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author: Virginia Fiume (School of Oriental and African Studies)

Identity beyond illusion. Palestine, land of architecture and power, where losing oneself may mean discovering sense and identity

language: italian

abstract: The case study is focused on the Israeli-Palestinian context. Power relations are analyzed under the lenses of practical examples and bibliographic references to demonstrate how in this peculiar context architecture and urban planning constitute a web of power. A situationist approach has been suggested as a key tool to overcome those power relations. It is just in virtue of this situationist approach that an alternative discourse can grow, becoming strong enough to be a counter-hegemonic narrative. The first part of the essay set up a set of interpretive tools, analysing the concept of landscape from an anthropological, sociological and geographical perspective. The second part merge those theories with practical samples taken from Israeli and Palestinian bureaucracy and urban planning. A key concept is the “matrix of control” proposed by the Israeli-American anthropologist and activist Jeff Halper. The core of the essay is an excerpt of the fieldwork diary of the author, written during summer 2011 in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The detail of the account is a car trip from Bethlehem to Jenin (on the North shore of West Bank).

citation information: Virginia Fiume, Identità oltre l’illusione. Palestina, terra di architettura e poteri, dove smarrirsi può significare trovare senso e identità, "Ocula", vol.15, June 2014. DOI: 10.12977/ocula62

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