Street corner culture in the suburbs of Sweden

Two current events have made us revisit the theme of street corner culture. One of them is the never-ending fireriots in Rosengård, the other is a recent gathering held with some of our younger informants. It’s very obvious that street corner culture amongst the younger is a symptom of a social exclusion that is two folded. Firstly, and probably foremost, it deals with the socioeconomic situation which encompass neighborhoods suffering from different forms of deprivation which lead to a notion of powerlessness. Secondly, there is an enormous lack of “things to do” and “places to go” when you are in the in-between age of 15-17 years old. This culture of “att tugga” (that is standing doing nothing and talking about whatever) is not all bad though; it’s far from everyone that is up to mischievous acts. And when listening conversations, subjects and the way things are said, it´s not surprising that hip hop and rap is born in these corners. The danger whit this sort of leisure career though is when the depravation gets idealized to the point where you just don’t care anymore. Or as Anna, 18 years old said: “A lot of the young kids hanging in street corners seem to lack the ability of seeing the connection between cause and effect. Or maybe they just don’t care.” 

Rosengård on fire. Photo by Simeon Ogén. Scanpix. Taken from tv4.