Tensions & Conflict in Communities
Geography: Edexcel A Level, topic 5.3.3
Tension and Conflict in Communities
Tension and conflict in communities can happen because of a range of issues. Some of these issues are:
Regeneration priorities
- Local and national government budgets are fixed at a single point in time.
- Different people will have different views on how they should be spent.
- A commuter town issue may affect the most people, but a sink estate may affect people with the lowest quality of life. Choosing where to spend resources may cause disagreement.
- Spending money on making housing estates like Grenfell Tower safer competes with schemes like HS2 for government money.
Marginalised groups
- Some people can feel marginalised because of a lack of political engagement and representation. These people feel like they are in a helpless situation.
Social polarisation
- Social polarisation describes the segregation that can happen in a society because of income inequality and a lack of economic opportunities.
Discrimination and prejudice
- Discrimination or prejudice against a certain ethnic background, religion or group of people can lead to conflict.
- E.g. The London Riots of August 2011 started in Tottenham after the shooting of Mark Duggan. Many rioters claimed that they were discriminated against by police.
Political views
- People with different political viewpoints can conflict within a community.
- E.g. In the United States, after Donald Trump's election, there was a lot of tension within communities between people who voted for Trump and Hilary Clinton supporters.
Frustration about position in society
- Many people feel frustrated about their position in society, inequality and a lack of will of anyone to change their situation.
Test yourself on Tensions & Conflict in Communities
Which of these is NOT a source of tension in communities around regeneration?