Co-productions of neighbourhood and social identity by young men living in an urban area with delinquent youth cliques

Abstract

Despite the fact that young people’s experiences of public space have received substantial scholarly and public attention, there is only a small body of research concerning narratives of youth delinquency that focuses on the interlinking production of space and identity by young people living outside high-crime areas. To broaden this research I analyse three complementary narratives of groups of young men from working-class families who live in the same area (two adjacent neighbourhoods) of Zurich, Switzerland, in which they position themselves with regard to delinquent youth cliques that are mainly involved in low-level violence. Looking at their different strategies of co-producing that area and subjectivities, I discuss how and at which spatial moments intersections between such social categories as nationality, deviant behaviour and age become significant. In addition, I point out that their strategies provide insights into how young people regard their position in wider social discourses such as the transition from school to work, and the rights of second-generation migrants. I, therefore, argue that ‘hanging out’ in neighbourhoods is about far more than micro-scale youth geographies and that the neighbourhood is also an important resource that helps young men who do not belong to delinquent youth cliques to construct their identities.