Described by Loïc Wacquant (2007, 2008) as “a negative public image of specific places, which enforces a symbolic dispossession of their inhabitants” (Larsen & Delica, 2019, p. 542), territorial stigmatization is a versatile concept to study urban inequality and exclusion. Within this theoretical framework, this article portrays it in five European cities (Rome, Brussels, Stockholm, Bucharest, and London), describing where and through which images it acts and its implications. The data were gathered between September 2021 and November 2022 through one-hundred fifty-four semi-structured interviews, involving organizations and experts that work with marginalized communities and study these dynamics. The findings reveal that socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods across the studied European cities exhibit features of territorial stigmatization. Despite varying spatial collocations, these zones share a hegemonic and recurrent imagery, impacting residents' lifepaths on multiple levels and reinforcing dynamics of exclusion and inequality.
Territorial stigmatization in action: A European comparison
Eleonora Clerici
2024-01-01
Abstract
Described by Loïc Wacquant (2007, 2008) as “a negative public image of specific places, which enforces a symbolic dispossession of their inhabitants” (Larsen & Delica, 2019, p. 542), territorial stigmatization is a versatile concept to study urban inequality and exclusion. Within this theoretical framework, this article portrays it in five European cities (Rome, Brussels, Stockholm, Bucharest, and London), describing where and through which images it acts and its implications. The data were gathered between September 2021 and November 2022 through one-hundred fifty-four semi-structured interviews, involving organizations and experts that work with marginalized communities and study these dynamics. The findings reveal that socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods across the studied European cities exhibit features of territorial stigmatization. Despite varying spatial collocations, these zones share a hegemonic and recurrent imagery, impacting residents' lifepaths on multiple levels and reinforcing dynamics of exclusion and inequality.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.