Bortträngning pågår

Renovering som kulturellt trauma

Abstract

Displacement in the making. Renoviction as cultural trauma

Based on interviews with tenants in an area facing eviction following forced renovation, this study presents an analysis of the reactions and forms of resistance that arise among residents in the early phase of a renovation process. The concepts of cultural trauma, resistance and action repertoires are used in the analysis to understand the processes that residents in renovation areas have to face and how their collective self-image and strategies for action change during these. We argue that the exceptionally high trust in Sweden, based on the Swedish welfare state and housing policy, results in traumatic experiences among tenants when facing forced renovation. In this study, we respond to questions about how traumatic experiences are expressed, what causes are identified by the tenants, and what forms of resistance emerge among tenants who face costly renovations. We hereby demonstrate how the experienced cultural trauma can be transformed into individual and collective resistance actions.