On Bauman's Moral Duty

Résumé du livre

This chapter calls upon Bauman's theory of morality and social proximity to try to answer these unsettling questions. Following Bauman, it suggests that systems of classification, what he calls definition, provide the foundation for social distancing, that pivotal moment when those perceived as 'Other' are cast out of the realm of shared moral responsibility. This moment of social separation paves the way for the infliction of harm or violence on others; it enables the punishment of others. This chapter argues that ethnic classification schemes in Sweden, specifically the way in which population registries count foreignness, have grafted social distance onto the structure of society, creating false binaries between native Swedes and foreigners. The registries do not simply provide descriptive statistics about the population but also the 'infrastructure', or a cultural 'toolkit', for understanding and guiding social action (Bowker and Star 1999; Swidler 1986). The material effect of the registries was on display during the REVA (Rättssäkert och effektivt verkställighetsarbete, translated as 'the legal and effective execution of policy') campaign, a programme of internal migration control carried out on public transport. As the police and migration authorities tried to serve deportation orders to those without legal authorization to remain in the country, officers mobilized this misleading map of social relations and instead stopped any 'foreign-looking' commuter to ask for identification, despite his or her Swedish citizenship, legal residency and social belonging. For those without a legal right to remain, REVA enacted a form of public punishment, a degrading ceremony in which those deemed 'Other' were publicly shamed, exposed and expelled, and denied the dignity of being dealt with behind closed doors in a police station, court house, migration office or their private residence.