That Sinking Feeling

Stefan Wellgraf is a Heisenberg Fellow at the Institute of European Ethnology at Humboldt University in Berlin. His research focuses on ethnographic studies of schools in low-income neighborhoods in Berlin and right-wing subcultures in East Germany.

List of Illustrations



Introduction



Part I: Boredom and Beyond



Chapter 1. School in Ruins: Atmosphere of Boredom

Chapter 2. Distraction: Provocation as Critique



Part II: Forms of Self-Empowerment



Chapter 3. Coolness: Selfie Poses

Chapter 4. “Ghetto” Pride: Discourses and Practices



Part III: Feelings of Inadequacy



Chapter 5. Grading: On the Pedagogical Production of Feelings of Inferiority

Chapter 6. Ugly Feelings: Envy, Resentment and Embarrassment



Part IV: Anger and Aggressiveness



Chapter 7. Anger: Political Feelings and Patronizing Education

Chapter 8. Aggressiveness: Boxer Style



Part V: Fears and Hopes



Chapter 9. Social Anxieties: Unemployment and Deportation

Chapter 10. Cruel Optimism: The End of the Future



Bibliography