Contours of an Interaction Sequence in Rioting: The Gothenburg Disturbances of 2009

Abstract

This article examines a series of public disturbances in Gothenburg, Sweden. Drawing on recent work in micro-sociology, public order theory, and imitation studies, it considers why and how the ‘travelling’ of violence could develop among the city's street gangs as dramatically as it did, resulting in widespread rioting, vandalism, and arson. The situational dynamics behind the unfolding sequence of events are explored, using police intelligence records, interviews, and court documents as primary data sources. A five-part interaction sequence is outlined, focusing on the role of flash-point events, hostile belief systems, moral holidays, spirals of opinion, and mimetic rivalry in the escalation of the unrest.