Marginality and stigmatization: identifying with the neighbourhood in Rotterdam

The reformation of capitalist economies due to deindustrialization has given rise to joblessness and fragmentation, reshaping traditional working class suburbs into reservoirs of poverty and social deprivation. Such elements of marginality give birth to a discourse about problematic areas, parallel societies and even ghettoes developing within wealthy western countries. This stigmatization and hierarchization of neighbourhoods impacts on people's perception of these areas. However, the way the residents deal with this stigmatization is dependent on the characteristics of the neighborhoods. Areas with a lot of social activity on the street level allow their residents to become attached and care
about their neighbourhood. Consequently, what promotes attachment with the local environment is the facilitation of socializing with people, namely having a large social network (friends and family) in close distance.