A challange to multiculturalism : everyday racism and hate crime in a small Swedish town

At times of economic decline, such as the deep economic crisis experiencedin many European countries today, vulnerable groups can clash withother vulnerable groups. These clashes can be exploited by different politicalmovements and individuals, who point to the Other and the multicultural societyas the cause of society’s problems. This can result in intensified everyday racialviolations, and an increase in violent hate crimes. A case study, from a smallSwedish town in which an asylum seeker from The Ivory Coast was stabbedto death by extreme right-wing youths, illustrates how racist hate crime relatesto discrimination and everyday harassment. The murder became a test casefor what in Sweden later became known as hate crime