Street Capital: Black cannabis dealers in a white welfare state [Hardcover]

Sveinung Sandberg (Author), Willy Pedersen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1847421202 | ISBN-13: 978-1847421203 | Publication Date: October 16, 2009

Street Capital introduces the drug world of young black men dealing cannabis in an area called 'The River' in Oslo, Norway. The lives of these men are structured by a huge and complex cannabis economy which also includes their involvement in fights, robberies, and substance abuse. They lack jobs and education, and many of them do not have family or close friends, yet they do have 'street capital' — the knowledge, skills, and competence necessary to manage life on the streets. This unique book presents a new theoretical framework — inspired by and expanding on the work of Pierre Bourdieu — for understanding street cultures. It is based on extensive fieldwork and repeated in-depth interviews with cannabis dealers between ages 15 and 30. The book explores themes including marginalization, discrimination, drug dealing and drug use, violence, masculinity, the hip-hop culture, experiences with the welfare system, and issues of immigration and racism. Street Capital analyzes the discursive practice of marginalized people on the street and identifies the narratives by which these young men live.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sandberg and Pedersen's book is a perceptive ethnographic study of a particular social world, giving a voice to multiple players in the street scene they study." Professor Robin Room, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne "This is a book in the great tradition of studies of street-corner societies. But the arena is exceptional; a riverside in the capital of a Scandinavian welfare-state. It is an analysis sharpened by new tools that make for new insights." Professor Nils Christie, Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law, University of Oslo

About the Author

Sveinung Sandberg is Research Fellow at the Department of Sociology at the University of Bergen. He has research experience in areas such as illegal drugs, violence, masculinity and social movements. Willy Pedersen is Professor of Sociology at the University of Oslo. He has extensive research experience in areas such as illegal drug use, violence, social marginalization, prostitution and sexuality.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: The Policy Press (October 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847421202
• ISBN-13: 978-1847421203
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,332,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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