This thesis examines the politicization of juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice in Sweden since 1989, and explores problem representations of prevalence within the recently proposed penal reforms to reduce the minimum age of criminal responsibility, implement stricter regulations for young offenders, and establish youth prisons. Specifically, this thesis aimed to investigate whether efforts to address the issue of juvenile delinquency are an effect of crisis-based politicization, and if the recently proposed penal reforms reflect the identified global trend of defending old and retaliatory principles of juvenile justice.  The research was conducted by applying a comprehensive theoretical framework, including politicization theory and the perspectives of humane neoclassicism, hegemonic neoliberalism and cultures of control, combined with a single case study design, including process tracing and the WPR approach to policy analysis.  The research reveals that juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice is currently being politicized in terms of crisis and that such politicization has been historically present, although it did not lead to drastic changes of the penal system. Additionally, it reveals that the problem representations are heavily influenced by the ideology of hegemonic neoliberalism and cultures of control. Altogether, the findings attest to a departure from previous traditions and a shift towards a culture of control.

Esta tesis estudia las alteraciones de la vida urbana en la calle d'en Robador del barrio del Raval de Barcelona como consecuencia de las intervenciones urbanísticas que allí se han producido en los últimos veinte años. Las incisiones urbanísticas en el Raval han comportado destrucción de patrimonio arquitectónico, habitacional y cultural de gran valor. Asimismo, han generado expulsiones de población, y en cierta medida y en ciertas zonas, su substitución por otra de mayor capacidad de dispendio. Se ha realizado un rastreo histórico sobre el Raval poniendo énfasis en las sucesivas culturas de control aplicadas allí sobre una población caracterizada por un elevado componente obrero y descapitalizado. Esto es complementado por una etnografía crítica de la calle citada -llevada a cabo entre los años 2010 y 2012, que ofrece una actualización de la perspectiva con el fin de establecer las persistencias y recurrencias que los sucesivos gobernantes han ensayado en lo que han sido hasta hoy los “bajos fondos” de la ciudad, el mítico “Barrio Chino”. / This thesis explores changes of urban life on d'en Robador street on the Raval district of Barcelona as a result of urban interventions that have occurred there in the past twenty years. The urbanistic incisions in the Raval had destroyed urban heritage, architectural, residential and cultural valuable assets. Furthermore, they resulted in population expulsions, and -to some extent, and in certain areas- its replacement by people of greater income. Historical tracking on Raval neighbourhood has been made, emphasizing the observation on successive control cultures applied there over an impoverished population with a marked working class profile. This is complemented by a critical ethnography performed between 2010 and 2012 in the above-named street that brings that perspective up to date to establish the persistence and recurrence in the successive governments action on what has been up to today the "underworld" of the city, the mythical "Chinatown".