This essay is based on an interest in how certain residential areas are portrayed in the public debate as "problem areas" which allows other to stigmatization these neighborhoods with negative prejudices. The residential area Ersboda is one of the major residential area in the Swedish town Umeå, that can stand as an example of this phenomenon.  The unique with the residential area Ersboda is that the area don’t have much problem compare to other areas and it therefore interesting to ask why the residential area Ersboda are stamped with negative prejudices? The purpose of this essay is therefore to create an understanding why and how the residential area Ersboda in Umeå are stigmatised by the surroundings. The essay aims to answer the following questions: • When did the stigmatization of the residential area Ersboda begin? • How does the stigmatization of the residential area Ersboda manifest itself? • What could be the underlying factors for the stigmatization of Ersboda? In this study, qualitative interviews have been conducted with residents and working people in the residential area Ersboda. The result showed that one contributing reasons why Ersboda and its inhabitants become stigmatized is that there is a relatively large influx of immigrants in the 1990s. The second factor is based on the violent disturbances among a small part of the area's young residents during the same time period. The reason why Ersboda still are stigmatized depends possibly not only on the surrounding prejudices about the area's ethnic inhabitans and the media's negative reports. The underlying factor can be due to a power difference between established (the surrounding) and outsiders (those living and working on Ersboda). The conclusion is therefore that the stigma of Ersboda not depend on the number of problems, but rather on the basis that it has established a power relationship between "us" and "them" and where residents lack the means of power to break the stigmatization.

This thesis is a case study analysis of the feminist urban development project #UrbanGirlsMovement discussing how gender-transformative urban planning techniques impact local girls in the Million Dwellings Program area Fittja south of Stockholm. The thesis draws on a theoretical framework of feminist geography, intersectionality, and territorial stigmatization to analyze narratives from eleven girls participating in #UrbanGirlsMovement. The girls’ narratives reveal that it has been an empowering experience to be part of an urban development process as it has enabled them to recognize their own abilities. By re-evaluating the role of the planner to take on a more facilitating role, the girls shouldered the role of experts. It legitimized the girls’ ideas and designs, enabling them both to recognize and to use their own agency. Additionally, the process of redesigning a familiar place enabled the girls to regenerate the meaning of the urban public space around Fittja to mirror their own subjective spatial identities. The thesis shows that intersectional planning tools that transform, rather than inform, power and spatial oppression are crucial when renewing the Million Dwellings Program of Swedish suburbs. #UrbanGirlsMovement shows that a planning process is more than physical designs, it is as much a tool for enhanced democracy, equality, and justice in cities.

This essay intervenes in the politics of urban segregation in Stockholm. The main aim of the essay is to analyze and describe how advanced marginality and territorial stigmatization are expressed in the lived experiences of four unemployed youths, that have participated in a labor market training program located in the “social vulnerable” area Rågsved. With a theoretical framework based in Henri Lefebvre’s production of social space the empirical findings are interpreted in regard to how the youths produce social space in dialectical interplay with urban politics, advanced marginality, territorial stigmatization, and their local neighborhood. The empirical material in the study was collected through qualitative interviews with the youths. The method of interviewing, analyzing, and presenting the result is grounded in a phenomenological approach. The historical background for the essay is the politics of urban segregation that has emerged in the metropolitan areas of Sweden. The post-industrial society and advanced sectors in the economy are transforming the labor market, city landscape, and the requirements on workers. This deep transformation process has resulted in social exclusion and inequalities between different groups in the urban city. Unemployment and poverty has been concentrated to the urban periphery of the metropolitan city. The urban periphery is marginalized areas with high concentration of immigrant residents with post-colonial status. The Swedish Metropolitan Committee committed a proposal 1998 for a new urban politics in the beginning of the millennium, which main purpose was to intervene in the ongoing process of ethnic and socioeconomic segregation in the urban landscape. This political-institutional background, within the context of post-industrial society and neoliberal politics, situates the historical framework for the present study. The result in the study points out that the youths are in an insecure position in the contemporary labor market, and constantly reflect their ways of living through the dominated norms of active labor market policies. The youths participation in the labor market training program Rågsved Community Center are described as a positive experience, and they describe how they are fully recognized as individual subjects of the employees. Within the geography of urban segregation, the youths are constantly in a process of mental negotiating about how to determine the space of Rågsved. The space of the “social vulnerable” suburb Rågsved is produced by the youths in the conflict of territorial stigmatization and their feelings of belonging.  The main result from the study is that the youths lived experiences of participation in Rågsved Community Center reflects a political need for something different. They discredit the way that Arbetsförmedlingen approach them as unemployed and lack confidence in their methods. In the social space of Rågsved Community Center the youths are recognized as individuals and are also taking initiative to help their friends in Rågsved to find a way out of unemployment. These spatial practices in Rågsved produce a social space and constitute a local institution that could be an embryo for collective representation and organization in relation to urban segregation and youth unemployment in the urban periphery.

The main purpose of this thesis is to analyse the discourses of particularly vulnerable areas in Sweden, a categorization made by the police authority, as these areas appear within student theses, written between 2010 and 2018. The aim of using this material along with theoretical discourse analysis is to gain a deeper understanding of academic as well as non-academic perspectives of these areas, in relation to the ongoing discussion of territorial stigmatization. Three main discourses where identified, structuring the analysis: the suburban discourse, the Swedish society discourse, and the critical meta discourse. In addition, I found that these are also present within studies conducted by higher scholars, and thus conclude that student theses can successfully serve as a source through which wider academic discourses can be understood.  While parts of the discourses found has been identified by previous researchers as well, I argue that  the critical meta discourse, having been dismissed as marginal, is prominent as a discourse within student theses. However, although the critical meta discourse serves to nuance the predominantly gloomy discourse of the suburb, I argue that this narrative also functions to preserve this image, and therefore should be used with some caution. Due to the magnitude of studies set out to “challenge the bad reputation” of these areas, the solidity and importance of these reputation are seen as given and thus possibly enhanced.

The aim of this study is to describe and analyse how young men who have participated in a riot describe their life-situations regarding to their relations to the police, their neighbourhood, employment, the background to the riots and how they use hip-hop as a resistance to subordination. The study is conducted through three semi-structured qualitative group interviews and to some extent field studies. The theoretical points of departure are Slavoj Zizeks theory of violence, which is divided into subjective, symbolic and systemic violence, and subcultural theory. The results of the study show that the young men in their daily life are exposed to by both systemic and symbolic violence, feel secure within their neighbourhood and find themselves harassed by the police. A major finding is that the riot primarily can be understood as an act to get society conscious of their situations, while they found themselves marginalised, lacking employment and youth club. Another finding is that the hip-hop-group “Kartellen” describes how the young men experience their life-situations and that they e.g. are used as a “resistance through ritual” and to get society aware of their life conditions.

Denna studie analyserar uppkomsten, konsekvenserna och bemötandet av territoriellt stigma som konceptualiserat av Loïc Wacquant (2008b) hos invånare bosatta på Hertsön, ett bostadsområde som ibland omnämns genom stigmatiserande termer som ”ghetto” eller ”problemområde”. Syftet är att använda Hertsön som fall i undersökningen av territoriellt stigma och hur det tar sig uttryck i ett bostadsområde som i en svensk kontext kännetecknas av en viss grad av marginalisering. Studien består av två delar. Genom en inledande historisk undersökning analyseras först framställningar av Hertsön som i sin tur stämplade bostadsområdet som avvikande och marginaliserat. Därefter görs en beskrivning och analys av områdets materiella och symboliska utveckling i relation till Luleå kommun som helhet under 2000-talet. Studiens andra del är baserad på data från 9 semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförda med invånare från Hertsön. Först undersöks stigmats eventuella konsekvenser för invånarnas relation till bostadsområdet och andra invånare i kommunen. Därefter undersöks vilka strategier invånarna använder i sitt bemötande av territoriellt stigma. Studien visar att invånarna, till följd av Hertsöns jämförelsevis milda grad av social och ekonomisk marginalisering, utvecklat en rad strategier som används i syfte att neutralisera och bekämpa de stigmatiserande förhållningssätt som riktas mot dem och deras bostadsområde. Detta har sannolikt medfört att man hos intervjupersonerna inte finner starka uttryck för det territoriella stigmats konsekvenser, som förakt mot sitt bostadsområde och dess invånare. Snarare ser man bevis för starka band mellan intervjupersonerna till Hertsön som bostadsområde och till områdets invånare. Avslutningsvis diskuterar studien huruvida det territoriella stigmat riskerar att intensifieras i framtiden om Hertsöns materiella och symboliska utveckling fortsätter i samma spår som under 2000-talets inledande 20 år. / This study analyzes the emergence, consequences and response to territorial stigma as conceptualized by Loïc Wacquant (2008b) by residents of Hertsön, a residential area sometimes referred to by stigmatizing terms as "ghetto" or "problem area". The purpose is to use Hertsön as a case in the study of territorial stigmatization and how it manifests itself in a residential area that in a Swedish context is characterized by a certain degree of marginalization. The study consists of two parts. By means of an initial historical survey, stigmatizing representations of Hertsön which are thought to have labeled the residential area as deviant and marginalized are analyzed. Subsequently, a description and analysis of the area's material and symbolic development in relation to Luleå municipality as a whole is made during the 2000s. The second part of the study is based on data from 9 semi-structured interviews conducted with residents of Hertsön. First, possible consequences of stigma for the residents' relationship with the housing area and other residents in the municipality are examined. Second, strategies used by residents in addressing territorial stigma are examined. The study shows that, as a result of Hertsön's comparatively mild degree of social and economic marginalization have enabled the inhabitants to develop a number of strategies that are used to neutralize and combat the stigmatizing approaches directed at them and their housing area. This has probably been the cause behind the interviewees not expressing strong consequences of territorial stigma, such as contempt for their residential area and its inhabitants. Rather, one finds evidence of strong links between the interviewees to Hertsön as a residential area and its inhabitants. Finally, the study discusses whether the territorial stigma may be intensified in the future if Hertsön's material and symbolic development continues in the same vein as during the early 20s of the 21st century.

This thesis aim to investigate the living conditions among marginalized habitants of suburbs in the Swedish welfare state. To approach an understanding of the complexity of marginalized urban areas, this thesis focus on studying the Stockholm suburb Husby in a context of the May riots 2013. The research method used is qualitative interviews with seven informants, who have a connection to the Husby area. The theories applied to the empirical material is Gösta Esping-Andersens theory on welfare state regimes and Loïc Wacquants theory on advanced marginality, also known as “The new urban poverty”. By observing the complexity of the Husby riots in a contextual aspect of the Swedish welfare state and the living situation in Husby, the analysis has shown that the Swedish welfare model is going through a changing process. This process means a shift from a social democratic welfare model towards a more liberal regime, with an increased privatization of public welfare and a focus on individual responsibility regarding the citizens own living conditions. Husby as an area is characterized by a low socioeconomic status, a high level of unemployment and poor school results. The growing market and the increasing focus on individual responsibility regarding decent living conditions, has excluded large groups of economically vulnerable habitants of Husby. Hereby, the welfare state has decreased its earlier caretaking of its citizens, and the changing welfare state has shaped a marginality in urban areas. / Denna studie syftar till att undersöka livsvillkoren bland marginaliserade förortsbor i den svenska välfärdsstaten. För att uppnå en förståelse av denna komplexitet, fokuserar arbetet på Stockholmsförorten Husby i en kontext av de upplopp som ägde rum i maj 2013. Undersökningsmetoden är kvalitativa intervjuer med sju informanter. Samtliga har en koppling till Husbyområdet. Teorierna som appliceras på det empiriska materialet är Gösta Esping-Andersens teori om välfärdsstatsregimer samt Loïc Wacquants teori om avancerad marginalisering, även kallad ”Den nya urbana fattigdomen”. Analysen visar att den svenska välfärden genomgår en förändring. Denna förändring innebär en transformering från en socialdemokratisk modell mot en liberal regim, med en ökad privatisering av allmän välfärd samt ett fokus på individens eget ansvar i fråga om dess levnadsstandard. Husbyområdet präglas av en låg socioekonomisk status, en hög nivå av arbetslöshet samt dåliga skolresultat. Den växande marknaden har exkluderat stora grupper av ekonomiskt utsatta invånare i Husby. Välfärdsstaten har därmed minskat sitt tidigare omhändertagande av medborgarna, och denna förändring har skapat och format en marginalisering i urbana områden.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka boendes egna upplevelser av att bo i Tjärna ängar och undersöka vilka föreställningar de har om hur utomstående ser på bostadsområdet för att se om dessa föreställningar påverkar de boende. Studien är en kvalitativ undersökning där semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts. Materialet har analyserats utifrån tre olika tolkningsramar, territoriell stigmatisering, etablerade och outsiders samt media. Resultatet som framkom i studien är att bilden av bostadsområdet Tjärna ängar skiljer sig mellan de boende och samhället. De boende upplever området som tryggt medan samhället ser området som oroligt. De boende menar att medias rapportering är en stor faktor till skapandet av bilden i samhället av bostadsområdet. Vidare framkom att området Tjärna ängar är utsatt för en territoriell stigmatisering. / The purpose of this study is to investigate residents own experience of living in Tjärna ängar and examine the notions they have about how outsiders think of Tjärna ängar to see if these notions affect the residents. The study is a qualitative study in which semi-structured interviews were used. The material has been analyzed from three different theoretical perspectives, territorial stigmatization, established and outsiders and the media. The result showed that the image of the area Tjärna ängar differ between the residents and the community. The residents experience the neighborhood as safe while the community sees it as disordered. The residents think that a major factor in the creation of the image that exists in the community is what media reports about the neighborhood. Furthermore the result showed that the neighborhood Tjärna ängar are subject to a territorial stigmatization.

Svensk hiphop är en växande genre som kan tolkas ha koppling till socialt utsatta ytterstadsområden. Syftet med föreliggande arbete är att kartlägga och analysera innehållet i utvalda svenska hiphoplåtar. I studien analyserades svenska hiphoptexter i form av två delstudier. Den första bestod av en översikt av 100 hiphoplåtar för att kartlägga olika temans förekomst, och den andra delstudien var en fördjupad analys av tio låtar. Empirin analyserades med stöd av tidigare forskning och begreppen territoriell stigmatisering, machokultur och varumärkesbyggande. Resultatet från studien visar att det finns drag av territoriell stigmatisering och machokultur i låtarna, likväl som ett varumärkesbyggande gällande förorten. Studien skulle kunna förstås ge viss inblick i de tematiska drag som återfinns inom svensk hiphop. Diskussion fördes bland annat kring vilka möjliga konsekvenser hiphoptexter kan ha för de unga män som lyssnar på denna typ av musik. / Swedish hip hop is a growing genre that can be understood to be connected with socially stigmatized areas. The purpose of this work is to map out and analyze the content of chosen Swedish hip hop songs. In the study Swedish hip hop lyrics were analyzed in two parts. The first one was an outline of 100 hip hop songs in order to map out the occurrence of different themes, and the second one was an in-depth analysis of ten songs. The material were analyzed with help of previous research and the theoretical concepts territorial stigmatization, macho culture and branding. The result of the study shows that there’s aspects of territorial stigmatization and macho culture within the songs, as well as branding regarding the Projects. The study can be understood to give some insight through the thematic features that can be found within Swedish hip hop. Among other things the possible consequences for the young men listening to this type of music were discussed.

This qualitative essay has been performed on the secondary school Klaraskolan in Halmstad. The school has two defined groups that derive from two separate, different and homogenous schools. The aim of the essay is to identify the pupil’s experiences, thoughts and opinions about the social environment on Klaraskolan in relation to their different backgrounds. The primary focus for the essay is to examine differences between the groups that contribute to an internally segregated school. Conclusions will be made from how the power is distributed between the groups and how that affects the social cohesion. The main theory for the essay is Pierre Bourdieus field theory with two supportive theories which is Michel Foucaults conceptof disciplinary power and Ove Sernhedes concept of territorial stigmatization. The empiricism is collected by two group interviews, four individual interviews and three observations. The result proved that there are significant differences in how the pupil’s experienced their schooling, how they chose to interact with their friends and how they experience their treatment by their teachers and surroundings. The conclusions made by this was that language and residential area is of big importance regarding how they defined themselves and how they interpreted the opposite group. Regarding power between the two groups they dominated different social spaces at school. These conclusions combined generated the final conclusion that Klaraskolan can be defined as an internally segregated school.