ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the distinctive features of the Los Angeles unrest, and then outlines factors at the societal and community levels that influenced the dynamics of the unrest. It deals with a discussion of the implications of this case for collective behavior research and for the future of Los Angeles and other urban centers. Two features are important to note in considering both the dynamics and the conditions underlying the Los Angeles unrest: the selective damage done to Korean-owned businesses; and the widespread participation in the riot by non-black minority group members. The records indicate that, consistent with the patterns of property crime observed in earlier U. S. riots, businesses were overwhelmingly targeted in the 1992 unrest; an exceedingly small number of residential dwellings were damaged. Despite gaps in the data, the riot damage data make a strong prima facie case for the selectivity hypothesis.
