Urban anthropology

Why?

Significant shift from ‘Making a City’ to ‘Being a City’

A cultural anthropologist = ….. ???

Cultural anthropology ?

• Cultural anthropology studies cultural variation among people

• Makes the daily special and the special daily

• The methods of research: participating observation & fieldwork

=

being there

• Really emphatize with your research subject

• Cultural anthropology is a way of seeing, working, being!

Cultural anthropology ?

emic = native perspective

etic = outsider perspective

URBAN anthropology ?

emic = native perspective = daily city

etic = outsider perspective = planned city

ns

Reading the dynamics between planned – daily city

Dynamiek geplande – geleefde stad

Dynmiek geplande – geleefde stad

Dynmiek geplande – geleefde stad

Dynamiek geplande – geleefde stad

Dynamiek geplande – geleefde stad

The craft of the urban anthropologist

• consciousness of different realities

• ability to read the planned and daily space

• no bias towards one ‘reality’: focus on dynamics

• playing field instead of tension: tactics & strategies

• researcher & translator in the playing field

Als ik dieren wil aaien, neem ik de dierenroute langs de kinderboerderij. Als ik zin heb in mooie bomen, de natuurroute. Als ik zin heb veel mensen tegen te komen, loop ik de mensenroute.

Stap 1: analyse etic als vertrekpunt

Stap 4: etic naast emic leggen

Janny de Keizer, 82 years old, lives in the area from the beginning

‘I started in the flats. There I looked from my balcony on the north an the people of the lower houses sunbathing in their gardens.

Through my husband’s work we got the offer to move to one of the lower houses. At first, we thought we couldn’t afford it, but we jumped into it anyway. And never ate a bite less for it!’

My husband never wanted to leave there. Unless it would be to the care home of Humanitas, which he still saw being constructed.’

Resilience

Value of urban anthropology in urban renewal

• better understanding of daily urban live

• better plans

• better neighbourhoods

Stap 4: etic naast emic leggen

Methods of research urban anthropology

Neighbourhood Biography: 6xR RootsRoutesRitualsRoutinesRelationsReputation

Ik neem altijd

dezelfde route, want

die heb ik geleerd.

Dus dan weet ik dat

er niks kan gebeuren.

In dit soort straatjes vind je

altijd kinderlokkers. Dus daar loop ik

liever niet doorheen.

Van onderzoek naar concept: de vertaling

Sociaal project: portiekportiers