UTANFÖR ELLER INNANFÖR: EN FRÅGA OM LIVET

1. UTANFÖR ELLER INNANFÖR: EN FRÅGA OM LIVET UTANFÖR Social mobilization or streetcrimes: Twostrategies amongyoung urban outcasts in contemporary Sweden Philip Lalander, Professor in Work, Malmö University World Conference on Social Work, Oct 11, 2012, Stockholm

2. Mira amigo, estoycansado, de esta vida llena de amargura. Si algopasa, alla en la casa, puedescontar a nosotros patodo. Somoshermanosaqui en la calle, somostodoscon risa y furia … En lasbuenas y en las malas.

4. Importanceof studies focusingeverydaylife and social structures • Strong trends on segregation and unequality in society, even in Sweden. • In a timeofindividualization and medicalizationit is importantto focus on social, economic and structuralembeddedness and incorporation in human beings. • Bourdieus conceptof habitus; howwefeel and view the world is constructed in the individualsjourneysthroughlife, and howwearepositioned in social, economic and culturalstructures.

5. Twocases, groupsofyoung men in Swedish low status suburbs • The firstis a study by Ove Sernhede, a groupofyoung men with immigrant backgroundwhocreateted a kind ofstreetculturewhichbecame like an ”educationofourtime”, learningtosee and toreflect on society, ones position in it and the historyofmakingresistance. Producingrespectability.

6. Twocases, groupsofyoung men in Swedish low status suburbs • The other is also a groupofyoungmalewith immigrant background. Carriedout by Lalander. • From early age theydevelop an interestof illegal activities, in the beginningusing cannabis and stealing mopeds, but for someofthem, later on, dealingwith heroin and investing in organizedcrime.

7. Theyhavethings in common • Thattheygrowup in a Swedish societywhichduringtheirchildhoodand youthwentthrough major changes. • Theyusedstreetmusic and styles in order tocreate a feeling ofrespectability and also in someaspectsto understand theirown position, identifyingthemselveswith the street, the translocalstreet, imaginaryrelatedtostreets in Kingston, Brazil, East LA etcetera.

8. Onethingthat mattered can be illustrated with the concept charisma • The rap organizers in the firstcasewere charismatic and couldprovideyoungpeoplewith a sense ofmeaning and identity. Theyhad a similar habitus, thusreflecting a sense ofreality a sense of ”I knowwhatyoumean” withoutsaying it.

9. Onethingthat mattered can be illustrated with the concept charisma • Lorenzo washighly charismatic accordingto the habitus of the young men, so was the ”old man” (a largescaledistributor) • ”By relatingto charismatic persons onemaycreate a feeling ofsecurity, strength and self-respect.” • Lorenzo and the ”old man” hadmoney, which for the youngpoorguys is intertwinedwithother impression in the feel and the interpretation ofthem.

10. Impact for social work • Working on a bothstructural and ethnographiclevel… • Fight againstlocal and global inequality, segregation, stigmatization and discrimination.

11. Thankyou!