Citizen Science in Sweden’s Stigmatized Neighborhoods

Terence Fell, Tove Rydenstam, Benti Geleta Buli, Abby C. King and Katarina Bälter
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Terence Fell: Division of Political Science and Economy, Mälardalen University, 72123 Västerås, Sweden
Tove Rydenstam: Division of Public Health Sciences, Mälardalen University, 72123 Västerås, Sweden
Benti Geleta Buli: Division of Public Health Sciences, Mälardalen University, 72123 Västerås, Sweden
Abby C. King: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
Katarina Bälter: Division of Public Health Sciences, Mälardalen University, 72123 Västerås, Sweden

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 18, 1-22

Abstract: Based on the synthesis of outside versus inside perspectives, this paper weighs the positive attributes of the so-called deprived place against its negative media image. Applying the concept of territorial stigmatization, small-scale citizen science was conducted to gain a unique understanding of the Swedish neighborhood from within. With the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 11 in mind, this approach enables researchers to reach otherwise difficult to access young urban outcasts and probe the potential to overcome their community’s lack of political influence. An overlap between local media narratives and urban outcasts’ perceptions of “drug and crime” and “football and school” was revealed. Yet, this first-generation study also painted a somewhat different picture of the stigmatized neighborhood, supplying new insights about places that matter most for marginalized young males. In this Swedish case, their pictures revealed that the local corner market, football court and youth club act as an antidote for the effects of stigmatization. This Our Voice citizen science initiative proved to be a good measure of two communities’ abilities to withstand stigmatization, which is either tainted by false perceptions from the outside or weakened by crime from within. Finally, attempting to bypass structural discrimination, citizen scientists’ findings and researchers’ conclusions were made available to students, colleagues and guests at a poster presentation hosted by Mälardalen University and to concerned politicians from Eskilstuna City Hall as well as the broader public via a local Swedish television station.

Keywords: citizen science; urban outcasts; city; community; engagement; stigmatization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:18:p:10205-:d:634244

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