This article explores urban men’s involvement in the drug economy, examining the conditions in which they become ‘trapped’ in difficult lifeworlds and identities. Through an ethnographic exploration of what disadvantaged urban men term ‘trap life’, this article demonstrates how different ‘trapper’ identities, enacted to manage economic, social and psychological vulnerability, allows an understanding of the varied motivations to take part in criminality and violence. Whilst the terms ‘dangerous’, ‘pathological’ and ‘criminal’ are deployed to account for street lifestyles, such stereotypical imagery with roots in history, media, political discourse and policing practices, downplays the humanity of men living on the margins of society and neglects their version of reality. Far from being exclusively violent perpetrators, urban men are especially vulnerable as they are trapped in a never-ending existential crisis, which prevents successful transitions into mainstream life. I demonstrate that the issue of violence and the 21st century drug business must be placed in broader psychosocial contexts to provide a better understanding and perhaps one-day inform therapeutic and other practice interventions specifically tailored for those seeking to exit ‘trap life’.

中文翻译：

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“陷阱生活”：伦敦市中心街头犯罪的社会心理基础

本文探讨了城市男性参与毒品经济的情况，考察了他们被“困”在艰难的生活世界和身份中的情况。通过对弱势城市男性所称的“陷阱生活”的民族志探索，本文展示了为管理经济、社会和心理脆弱性而制定的不同“陷阱者”身份如何让人们了解参与犯罪和暴力的各种动机。虽然使用“危险”、“病态”和“犯罪”等术语来解释街头生活方式，但这种源于历史、媒体、政治话语和警务实践的刻板印象淡化了生活在社会边缘的男性的人性，忽略了他们对现实的看法。远非完全是暴力肇事者，城市男性尤其容易受到伤害，因为他们陷入了永无止境的生存危机，阻碍了他们成功过渡到主流生活。我证明，必须将暴力问题和 21 世纪的毒品行业置于更广泛的社会心理背景中，以提供更好的理解，也许有一天会为那些寻求摆脱“陷阱生活”的人专门定制的治疗和其他实践干预措施提供信息。