Preface

This book collection presents a distinctive spatial interpretation of ‘hate’, a term increasingly dominant in policy and academic study to describe prejudice and discrimination, and harassment and violence, towards members of marginalized social groups. Although the geographies of hate incidents have been documented, there has been limited study of the role of place and space in the construction, circulation and lived experience of hateful actions. This collection seeks to broaden the examination of hate from a commonly singular focus on hate crime, to consider the social and relational, spatial and structural, contexts and situations, through which hate is produced, experienced and responded to. The contributors are drawn from across a range of disciplines, including geography, criminology, sociology and youth work. They explore hate through a range of lenses, including systemic, institutional, discursive, criminal/legal, material, atmospheric and emotional. Contributors consider dimensions of hate in relation to specific and intersectional communities including, ‘race’ and religion, sexuality, gender trans gender identity, Gypsy and Traveller identities, disability and social class. The chapters in the collection are organized into three themes, to address different aspects of the landscapes of hate: considering and critiquing the concept of ‘hate’; experiences of hate in a range of contexts and everyday spaces; and different responses to hate.

This edited collection marks the emergence of a distinctive spatial interpretation of ‘hate’, a term increasingly dominant in policy rhetoric and academic study, to describe injustice, prejudice and discrimination towards marginalized social groups, as well as acts of violence and abuse aimed at members of those groups. Although the geographies of hate incidents have been documented, there has been limited work to date on the role of place and space in the construction, circulation and lived experience of hateful actions. This book seeks to address this absence by providing a collection of interdisciplinary, yet spatially oriented, contributions, that critically explore the multiple and intersecting landscapes of hate. The chapters trace the spatial and relational situations and contexts through which hate is produced, experienced, and responded to.

We would like to offer huge thanks to all of the contributing authors. The book was proposed and started before the COVID-19 pandemic. The disruption and difficulties experienced by the authors during this time were significant, and we are very grateful for both their enduring commitment to and patience with what turned out to be an extended process of publication. All of the authors have responded to our comments very generously and in a timely fashion, ensuring that editing the collection has been a very positive experience. We would also like to acknowledge that the idea of this collection emerged from a session at the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) Annual Conference 2018, which involved several contributors who do not appear here. Despite their absence, their work inspired and informed us along this journey.

We would like to thank Agatha Herman, editor of the Spaces and Practices of Justice book series, for the initial invitation, and Emily Watt, Anna Richardson and Freya Trand at Bristol University Press who provided excellent advice and support throughout the publishing process. In particular, we would like to thank them for their understanding of the challenges encountered by the editors and authors during the pandemic.