Individuals, mental health workers and GPs were also interviewed. The basic hypothesis is that the urban-rural migration turnaround has the potential to alter the social and cultural profiles of rural localities to the extent that perceptions of, and popular concerns about, crime will change. The breakdown of social cohesion and the loss of community, often associated with urban society, are introduced to a rural environment with analogous impacts on identity and collective resistance to disorder. Preliminary findings suggest in-migrants introduce false expectations of security leading to disappointment and fear, while local people rely on network support and familiarity with social environment to retain sense of security. The increasing trend towards in-migration could therefore lead to enhanced fear and demands for police funds and action.
Future research is planned to extend and confirm findings.
In particular, research has focused on the contestation of the spaces of urban change in the city of Leipzig.