Changes in Street Culture: The New Role of Religion

• In Event: Presidential Thematic Session: Revealing the Nexuses of Social Institutions, Cultures, Crime and Justice through Qualitative Analyses

Abstract

Western street cultures have striking similarities. Their characteristics also seem relatively stable over time—although dynamics leading to stability or change are seldom studied. In this project, we study changes in street life in Oslo. To do this, we revisit a street drug dealing scene initially studied ten years ago. The people who deal drugs there now are similar to the originally studied group: they are marginalized, ethnic minority youths whose cultural repertoires and references, reasons for dealing, and ways of organizing have changed little in the past decade. However, even seemingly stable cultures are fluid and always in flux. Perhaps the most significant change we observed was the role of religion on the street. Islam was once something that acted as a barrier to committing crime. While this role of Islam is still important for many, the presence of jihadist recruiters and the merging of street culture with Western jihadi subculture have opened up for new ways to combine religion and criminal lifestyles. Traits, competencies, and style from street culture can now be combined with religious devotion, commitment, and sacrifice by joining extreme religious groups. The project demonstrates the promises of longitudinal ethnographic research and the strengths of qualitative methods for studying how cultures shape crime.

Author

• Sveinung Sandberg, University of Oslo