Rationalization essays to understand urban violence

António Pedro Dores

http://iscte.pt/~apad

ESA - Lisboa, Septembre 2009

Politics of violence• When crime takes the lead on the public

scene, at the end of 20th century as it has been in the end of the 19th, sociology should respond:

• How frights become startle? Structural configuration of violence should be a sociological concern

The Greek events

• The French “banlieu” “inmigrant” November 2005 events

• The Greek centre city youngsters December 2008 events

• The Portuguese “black” “guetto”

February 2009 events

Compared political culture

Portugal Greece

Revolution 1974 Revolution 1974

Colonial experience Civil war experience

Avoiding ideology to avoid war

Freeing ideology to avoid kilings

Centralization tradition Decentralized tradition

To discuss is taboo To discuss is a pleasure

Social repression to dissidents

Social recognition to dissidents

Rational explanations of the Greek youth uprising

• Modernizing approach (political issue)

• Disciplinary approach (moral issue)

• Futurable approach (social issue)

Social politics

• Greek events means:

A) Freedom of expression or oppression?

B) The “end of ideologies/history” or political censurship on politics?

The end

Rational explanations of the Greek youth uprising

• Disciplinary approach (moral issue)

• Futurable approach (social issue)

• Modernizing approach (political issue)

The spread of violence

• Each 3 minutes a child dies of unger and thirst

How it happens a single death become the cause of an uprising?

• the killing of a prince was the cause of the First World War, Bela Vista (2006), Casal da Boba (2009)

The Greek events

• The French “banlieu” “inmigrant” events

• The Greek centre city youngsters events

• The Portuguese “guetto” “black” events

Compared political culture

Portugal Greece

Revolution 1974 Revolution 1974

Colonial experience Civil war experience

Avoiding ideology to avoid war

Freeing ideology to avoid kilings

Centralization tradition Decentralized tradition

To discuss is taboo To discuss is a pleasure

Social repression to dissidents

Social recognition to dissidents

Exarchia Neighbourhood

• The assault to Polytechnic University 1973• The courage of the youth for democratie• The police social prestige• Producing injuries and death as symbol of

power• The dissident political provocation and

police • The aesthetic of underclass

Politics of violence• When crime takes the lead on the public

scene, at the end of 20th century as it has been in the end of the 19th, sociology should respond:

• How frights become startle? Structural configuration of violence is of short sociological concern

Sociological bias

• Civilization and rationalization does not imply to impose modern violence?

• Criminal doctrine is it social theory?

• Should sociology avoid to acknowledge dominated class emotions as support for social action?

The silence of the youngsters

• Media rationality and individuation processes avoid public reflexivity and public expressivity (specially of youngsters)

• How the violent social action arise? Is it a natural claim to socialization, when unequality grows without hope of reversability?

How can democracy work?

• Declining expectations, both material and moral

• Disciplinary approach still works? (silent) body and (censured) mind?

• Can we participate when political institutions close themselves off?

Managing the future

• Discovering social secrets: how happened we survive, 30 years ago, without private security services?

• How happens we feel more insecure?

• Is it rational?

Absent politics

• The end of ideologies/history or political censurship?

• Greek events means freedom of demonstration or oppression?

• Intentions for action means will for change, as social movements?

• Can sociology discover social intentions only looking at the speeches and documents?

The end