Leaner start- ups do better
Anti-terrorism measures undermine citizenship
ALL ETHNIC MINORITY groups – not just Muslims – feel disproportionately targeted by current anti-terrorism measures, says a new study of public views on contemporary anti-terrorism policies within the UK. “Worryingly for British democracy, this view of differential treatment held by ethnic minority groups leads many to feel not only detached from the body politic, but less likely to co-operate with police and security services,” says researcher Dr Michael Lister. Based on community-based focus groups across the UK, the study explored the significant differences in attitudes to anti-terrorism measures caused by an individual’s geography or ethnicity, as well as the implications of these attitudes for citizenship and security within the UK. “We found both positive and negative attitudes to anti- terrorism measures among all ethnic groups,” says Dr Lister. “But while the differences in attitudes of ethnic groups to anti-terrorism (support or otherwise) are slight, there were big differences in the impact of such measures (perceived and experienced) upon citizens and communities.” The study highlights a common concern that anti-terrorism measures have disproportionately affected rights, responsibilities and the opportunities for social and political participation among communities, with white individuals generally viewed to be less
targeted than non-white individuals. This widely shared sense of differential treatment poses considerable problems for the universality of citizenship within the UK. As co-researcher Dr Lee Jarvis says, it also “potentially undermines the security of those individuals and communities who may feel stigmatised, at risk, or under threat by specific anti-terrorism measures introduced throughout the past decade.” Last July a UK Government review addressed public concerns over counter terrorism powers such as Control Orders and 28-day pre-charge detention. But the researchers believe this initiative will neither reduce the alienation felt by some communities, nor significantly enhance civil liberties within the UK. “The review aims to enhance the operational effectiveness of the counter terrorism apparatus,” says Dr Lister. “It does little to deal with the festering problem that, in certain parts of the UK, government policy is seen to be targeting wide swathes of its own citizens producing forms of disengagement which have potentially serious long-term consequences relating to social cohesion, equality and citizenship.” n
i Contact Dr Michael Lister,
Oxford Brookes University Email
mlister@brookes.ac.uk Telephone 01865 483924 ESRC Grant Number RES-000-22-3765
AUTUMN 2011 SOCIETY NOW 7
AN ABUNDANCE OF resources may do more harm than good for start-ups, according to a study of 7,000 Norwegian start-up firms and their founders. “Economic theory suggests that if entrepreneurs are liquidity constrained and not able to borrow in order to operate on an efficient scale, then entrepreneurs with more personal wealth should do better than those with less wealth,” says researcher Professor Hans Hvide. “Our findings show that, as expected, there is a positive relationship between a founder’s prior wealth and start-up size, but not for the richest quartile of founders, where start-up performance deteriorates.” A moderate amount of wealth boosts start-up performance while higher wealth may induce a less alert or a less dedicated management. Further analysis of firms where the founders die within the first few years of operations produces a surprising conclusion. “We discovered that founder death has only a moderately negative effect on start-up prosperity,” says Dr Hvide. “This suggests once start-ups are set up, they are remarkably robust.”n
i
Contact Professor Hans Hvide, University of Aberdeen Email
hans.hvide@abdn.ac.uk Telephone 01224 273 411 ESRC Grant Number RES-000-22-2080
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