Safety Work with an Ethnic Slant
Ethnic discrimination in the criminal justice system is a well-researched topic, but the significance of ethnicity in policing activities at more mundane levels has attracted less attention. This article analyzes ethnographic data on municipal ‘safety work’ in a Swedish city troubled with robberies,...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cogitatio
2014-09-01
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| Series: | Social Inclusion |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/27 |
| _version_ | 1818493057796931584 |
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| author | David Wästerfors Veronika Burcar |
| author_facet | David Wästerfors Veronika Burcar |
| author_sort | David Wästerfors |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ethnic discrimination in the criminal justice system is a well-researched topic, but the significance of ethnicity in policing activities at more mundane levels has attracted less attention. This article analyzes ethnographic data on municipal ‘safety work’ in a Swedish city troubled with robberies, vandalism, and violence. It shows how the efforts of different safety workers, operating to curb crime and promote security, came to focus on the ‘soft’ policing of young men with various immigrant backgrounds. A set of street-level safety practices, performed within spatial demarcations, was found to represent a more-or-less silent orientation towards local minorities; a focus on non-Swedish ethnicities was embedded in the policing activity. This article points out the importance of implied ethnicities in the contemporary landscape of plural policing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:50:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-38dda3d91d284ab4a67ea199466e859a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2183-2803 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:50:15Z |
| publishDate | 2014-09-01 |
| publisher | Cogitatio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Inclusion |
| spelling | doaj.art-38dda3d91d284ab4a67ea199466e859a2022-12-22T01:39:05ZengCogitatioSocial Inclusion2183-28032014-09-012308810110.17645/si.v2i3.2780Safety Work with an Ethnic SlantDavid Wästerfors0Veronika Burcar1Department of Sociology, Lund University, SwedenDepartment of Sociology, Lund University, SwedenEthnic discrimination in the criminal justice system is a well-researched topic, but the significance of ethnicity in policing activities at more mundane levels has attracted less attention. This article analyzes ethnographic data on municipal ‘safety work’ in a Swedish city troubled with robberies, vandalism, and violence. It shows how the efforts of different safety workers, operating to curb crime and promote security, came to focus on the ‘soft’ policing of young men with various immigrant backgrounds. A set of street-level safety practices, performed within spatial demarcations, was found to represent a more-or-less silent orientation towards local minorities; a focus on non-Swedish ethnicities was embedded in the policing activity. This article points out the importance of implied ethnicities in the contemporary landscape of plural policing.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/27crimeethnicitymediaplural policingsafety worksecurityurban space |
| spellingShingle | David Wästerfors Veronika Burcar Safety Work with an Ethnic Slant Social Inclusion crime ethnicity media plural policing safety work security urban space |
| title | Safety Work with an Ethnic Slant |
| title_full | Safety Work with an Ethnic Slant |
| title_fullStr | Safety Work with an Ethnic Slant |
| title_full_unstemmed | Safety Work with an Ethnic Slant |
| title_short | Safety Work with an Ethnic Slant |
| title_sort | safety work with an ethnic slant |
| topic | crime ethnicity media plural policing safety work security urban space |
| url | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/27 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidwasterfors safetyworkwithanethnicslant AT veronikaburcar safetyworkwithanethnicslant |