On Narrative Violence: How Stories Inflict Harm in a Street Context

Abstract

ABSTRACT Drawing on the speech act theory as well as narrative and cultural criminology, this paper aims to make a contribution regarding the functions of narratives in a street context. The concept of narrative violence is introduced and used to analyze the phenomenon of podělávání (a hardly translatable Czech word, semantically close to a hustle) that takes place in marginalized and ethnically segregated areas of the Czech Republic. Podělávání refers to a situation in which a person borrows money without the intention of paying it back. Stories are central to this endeavor, as they legitimize the loan and make the lender believe that s/he is not a victim but merely the party in a transaction that has not yet been satisfied. In reality, however, such narratives contribute to the production of both perlocutionary and illocutionary harm. The story-telling and story-listening involved in podělávání deprive the victim of money (economic capital) as well as reputation (symbolic or street capital) in the streets.