Möten och bemötande. Om unga tjejers upplevelse av trygghet i Malmö
(2009) SOCM02 20091Sociology
- Abstract
- Experienced safety is difficult to measure, as it treats subjective feelings and these do not always coincide with crime rates. In addition, women, immigrants and poor people often report lower levels of experienced safety, which implies structural causes. Many quantitative studies have been carried out on the subject of safety, crime and fear but there is still a need for more knowledge of experiences of safety and fear. The aim of this study is to investigate how young women in Malmö, Sweden, experience safety, in relation to space/place, meetings with strangers and develop strategies to feel safe. Focusing on the everyday experiences of young women, I investigate how the intersections of social categories of sex, class, race, sexuality... (More)
- Experienced safety is difficult to measure, as it treats subjective feelings and these do not always coincide with crime rates. In addition, women, immigrants and poor people often report lower levels of experienced safety, which implies structural causes. Many quantitative studies have been carried out on the subject of safety, crime and fear but there is still a need for more knowledge of experiences of safety and fear. The aim of this study is to investigate how young women in Malmö, Sweden, experience safety, in relation to space/place, meetings with strangers and develop strategies to feel safe. Focusing on the everyday experiences of young women, I investigate how the intersections of social categories of sex, class, race, sexuality and age, structure the women’s feelings of safety in public spaces and how they act to feel safe in these spaces. Through focus group interviews, written stories and participant observation, I analyse the experiences of a sample of young women living in different parts of Malmö. An intersectional perspective is used as a framework and starting point for the analysis.
Feminist and sociological theories – on bodies, places and the role of the stranger – are used to analyse the women’s experiences at a more concrete level. Feminist theories focusing on the body and the relationship between bodies and places imply that subjective experiences are influenced by intersecting structures. But these theories also emphasize that the individual has possibilities to act and change her/his position. Lastly, sociological theories about the stranger imply that meetings with others influence experiences of safety. In sum, the young women experience their homes and own neighbourhoods as the safest places. To “feel at home” is related to knowing people and places. The women are used to meet strangers and they know how to handle these meetings, but strangers acting in unpredictable ways make them feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Different bodies are also perceived as strangers in different places. The young women use various strategies to “fit in” to places in the city. The subjects’ strategies in their meetings with strangers are influenced by intersecting structures of sex, class, race, sexuality and age. To create a safer city is, therefore, complex, but policies to increase safety need to increase the possibilities for different bodies to use the city. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/1429792
- author
- Nordling, Vanna LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOCM02 20091
- year
- 2009
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- unga tjejer, kropp, främlingen, intersektionalitet, trygghet
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 1429792
- date added to LUP
- 2009-11-02 16:06:35
- date last changed
- 2011-05-12 15:48:37
@misc{1429792,
abstract = {{Experienced safety is difficult to measure, as it treats subjective feelings and these do not always coincide with crime rates. In addition, women, immigrants and poor people often report lower levels of experienced safety, which implies structural causes. Many quantitative studies have been carried out on the subject of safety, crime and fear but there is still a need for more knowledge of experiences of safety and fear. The aim of this study is to investigate how young women in Malmö, Sweden, experience safety, in relation to space/place, meetings with strangers and develop strategies to feel safe. Focusing on the everyday experiences of young women, I investigate how the intersections of social categories of sex, class, race, sexuality and age, structure the women’s feelings of safety in public spaces and how they act to feel safe in these spaces. Through focus group interviews, written stories and participant observation, I analyse the experiences of a sample of young women living in different parts of Malmö. An intersectional perspective is used as a framework and starting point for the analysis.
Feminist and sociological theories – on bodies, places and the role of the stranger – are used to analyse the women’s experiences at a more concrete level. Feminist theories focusing on the body and the relationship between bodies and places imply that subjective experiences are influenced by intersecting structures. But these theories also emphasize that the individual has possibilities to act and change her/his position. Lastly, sociological theories about the stranger imply that meetings with others influence experiences of safety. In sum, the young women experience their homes and own neighbourhoods as the safest places. To “feel at home” is related to knowing people and places. The women are used to meet strangers and they know how to handle these meetings, but strangers acting in unpredictable ways make them feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Different bodies are also perceived as strangers in different places. The young women use various strategies to “fit in” to places in the city. The subjects’ strategies in their meetings with strangers are influenced by intersecting structures of sex, class, race, sexuality and age. To create a safer city is, therefore, complex, but policies to increase safety need to increase the possibilities for different bodies to use the city.}},
author = {{Nordling, Vanna}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Möten och bemötande. Om unga tjejers upplevelse av trygghet i Malmö}},
year = {{2009}},
}