tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/brighton-31554/articlesBrighton – The Conversation2023-05-25T15:55:00Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2061442023-05-25T15:55:00Z2023-05-25T15:55:00ZGreedy gulls decide what to eat by watching people – new research<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528236/original/file-20230525-29-gvd9ec.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C0%2C2851%2C2790&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Herring gull at Burghead Harbour, Scotland.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/common-herring-gull-burghead-harbour-2266864219">Tom McPherson/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Ask anyone living in a coastal area of the UK and they’ll confirm that seagulls can be a nuisance. These birds’ pilfering of food knows no bounds, and no one is safe from one of their thieving attacks.</p>
<p>For many people, this behaviour is the result of the gulls’ inherent aggression. But in reality, gulls such as the <a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/herring-gull/">herring gull</a> are more intelligent than we give them credit for, particularly in terms of their social skills. These birds are able to pay attention to the behaviour of others and use the information they gather to inform their own foraging choices.</p>
<p>Herring gulls thrive in modern urban areas. Urban gull colonies have taken off since making European cities their home in <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210615-why-sea-gulls-are-making-their-homes-in-our-cities">the mid-20th century</a>, despite the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/62030608/206585142">general decline in gulls’ overall population</a>. As a species, they have also shown great flexibility in their diet, nesting and reproductive behaviour. </p>
<p>As a scientist interested in animal cognition, I’m fascinated by the intelligent behaviour that allows gulls to successfully forage human foods. Research has already shown that urban herring gulls adapt their foraging behaviour to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12892">human activity patterns</a>, increase their attention <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.20.481240v2">towards a person in possession of food</a> and that they prefer food that has been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.191959">touched by a person</a> compared to food that has not. </p>
<p>To build on this, my masters students Franziska Feist and Kiera Smith and I <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0035">set out to discover</a> if the birds could not only track objects handled by humans, but if they could also compare objects in their environment with those being manipulated by a person. The ability to compare objects and identify whether they are identical implies a higher cognitive ability than object tracking alone.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Pigeons and seagulls harassing a man with food next to a river." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528237/original/file-20230525-17-9e3u4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528237/original/file-20230525-17-9e3u4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528237/original/file-20230525-17-9e3u4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528237/original/file-20230525-17-9e3u4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528237/original/file-20230525-17-9e3u4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528237/original/file-20230525-17-9e3u4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528237/original/file-20230525-17-9e3u4l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Gulls can be a nuisance. Dublin, Ireland.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dublin-ireland-june-28-2019-person-1436723789">jenniferdurann/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Quick learners</h2>
<p>We placed two Walkers brand crisp packets of different colours on the ground a few metres in front of single or small groups of herring gulls on Brighton beach. We sat on the sand and held a third crisp packet that matched the colour of either one of the packets on the ground. We then recorded the gulls’ response to see if, as hypothesised, they would choose the crisp packet that matched the colour of the one in our hand.</p>
<p>Of the gulls that pecked at the crisp packets, nearly all (95%) did so to the crisp packet that colour-matched the one we were holding. This suggests that these gulls possess the ability to identify and compare objects within their surroundings. In addition, the gulls’ seemed to observe the foraging choices of others – specifically people in this case – and use the information they obtained to decide what to eat.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A herring gull taking off from a railing at Brighton beach." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528245/original/file-20230525-17-u5kf52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528245/original/file-20230525-17-u5kf52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528245/original/file-20230525-17-u5kf52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528245/original/file-20230525-17-u5kf52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528245/original/file-20230525-17-u5kf52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528245/original/file-20230525-17-u5kf52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528245/original/file-20230525-17-u5kf52.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A herring gull on a railing at Brighton beach.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/european-herring-gull-native-seagull-western-1755362393">grandbrothers/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>The number of approaches towards us did not differ significantly between adults and young birds (meaning, any with brown plumage). However, the majority that made an attempt at stealing one of the crisp packets were adults. Around 86% of the recorded pecks came from adults, despite these birds making up just 46% of our entire sample.</p>
<p>This suggests that stealing food requires a certain level of boldness and skill that most young birds lack. Another plausible explanation is that the young birds may have been deterred by the competition with adult birds, which they are likely to lose.</p>
<h2>Wide behavioural repertoire</h2>
<p>Our findings are interesting because herring gulls have not evolved with humans. In fact, their urbanisation only began relatively recently – around 80 years ago. </p>
<p>That means this behaviour cannot have come from an innate ability resulting from co-evolution or an extended period of living alongside humans. Rather, it must be the result of a broader, more general behavioural repertoire.</p>
<p>From a scientific perspective, this is fascinating. It seems that herring gulls are an intelligent and versatile predator that has successfully adapted to urban environments due to their observational skills and behavioural flexibility. </p>
<p>Yet, for many people, this may have some rather negative implications. Coastal residents and visitors frequently experience the impressive yet annoying ability of these birds to observe, target and steal food from picnics, bins and people directly. </p>
<p>We suggest that these problems likely stem from more than people feeding urban gulls directly. It seems that simply watching us eat something will make that specific food item, and any identical items in the vicinity, more attractive to these birds. It is this cognitive toolkit that will make tension between humans and urban herring gulls difficult to manage.</p>
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<img alt="A seagull sitting on a bench marked with the text: " src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528248/original/file-20230525-27-g2wlel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528248/original/file-20230525-27-g2wlel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528248/original/file-20230525-27-g2wlel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528248/original/file-20230525-27-g2wlel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528248/original/file-20230525-27-g2wlel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528248/original/file-20230525-27-g2wlel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528248/original/file-20230525-27-g2wlel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Not that herring gulls need any help.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/seagull-sitting-on-rail-do-not-1542378374">JoMarB/Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>Our work does, however, agree with <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0405">existing studies</a> that suggest only around a quarter of the UK urban gull population will actually attempt to steal food from a person. Less than a fifth of the gulls we sampled approached the crisp packets when when we were sitting nearby. </p>
<p>Regardless, any attempt to minimise conflict should extend beyond deterring people from feeding gulls and should take into account these birds’ exceptional observational skills. What is clear, though, is that we can’t rely solely on signs insisting that people “do not feed the birds”.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206144/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul Graham does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research has found that urban gulls work out what’s good to eat by watching humans.Paul Graham, Professor of Neuroethology, University of SussexLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/975532018-06-18T13:00:09Z2018-06-18T13:00:09ZVictorian pleasure piers are unique to Britain, but they are under threat<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/223549/original/file-20180618-85819-1086tff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cleve-don-pier-early-morning-360280460?src=Svm0I6tFPIyjvotwym3YDg-1-1">Edmond Holland/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A stroll along a pier remains the most popular activity for visitors to the British seaside, with <a href="http://home.bt.com/news/news-extra/building-sandcastles-and-eating-fish-and-chips-still-top-of-the-list-for-uk-seaside-visitors-11364074372101">70% of them</a> enjoying a walk over the waves. </p>
<p>For many, the seaside pier is perhaps the most iconic symbol of the British seaside holiday and the epitome of excursions to the coast. Piers have always provided holidaymakers with entertainment, from the grand pavilions and theatres of the Victorian era, to the amusement arcades of the 1980s. For two centuries, piers have been the place to see and be seen at the seaside. </p>
<p>Victorian pleasure piers are unique to the UK, but they are under threat: in the early 20th century nearly 100 piers graced the UK coastline, but almost half of of these have now gone. </p>
<p>By their very nature, seaside piers are risky structures. When piers were constructed, British seaside resorts were at the height of their popularity. The Victorians wanted to demonstrate engineering prowess and their ability to master the force of the sea. Some lasted longer than others, with Aldeburgh pier in Suffolk lasting just less than a decade before it was swept away by a drifting vessel. At the other end of the spectrum is the Isle of Wight’s Ryde pier, which at over 200 years is the oldest pleasure pier in the UK. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/eastbourne-pier-fire-highlights-british-fascination-with-fun-and-danger-at-the-seaside-30054">Eastbourne pier fire highlights British fascination with fun and danger at the seaside</a>
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<p>Yet the longevity of such piers presents them with new risks: fire, maintenance issues, rising costs, and climate change. Piers face an uncertain future. <a href="https://www.piers.org.uk/">The National Piers Society</a> estimates <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8230410.stm">that</a> 20% of today’s piers are at risk of being lost.</p>
<h2>Piers at risk</h2>
<p>Over the last 40 years, many notable piers have succumbed to time and tide. Perhaps the most iconic of these losses is Brighton West Pier, which has suffered multiple storms and fires since closure in 1975, leaving an isolated skeleton as a haunting reminder. Now there is growing recognition that seaside piers are vital to coastal communities in terms of resort identity, <a href="https://historicengland.org.uk/research/current/discover-and-understand/coastal-and-marine/seaside-resorts/">heritage</a>, employment, community pride, and tourism. In fact, the UK government now offers funding to enable the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-coastal-revival-fund-and-community-teams-to-bring-jobs-and-businesses-to-seaside-towns">revival of piers and other seaside heritage</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221876/original/file-20180605-119853-1ymk5mt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221876/original/file-20180605-119853-1ymk5mt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221876/original/file-20180605-119853-1ymk5mt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221876/original/file-20180605-119853-1ymk5mt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221876/original/file-20180605-119853-1ymk5mt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221876/original/file-20180605-119853-1ymk5mt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221876/original/file-20180605-119853-1ymk5mt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221876/original/file-20180605-119853-1ymk5mt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Brighton West Pier.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">National Piers Society</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite the sea change in the perceived importance of seaside piers, many remain derelict and in a state of decay. One such pier is Weston-Super-Mare’s Birnbeck Pier, on the west coast, which has been closed for over three decades. Birnbeck Pier is unusual in that it is the only pier which links to an island, but as time has passed, parts of the structure have <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-38010352">crumbled into the sea</a>. Despite the endeavours of the local community and groups such as <a href="http://www.birnbeckregenerationtrust.org.uk/">The Birnbeck Regeneration Trust</a>, the owner of the pier refuses to sell or regenerate the pier.</p>
<p>This is in stark contrast to nearby <a href="https://clevedonpier.co.uk/">Clevedon Pier</a>, which was deemed “the most beautiful pier in England” by the poet Sir John Betjeman. After partial collapse and subsequent closure of the pier in 1970 there were calls for its demolition. Clevedon Pier was saved and reopened in 1998, and is now the UK’s only Grade I listed seaside pier. Today it stands as a testament to The Clevedon Pier Heritage Trust who continue to develop the pier with a new visitor centre, wedding venue, and conferencing space. Recently, the pier gained a new group of fans as it featured as a backdrop to a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kqQDCxRCzM">One Direction music video</a>.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_kqQDCxRCzM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<h2>Thriving piers</h2>
<p>Despite their advancing years, since the turn of the 21st century many piers have found a new lease of life. The high-profile regeneration of <a href="http://hastingspier.org.uk/">Hastings Pier</a>, led by a local community trust and backed by <a href="https://www.hlf.org.uk/our-projects/hastings-pier">Heritage Lottery Funding</a>, has spearheaded the revitalisation of many seaside piers (although the pier, controversially, was <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-44506163">recently sold to a commercial investor</a>). Nevertheless, a number of coastal communities have successfully regenerated their piers through the formation of pier trusts, including those at <a href="http://www.swanagepiertrust.com/">Swanage</a> and Herne Bay. Other seaside towns are being even more ambitious and hoping to rebuild their piers or to <a href="https://withernsea1.co.uk/PierPlans.html">build brand new piers</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221881/original/file-20180605-119853-145dz1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221881/original/file-20180605-119853-145dz1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221881/original/file-20180605-119853-145dz1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221881/original/file-20180605-119853-145dz1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221881/original/file-20180605-119853-145dz1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221881/original/file-20180605-119853-145dz1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221881/original/file-20180605-119853-145dz1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221881/original/file-20180605-119853-145dz1w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Swanage Pier.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">National Piers Society</span></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>Local authorities within seaside resorts are also promoting their piers as flagship tourist attractions and investing in their refurbishment and new facilities. Southport Pier, which narrowly escaped demolition during the 1990s, is now at the heart of the resort’s development strategy and is currently undergoing a £2.9m refurbishment which includes the addition of new catering and retail facilities. </p>
<p>The piers that are thriving in the 21st century are those that provide a unique selling point. Bournemouth Pier now features the only pier-to-beach zip line, and its former theatre now houses adrenaline-packed activities such as climbing walls, an aerial assault course, and a vertical drop slide. In Folkestone, the Harbour Arm, which was redeveloped as a pleasure pier in 2016, provides a <a href="http://folkestoneharbourarm.co.uk/outlets/">range of pop-up bars and restaurants</a> and its very own champagne bar. Weston’s Grand Pier offers family fun with a modern twist and even boasts an indoor suspended go-kart track. Southwold Pier <a href="http://www.underthepier.com/">boasts a novelty automaton arcade</a>. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221882/original/file-20180605-119885-pa2zkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221882/original/file-20180605-119885-pa2zkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221882/original/file-20180605-119885-pa2zkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221882/original/file-20180605-119885-pa2zkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221882/original/file-20180605-119885-pa2zkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221882/original/file-20180605-119885-pa2zkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221882/original/file-20180605-119885-pa2zkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/221882/original/file-20180605-119885-pa2zkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Weston-Super Mare Grand Pier.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">National Piers Society</span></span>
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<p>By staying tuned to modern desires as well as a sense of nostalgia, piers will continue to adapt to changing tastes and provide entertainment and pleasure for seaside visitors. </p>
<p>But perhaps the biggest threat they face today is climate change, and the attendant rising sea levels and increasingly frequent storm surges. Cromer, Saltburn, and Blackpool North Pier have all recently been significantly damaged by storms. The World Monuments Fund has recognised the threat of extreme weather events to seaside piers by adding Blackpool’s three piers to their <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-41665259">2018 Watch List</a>. With seaside piers regaining their popularity, their next big challenge will literally be finding a way to weather the storm.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/97553/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anya Chapman volunteers (unpaid) as Honorary Secretary for the National Piers Society (a charitable organisation).</span></em></p>Piers face an uncertain future, with fire, maintenance issues, rising costs, and climate change all conspiring against them.Anya Chapman, Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management, Bournemouth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/817112017-08-08T10:18:22Z2017-08-08T10:18:22ZWhy you should think twice before you talk about ‘the LGBT community’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180410/original/file-20170731-22134-1kyzepl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Living in a rainbow of chaos.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>What does the phrase “LGBT community” mean to you? Chances are if you don’t identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans yourself, you might think about what you’ve seen on TV – so <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185102/">Queer as Folk</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2372162/">Orange is the New Black</a>, or <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0330251/">The L Word </a>, to name a few TV hits. It might also bring to mind images of brightly coloured rainbow flags or Pride parades.</p>
<p>But just stop for a minute and think about how often you’ve heard someone talk about “the heterosexual community”? Rarely I imagine – but the term “LGBT community”, or sometimes “gay community”, is frequently used by pretty much everyone. </p>
<p>This might not sound like a big deal – after all it’s just a phrase used to identify a large group of people, right? But herein lies the problem, because after carrying out <a href="http://www.gaytimes.co.uk/news/82107/research-suggests-that-the-term-lgbt-community-can-be-problematic/">my latest research</a>, which involved over <a href="http://www.lgbtcommunityresearch.co.uk/">600 LGBT participants</a> from across the UK, I’m not sure that community is a very suitable word for such a diverse group of people.</p>
<p>And as I explain in my new book, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Exploring-LGBT-Spaces-and-Communities-Contrasting-Identities-Belongings/Formby/p/book/9781138814004">Exploring LGBT spaces and communities</a>, the term “LGBT community” can be understood in many different ways, and can mean many different things to many different people.</p>
<h2>A sense of place</h2>
<p>In <a href="http://www.lgbtcommunityresearch.co.uk/">my research</a>, people often said they experienced the “community” part of the phrase as an actual physical space. This could be a particular geographical area such as Brighton or San Francisco, or could relate to places frequented by LGBT people – such as bars and clubs – often referred to as “the scene”.</p>
<p>People I spoke to also reported experiencing this community aspect as part of a virtual space – such as online, or even in an imagined sense – in that LGBT people were thought to share “something”.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180413/original/file-20170731-22126-1nz2cdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180413/original/file-20170731-22126-1nz2cdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180413/original/file-20170731-22126-1nz2cdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180413/original/file-20170731-22126-1nz2cdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180413/original/file-20170731-22126-1nz2cdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=664&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180413/original/file-20170731-22126-1nz2cdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=664&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180413/original/file-20170731-22126-1nz2cdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=664&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Gay disco: the heart of a community?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shuttertstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>People revealed how they often had fears or negative expectations of wider society. And that this is in part why they invest in the idea of an LGBT community – as somewhere where they could feel safe and understood. </p>
<p>But the term does not capture differences and complexities of experience.
It can also wrongly suggest some form of shared experience, which for some people can be frustrating because it seems to ignore their experiences of inequality or discrimination within – or exclusion from – so-called “LGBT community”.</p>
<h2>LGBT and beyond</h2>
<p>Then there is also the issue of the acronym “LGBT” itself, as it excludes a lot of people – such as those who identify as queer or intersex. And it was clear in my research that some people feel less welcomed within this acronym. Even those who do feature within these four letters – notably bisexual and trans people – can often feel marginalised by lesbian and gay people, and like that they don’t really belong to such a “community”. </p>
<p>People also spoke about their quest to find this “community” – with many trying and failing to discover such a thing. The idea of an LGBT community suggests that people who identify in this way should feel part of something. If they don’t it can compound negative experiences. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180415/original/file-20170731-22136-16axubm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180415/original/file-20170731-22136-16axubm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180415/original/file-20170731-22136-16axubm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180415/original/file-20170731-22136-16axubm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180415/original/file-20170731-22136-16axubm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180415/original/file-20170731-22136-16axubm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/180415/original/file-20170731-22136-16axubm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=540&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Not everyone’s experience of sexuality or gender is the same.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many participants in my research also talked about experiencing discrimination from other LGBT people relating to their age, body, disability, ethnicity, faith, HIV status, or perceived social class. So although the phrase implies that LGBT people somehow automatically belong to a ready made community – this is simply not the case. </p>
<h2>A group of people</h2>
<p>It is clear then that community belonging is not a given just because people share a gender or sexual identity. And this is why the notion of “LGBT community” is problematic. As someone I interviewed argued:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The idea doesn’t exist, it’s a kind of big myth – a bit like saying there’s a brown-eyed community or a blonde community.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In this way, then, the use of the term “LGBT community” could alienate some people and even risks deterring LGBT (and other) people from engaging with services aimed specifically at them. As another participant said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I find anyone who uses this language dubious and with doubtful intention. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is not to say that we should abandon the phrase altogether, but often using “LGBT people” would be more accurate – and would not risk alienation felt by an already (at times) marginalised group of people.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81711/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eleanor Formby receives funding from, currently, the Government Equalities Office and the British Academy/Leverhulme, and previously the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Department for Education.</span></em></p>The term ‘LGBT community’ can be understood in many different ways, and can mean many different things to many different people.Eleanor Formby, Senior Research Fellow in Sociology and Education, Sheffield Hallam UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/654262016-09-26T10:55:37Z2016-09-26T10:55:37ZPostcards from the edge: how the seaside sharpens racial differences<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/138966/original/image-20160923-29880-ohp3uh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C3%2C2048%2C1257&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption"></span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/simon_morris/9756606371/in/photolist-fSaaae-4tuYj5-aaM6go-5dQUcn-bZNTaA-a9YCze-96w1kv-6gZkBJ-6tRv2i-a9YwKB-5dQU9x-aa25s1-5uKyKn-aa2pZS-a9Yrpk-a9YjiP-2SBXi6-96w1oB-aa2jpu-9CUMCR-aa2dL1-ekGSYY-376ir6-7UpKAj-a9Ywor-6Nzdi9-82AYFY-qxNWb3-a9YBia-c2km67-a9Yvb6-9b2Fvj-aa2n5f-aa2bVq-GxwnSy-a9Ygiz-a9YACe-8pYmAz-7ai3Mi-a8tEWh-2S4ut7-8sCM7h-aa2k87-98o8Xy-8sCMG1-9v8txH-5naqo-6ZSW3b-96z4hd-8sCMiU">Simon Morris/Fllickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As another British summer comes to an end, buckets and spades are put away, rubber dinghies deflated, and windbreaks rolled up and stashed in garden sheds. Hundreds of thousands of people can reflect on happy memories of days and weeks spent at seaside resorts in the UK and abroad. Little thought will be given to the non-white groups which have been largely absent from the nation’s edges. </p>
<p>Across the English Channel in France, a very different seaside story emerged – one characterised by exclusion and control, rather than inclusion and freedom. In August 2016, reports surfaced about the inequitable experiences of French Muslim female beachgoers: communities prevented from accessing seaside spaces and enjoying beach areas in the manner and attire in which they wished. In effect, people were excluded – <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/24/french-police-make-woman-remove-burkini-on-nice-beach">physically as well as figuratively</a> – from the collective idea of who can be natural, organic inhabitants of the beach. </p>
<p>In a country where full-face veils have been <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28106900">banned for five years</a> and restrictions are placed on visible religious symbols in state schools, the beach became a key place where discriminatory treatment by race, gender and religion could occur. French municipal authorities stipulated that full-body coverings <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-37056742">were unacceptable on the beach</a>. Fines were given to women who chose to wear them and in one case <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/24/french-police-make-woman-remove-burkini-on-nice-beach">a woman was forced to remove her clothing</a> by the police. </p>
<p>Most of the debate has focused on France itself and on the nature of <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/127179/time-france-abandon-laicite">laïcité – the French idea of secularism</a> – as well addressing Islam, gender and the politics of multiculturalism. Little attention has been paid to the significance of the beach itself. </p>
<p>However, throughout much of the global north, the beach and the coast have long been symbolic sites for reaffirming dominant national, cultural, ethno-racial and religious identities. In short, the seemingly benign, open and free leisure spaces of the beach are, in fact, often contested, regulated and exclusionary.</p>
<h2>All at sea</h2>
<p>In Britain, received wisdom, academic scholarship and, let’s face it, a long history of bawdy postcards and dirty weekends have all told us the beach is primarily a place of fun, frivolity and escapism. It is an ambiguous yet comforting space where traditional standards, roles and constraints of society are transgressed, albeit temporarily. This means that social issues and problems of any kind, let alone those related to race, have only recently gained critical attention.</p>
<p>Add to this mix the overwhelmingly white populations of <a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census-analysis/coastal-communities/rpt-coastal-communities.html">British seaside towns</a>. Put simply: there simply haven’t been many “non-white” faces in this context – with an unsophisticated understanding of the mechanics of racism, this means that the English seaside is seen as a discrimination-free zone. The experiences of minority ethnic seaside communities – residents, tourists, revellers and workers – have been ignored. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/138978/original/image-20160923-29889-nku1yz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/138978/original/image-20160923-29889-nku1yz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/138978/original/image-20160923-29889-nku1yz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/138978/original/image-20160923-29889-nku1yz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/138978/original/image-20160923-29889-nku1yz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/138978/original/image-20160923-29889-nku1yz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/138978/original/image-20160923-29889-nku1yz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/138978/original/image-20160923-29889-nku1yz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">British seaside identities are being dragged out of the past.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/14912296916/in/photolist-aEV36g-84QeEc-84McD5-D7SNb-4S5bj5-f8uNHe-4RZhuB-4S4tjo-5RHySi-6kXP7P-oD1hQH-38CynG-GbBpo-fzGnd-GbFSY-7caF4Y-6kXP2z-ajXYu7-7s9vyS-9ZeNii-i8dWY1-GbBpS-qSuv7F-igpEG-6m2Ycf-6m2Yfo-6kXNX6-JntH2e-qAdYXK-6kXP5M-6kXP4D-6m2Ymb-d9ZdG3-4J7r2g-2ZdnMt-qA6iLW-KdfUA-5RHy8r-7s5xY6-LsWSFN-Lt4DQn-otj2Cn-otj2xH-otiKL3-oHKqkw-9mnsjD-29cKPu-Jd5uDy-LoHv7b-iGSZ6k">Paul Townsend/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, it is these associations of leisure and playfulness combined with an unrelenting whiteness that make the structures and repercussions of race at the English seaside so significant. When race is ignored or underplayed it accentuates rather than mitigates <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jPBdz1ykpagC&printsec=frontcover&dq=bonilla-silva+racism+without+racists+4th+edition&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiX3OjovqXPAhWnL8AKHew1Bl4Q6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=bonilla-silva%20racism%20without%20racists%204th%20edition&f=false">its effects</a>.</p>
<p>The modern seaside in Britain has, in fact, always been a racialised environment. It is a place where social constructions and beliefs about race have defined spaces and architectural design, forms of entertainment, leisure and tourism economies, and the provision of cultural services and infrastructure. A visitor to any seafront will encounter Orientalist minarets adorning piers and bandstands, Gypsy fortune tellers and fairground themes of colonial conquest, and refreshments and wares designed for “traditional” seaside shoppers.</p>
<p>This has allowed white British communities (of all class backgrounds) to effectively dictate who can have access, how they should behave, how they should appear and how they should be represented. In other words, everything about how to truly belong in that environment.</p>
<p>In turn, the beach intensifies a fascination with bodies, determining which types of people are made welcome and which are not. The police might not enforce it in the UK, but ideas about what clothing people should <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/burkini-ban-women-in-burkas-paddle-at-brighton-beach-after-french-controversy_uk_57becf57e4b0ba22a4d38b9c">or should not wear</a>, and how they are expected to behave or perform are central to the public understanding of the beach. </p>
<h2>End of the pier show</h2>
<p>Today, the British seaside remains an <a href="http://www.palgrave.com/gb/book/9781137450111">excluding space for many</a>. Far from an innocent, apolitical place, it is one where distinctions around race, culture and religion are sharpened. It is no accident that the UK Independence Party has enjoyed recent electoral successes in coastal spaces, especially in south Essex and Thanet in <a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/faded-seaside-towns-fertile-ground-ukip-080913798.html#f4k9shs">Kent</a>. </p>
<p>Quaint souvenir shops frequently reject the imposition of so-called political correctness, selling items that would be regarded in many other areas as racist, such as “<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/sep/21/golliwogs-vile-throwback-tory-mps">Golly dolls</a>”. Minority ethnic seaside residents and visitors report various forms of discriminatory treatment: physical violence, verbal abuse, surveillance in shops and social spaces – and simply being stared at by other <a href="http://www.palgrave.com/gb/book/9781137450111">local people</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/138985/original/image-20160923-29909-2kmry8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/138985/original/image-20160923-29909-2kmry8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/138985/original/image-20160923-29909-2kmry8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=365&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/138985/original/image-20160923-29909-2kmry8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=365&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/138985/original/image-20160923-29909-2kmry8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=365&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/138985/original/image-20160923-29909-2kmry8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/138985/original/image-20160923-29909-2kmry8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/138985/original/image-20160923-29909-2kmry8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Horses for courses. Donkey rides on Skegness beach.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rachel_s/2883320614/in/photolist-5oMLLo-9QsqsH-85Mk5m-7DxvX9-5XhZL9-9SopSb-bYwi6Y-58crfi-7JBA6y-7VGr2z-3NZCWE-5geSSy-8cHUV3-9EpKKo-4n9n6p-77Axrb-cYAR3q-88bfwF-6EZQv2-ozH1AC-ei82jt-D7ppd7-8FALQG-4GWpx-4qa9B-6ZSY7Y-5E4uBs-2A52na-8cHUW5-cYASAw-4USzEq-6ZSYxE-49K4r-oWoaC-49K37-kXD49-cYAWe1-8cHUY7-49K1N-4V9JQn-49K2q-49K5o-cR9aCC-85HCeg-8FALTu-cYAPrY-bmyYvz-8cEB6H-nuU4hQ-fsncFj">nutmeg66/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The seaside is changing, socially and culturally, in numerous ways. With this comes hope. In terms of population demographics, the seaside is slowly becoming “<a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census-analysis/coastal-communities/rpt-coastal-communities.html">less white</a>”: home to visitors, workers, tourists, retirees, refugees and asylum seekers, students and locally-born young people from ethnic minorities. Against political claims of a country characterised by division and mistrust, seaside towns can be places of conviviality, pan-ethnic solidarity and inter-cultural exchange. </p>
<p>My own experiences on the south coast attest to this: productive inter-faith networks, unextraordinary mixed residential neighbourhoods, cross-cultural assistance for refugees – and even acts of symbolic support for French female Muslim beachgoers, such as <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/burkini-ban-women-in-burkas-paddle-at-brighton-beach-after-french-controversy_uk_57becf57e4b0ba22a4d38b9c">Muslim women bathing in the sea at Brighton</a>.</p>
<p>The seaside is as central to the modern British multicultural island story as our towns and cities, villages and countryside. For it to be a collective cultural experience, the stories, sights and sounds of the beaches on the edges of Britain must express the pasts, presents and futures of everyone.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/65426/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daniel Burdsey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The beach lies at the edges of the country, and can feel like another place entirely. French hand-wringing over Muslim dress for paddling should make us look again at our own attitudes.Daniel Burdsey, Deputy Head of School (Research), University of BrightonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.