Moritz Merten

Spaces of action for young people in the city - a comparison of privileged and disadvantaged neighborhoods

Against the background of the increasing social and spatial polarization of cities, the question of the effects of segregated neighbourhoods has once again become the focus of social science urban research over the last two decades. The question of whether disadvantaged neighborhoods have a disadvantaging effect is once again topical. Due to their often strong connection to their immediate living environment, young people are particularly affected by these socio-spatial developments. On the other hand, cities in particular, with their wide range of leisure activities and good mobility options, offer them the opportunity to spend parts of their everyday lives outside their neighborhoods. The doctoral project will therefore investigate how the spaces of young people's daily activities are shaped in an increasingly polarized and fragmented city and which parts of the city they use. The second step is to clarify whether different spaces of activity also lead to different social contacts and networks, which then influence the life chances of young people as social capital. A contrasting perspective will be adopted and young people from privileged and disadvantaged districts as well as from families with high and low status will be compared.