Terrorism and Political Consciousness: A Case Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Everyday Effects of Terrorism: A Study of Political Consciousness Before and After the 2017 Manchester Arena Bombing
IRAS ID
281282
Contact name
Andrew Neal
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 1 days
Research summary
Research Summary - The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing on the social and political views of affected individuals. Through semi-structured interviews (and an optional, follow-up focus group interview, participants will be asked to discuss their personal politics (such as their affiliation to a certain political party, their voting behaviour, and their position on various social issues such as immigration and multiculturalism, etc. - please see the attached Interview Guide and Focus Group Guide). Participants will also be asked to discuss their experience of the Manchester Arena bombing and how the incident has affected their social behaviour, patterns, and outlook. Ultimately, this study seeks to investigate whether or not being directly affected by a terror attack changes an individual’s sociopolitical views, and if so, to what extent and why. This study addresses broader debates on how and why people’s political views change over time and as a result of significant life experiences. Participation requires individuals to attend a face-to-face interview lasting approximately 60 minutes. The interview will take place in a location of the participant’s choosing according to their comfort and convenience. Participants will be asked a series of questions about their personal politics and social habits before and after the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing to deduce the extent to which experiencing a terror incident affected the individual’s social and political views (if at all). This study is self-funded and conducted with the assistance of the Manchester Resilience Hub (MRH), a NHS Care Pennine Foundation Trust established in 2017 to provide mental health services and support to individuals affected by the Arena bombing. The MRH maintains a userbase of individuals who have expressed an interest and willingness in participating to research studies associated with the Manchester Arena bombing - only these individuals will be contacted. Research Results - This study did not proceed firstly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and secondly due to resource constraints experienced by the sponsor. As such, there are no results to report.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
20/NS/0043
Date of REC Opinion
27 Mar 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion