The violence related norms, attitudes and beliefs of young men in high-risk urban neighbourhoods

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Wilhelm Heitmeyer
• Subject Area: Empirical Social Research ; Criminology
• Term: from 2015 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 269932921

The aim of the research project is to empirically overcome the lack of empirical comparative research and theoretical accounts on violence related norms of young men in urban communities characterized by high levels of violence in different areas of the world. Therefore we propose to compare violence related norms, attitudes and beliefs among violent and mainstream youth in high-risk urban neighbourhoods in Germany, Pakistan and South Africa. In order to achieve these goals we require empir¬ical data, which will be gathered through focus group interviews (before and after the main study), qualitative youth interviews and expert interviews in the three countries. In addition, we will conduct workshops with local field experts that will not only serve to disseminate our research findings but also to finalize the field work by discussing and elaborating on the interpretation of these findings. We will interview male adolescents of two age groups (12-16 and 17-21 years) and with different involvement in violent behaviour for gaining a broader image of the variations of the violence related norms, attitudes and beliefs.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants