The Emergence and Development of Disability Hate Crime Policy and Practice in England and Wales

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The Emergence and Development of Disability Hate Crime Policy and Practice in England and Wales The emergence and development of Disability Hate Crime policy and practice in England and Wales A case of an unsettled and unsettling policy agenda Seamus Taylor A Thesis submitted in partial requirement for the degree of PhD in Applied Social Science (Law) School of Law Lancaster University 2018 1 Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Declaration .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................... 11 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................ 11 1.2 Origins and development of my research interest ..................................................................................................................... 13 1.3 Locating this research study’s focus within the hate crime legal framework and legal policy domain in England and Wales............................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 1.4 Overall Aim and Research Objectives ....................................................................................................................................... 16 1.4.1 Research Objectives .......................................................................................................................................................... 16 1.5 Research Questions ................................................................................................................................................................ 16 1.6 Chapter Overviews ................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 2: From Hate Crime to Disability Hate Crime ..................................................................................................................... 19 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................ 19 2.2 Wider context ............................................................................................................................................................................. 19 2.3 Conceiving and Defining Hate Crime ......................................................................................................................................... 21 2.4 Origins of the phenomenon of Hate Crime ................................................................................................................................ 21 2.4.1 Significance of post-World War II rights settlement ........................................................................................................... 22 2.4.2 Emergence of contemporary concern with hate crime ....................................................................................................... 22 2.5 Writing Hate Crime ..................................................................................................................................................................... 23 2.6 Identity Politics and Disability Hate Crime ................................................................................................................................. 24 2.7 Disability, Societal, and Public Policy Responses ..................................................................................................................... 26 2.8 How Public Policy (including Criminal Justice Policy) constructs Disability and Disabled People ............................................. 29 2.9 Competing ideologies and problematisations of Disability in Public Policy - Care versus Rights .............................................. 30 2.10 Constructing Disabled People as Vulnerable ........................................................................................................................... 31 2.11 Policy Making and Developments on Hate Crime and on Equality including Disability Hate Crime ........................................ 33 2.11.1 Policy Making on Hate Crime ........................................................................................................................................... 33 2.12 Policy making on equality in England and Wales and issues raised for hate crime ................................................................ 35 2.12.1 Catalytic influence of the Lawrence Inquiry ...................................................................................................................... 35 2.12.2 The equality duties approach to advancing equality ........................................................................................................ 35 2.12.3 Hate Crime, street level bureaucracy and the exercise of discretion ............................................................................... 36 2.12.4 Policy contributions by Independent Bodies, the Community Sector, and others to the Disability Hate Crime Agenda .. 37 2.13 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................................... 39 Chapter 3: Research Design, Methodology and towards Research Methods .............................................................................. 41 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................ 41 3.2 Research Design ....................................................................................................................................................................... 41 3.2.1 Types of Case Study – Holistic Case Study with an extended unit of analysis .................................................................. 42 3.2.2 Boundaries of this Case Study ........................................................................................................................................... 42 3.3 Grounded Theory Approach ...................................................................................................................................................... 43 3.4 Tentative Organising and Analytical Framework ....................................................................................................................... 45 3.5 From Research Design and Methodology and towards Research Methods .............................................................................. 48 3.5.1 Research Method 1 - Key Informant Interviews – semi-structured ........................................................................... 49 3.5.2 Research Method 2 - Documentary Analysis and Links to Literature Review ....................................................... 51 3.5.3 Research Method 3 - Analysis of Individual Cases of Disability Hate Crime ..................................................................... 52 3.6 Researcher Issues – Professional and Personal ....................................................................................................................... 57 3.7 Ethical Issues ............................................................................................................................................................................. 58 2 3.8 Addressing Validity, Reliability, and Trustworthiness in the Case Study ................................................................................... 59 Chapter 4: Agenda Triggering ........................................................................................................................................................... 60 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................ 60 4.2 Targeted Harassment and Hostility towards Disabled People – some background .................................................................. 60 4.2.1 Significant triggering role played by Values into Action NGO ............................................................................................ 60 4.3 Early Activism and Problematisation .......................................................................................................................................... 61 4.3.1 Values into Action NGO- first to use the language of Disability Hate Crime ...................................................................... 63 4.3.2 Early role of South London NGO and activists ..................................................................................................................
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