Patrolling the city

Abstract

This article aims to examine the issue of inequality in depth in order to denature the relationship between youth and violence. For such purpose, the article reviews a field research that was conducted in a middle-sized city in the province of Buenos Aires, where a safety program named “Patrullas Urbanas” is being carried out. This article explores the implicit logic in the above safety program and relates it to its socio-economic context as well as to the country’s authoritarian tradition, in the following manner: first, the context of violence that accompanies the emergence of youth as a category and its development in Argentina are briefly described. Secondly, violence is assessed from the perspective of the so-called authoritarian solution, which represents the most easily recognizable of all courses of action, and this fact, in turn, legitimates its implementation. Finally, presents a reflection articulating the inequality of treatment of young people and their constant search for recognition. Keywords: Youth; inequality; violence; politics.