Violence, grime, gangs and drugs on the south side of Birmingham

Offering an alternative interpretation of the relationship between inner city drug dealing and interpersonal violence, this chapter utilises a combination of ethnographic insights and case studies to conceptualise the myriad, messy and complex realities within Britain’s second city. The chapter argues that much of contemporary criminology frames such issues as being underpinned by the atypical lexicon of gangs, organised crime and most recently drill music. The authors propose, however, that it can better be understood through an understanding of cultural anelpis that pervades the lives of those involved in the often violent and largely unprofitable criminal ventures in some of the most deprived estates.