Case Studies
The research questions will be pursued through four strategically sampled case studies. Studies of Belfast, Berlin, Amsterdam and Beirut will “provide a broader context” (ESRC, 2007, 2) and capture a rich diversity of conditions with complementary characteristics to facilitate mutual benchmarking and enrichment. This juxtaposition of Beirut and Amsterdam to two other cities reflects the purpose of the New Security Challenges programme to study “'radicalisation' and violence purportedly in the name of Islam” (ESRC, 2007, 1) but not at the risk of leaving blind spots about other attention-worthy forms of social polarisation, especially not if information derived from the latter can help us to better understand the former. The following table provides an overview of key conditions in the four case study cities:
| Belfast | Berlin | Beirut | Amsterdam | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historical roots | Centuries | Several decades | Contested time-scales; from millennia to post-2005 | Post-colonial |
| Recent developments | Signs of rapprochement | Professionalisation | Stop-and-go conflict | (Counter-) radicalisation |
| Radical groups | Nationalist and loyalist extremists | Neo-nazis | Hezbollah | Young people with immigration background |
| Qualities of contest | Multidimensional | Political, ethnic | Religious, political | Religious, cultural |