ABSTRACT

This paper explores the everyday experiences of young white working-class men living in coastal towns badly affected by austerity programmes implemented in the UK since 2010. The lives and aspirations of marginal young men seldom feature in studies of the effects of economic crisis and austerity. These men are positioned at the intersection of several rhetorical constructions with contradictory and ambivalent affects. They are expected, and still expect, to become wage earners and providers, largely through their own efforts and self- improvement. A rhetoric of social mobility disguises structural inequality, producing a false promise of hope or ‘cruel optimism’ about future prospects. Simultaneously, young working- class men, especially those without employment, typically are constructed as a threat to (middle class) society, difficult or dangerous, and authors of their own disadvantage. We explore how young men, without regular work and often lacking family support, talk about everyday experiences, social relationships, feelings and emotions and hopes for the future in coastal towns with a particular place in the national imaginary.

摘要

本文探讨了生活在沿海城镇的年轻白人工人阶级男性的日常经历，这些城镇受到英国自 2010 年以来实施的紧缩计划的严重影响。边缘年轻男性的生活和愿望很少出现在经济危机和紧缩影响的研究中。这些人处于几个具有矛盾和矛盾影响的修辞结构的交汇处。他们被期望并且仍然期望成为工资收入者和提供者，主要是通过他们自己的努力和自我改进。社会流动性的言论掩盖了结构性不平等，产生了对希望的虚假承诺或对未来前景的“残酷乐观”。同时，年轻的工人阶级男性，尤其是那些没有工作的男性，通常被构建为对（中产阶级）社会的威胁，困难或危险，以及作者自己的劣势。我们探讨了没有固定工作且经常缺乏家庭支持的年轻人如何谈论日常经历、社会关系、感受和情感，以及在国家想象中具有特定位置的沿海城镇对未来的希望。