The feeling of racialized insecurity

Abstract

Violence is a social phenomenon that has manifested itself at all times in human history, having an important influence on relationships, and its meaning varies according to the socio-historical context and the norms and values of each social organization. Main victims of urban violence, favorite targets of homicides and police excesses, young blacks lead the ranking of those living in households considered poor and those who receive the lowest wages in the market. They head also the list of the unemployed, the illiterate, those who abandon school before finishing and have the poorest school performance. In this paper we intend to discuss how this significant population group experiences the dynamics of violence and insecurity experienced throughout society. How do young black people experience this process called feeling of insecurity? How do they live the reality of social and economic inequality and the severe discrimination disseminated throughout society? Without attempting to answer such questions, the text deals, in a quick exposure, with some of these issues trying to raise new controversies.