‘read the riots’.