Sjors JoostenPhD-student

About me

I am a PhD Student at the Department of Sociology, Stockholm University. Prior to joining the department in Stockholm, I studied the Master degree in International Development studies at the Wageningen University and Research (WUR) in the Netherlands. During my studies and participation in different projects as research assistant the interest in society and people, culture and diversity, and the arts of which music in particular grew. My research interests are in using qualitative methods on issues concerning inclusion and social cohesion in the urban environment.

In my PhD project I look at the role of hip-hop in Swedish society and Stockholm, and its relation to sense of belonging, inclusion and recognition in society, structural inequalities, and the notion of 'Swedishness'. The focus is on the experiences, perspectives, and cultural products of artists and other stakeholders in the hip-hop scene related to the suburbs of Stockholm. Through the process of translation, communication, and imagination, I analyze how the participants create identities, make belonging, share their social reality, and reach economic goals by using hip-hop. Besides, the project examines to what extent the people, places, and performances associated with hip-hop are recognized in Swedish society. I see that hip-hop can assist in sharing and imagining alternative and hybrid forms of Swedishness.