The Right to Urban life
(2014) SGEM04 20141Human Ecology
- Abstract
- Contemporary urban movements in Sweden emerge and are primary active in so-called million program neighborhoods. Many of these neighborhoods are some of the most deprived and socially vulnerable areas in Sweden. Million program neighborhoods have been objects for external descriptions ever since they were built. Depicted, on the one hand as “the heart" of diversity in Swedish society, and on the other hand as segregated, immigrant dense problem areas these descriptions have generated a stigmatizing discourse over the years. The urban resistance articulated in these areas can be derived to the discourse as they mainly target austerity policies and issues regarding the continuous commercialization of public goods, as well as, urban space.... (More)
- Contemporary urban movements in Sweden emerge and are primary active in so-called million program neighborhoods. Many of these neighborhoods are some of the most deprived and socially vulnerable areas in Sweden. Million program neighborhoods have been objects for external descriptions ever since they were built. Depicted, on the one hand as “the heart" of diversity in Swedish society, and on the other hand as segregated, immigrant dense problem areas these descriptions have generated a stigmatizing discourse over the years. The urban resistance articulated in these areas can be derived to the discourse as they mainly target austerity policies and issues regarding the continuous commercialization of public goods, as well as, urban space. This thesis examines this resistance in the light of Lefebvre’s concept “The Right to the City” and argues that residents of million program neighborhoods fulfill the requirements that make them eligible to claim this right. Nevertheless, regardless many denominators, there are plenty of differences concerning the form of the urban resistance as well. Comparing the organization of resistance in the neighborhoods of Husby and Rinkeby in Stockholm, this thesis illustrates the importance of understanding the place specific context. These two neighborhoods are characterized by both processes of homogenization as well as fragmentation. These processes interplay over subscales and have a huge impact on the place specific conditions, which in turn influences the possibilities to mobilize an urban resistance. Focus in this thesis is to highlight the fragmentized nature of these neighborhoods that usually does not shine through the homogenizing million program discourse. However, although the nature of this thesis is to problematize, it also highlights the possibilities to overcome place specific fragmentation in relation to processes of homogenization. In that light, the million program discourse appears to be a common ground, and thus this thesis identifies the first generation million program residents as possible agents of change. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/4861803
- author
- Kemppinen, Jesse LU
- supervisor
-
- Guy Baeten LU
- organization
- course
- SGEM04 20141
- year
- 2014
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Fragmentation, Homogenization, Husby, Million program neighborhoods, Rinkeby, The Right to the City, Urban Policy, Urban Social Movements
- language
- English
- id
- 4861803
- date added to LUP
- 2014-12-11 10:34:54
- date last changed
- 2014-12-11 10:34:54
@misc{4861803,
abstract = {{Contemporary urban movements in Sweden emerge and are primary active in so-called million program neighborhoods. Many of these neighborhoods are some of the most deprived and socially vulnerable areas in Sweden. Million program neighborhoods have been objects for external descriptions ever since they were built. Depicted, on the one hand as “the heart" of diversity in Swedish society, and on the other hand as segregated, immigrant dense problem areas these descriptions have generated a stigmatizing discourse over the years. The urban resistance articulated in these areas can be derived to the discourse as they mainly target austerity policies and issues regarding the continuous commercialization of public goods, as well as, urban space. This thesis examines this resistance in the light of Lefebvre’s concept “The Right to the City” and argues that residents of million program neighborhoods fulfill the requirements that make them eligible to claim this right. Nevertheless, regardless many denominators, there are plenty of differences concerning the form of the urban resistance as well. Comparing the organization of resistance in the neighborhoods of Husby and Rinkeby in Stockholm, this thesis illustrates the importance of understanding the place specific context. These two neighborhoods are characterized by both processes of homogenization as well as fragmentation. These processes interplay over subscales and have a huge impact on the place specific conditions, which in turn influences the possibilities to mobilize an urban resistance. Focus in this thesis is to highlight the fragmentized nature of these neighborhoods that usually does not shine through the homogenizing million program discourse. However, although the nature of this thesis is to problematize, it also highlights the possibilities to overcome place specific fragmentation in relation to processes of homogenization. In that light, the million program discourse appears to be a common ground, and thus this thesis identifies the first generation million program residents as possible agents of change.}},
author = {{Kemppinen, Jesse}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The Right to Urban life}},
year = {{2014}},
}