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Hidden Geographies of Post-War Order: The Case of Reconstruction in Mosul
Abstract
In post-war settings, social processes tend to take place in particularly opaque contexts. This type and scale of change is often unnoticeable and progressive, despite affecting the very way in which cities operate and the processes that govern them. Spatial features, notably in urban environments, can help reveal concealed transformations and emerging dynamics. To better understand how conflict transforms cities, this dissertation will explore hidden geographies where post-war order is reflected and produced. More specifically, it asks: how does reconstruction renegotiate, or influence, emerging post-war order in Mosul? In other words, how do transformations to the built environment affect the power dynamics and practices that govern daily urban life (i.e. how a city functions)? It will further question what kind of order(s) emerges from various types of reconstruction projects? While deeply rooted in empirical fieldwork, this research rests on theories of relational space pioneered by Lefebvre. They posit that the interaction between the social and spatial realms is foundational to the evolution of a given place; they co-produce each other, exist in relation to one another. This is particularly relevant in post-war cities that suffer from large scale physical destruction. Based on a year of fieldwork in Mosul and Erbil, this research focuses on three distinct reconstruction sites: UNESCO monuments, the municipality’s riverfront project, and an informal settlement community. This study is qualitative and is mainly based on semi and unstructured interviews. All three forms of reconstruction are established as sites where power is accumulated and contested, revealing, embedding, and driving the new (or altered) power dynamics and practices that govern post-war life in Mosul. Finally, it will address the implications of multiple, overlapping forms of order on evolving post-war conditions. The legacies of war far outlive gunfire and airstrikes, molding the very nature and existence of peace.
Discipline
Media Arts
Geographic Area
Iraq
Sub Area
None