Melancholic citizenship in the south Tel Aviv protest against global migration |
| |
Authors: | Tal Shamur |
| |
Institution: | Department of Sociology and Anthropology, the University of Haifa, Israel |
| |
Abstract: | Combining anthropological analysis with the discipline of urban studies and the theory of melancholy, this article offers the concept of ‘melancholic citizenship’ to describe the emotion of sadness aroused among a discriminated group of citizens in light of a process that highlights their social marginality. The case study explored is the struggle of old-time Mizrahi (Jews who immigrated to Israel from Arab countries) residents of the Hatikva neighborhood – a lower income neighborhood of south Tel Aviv – against the inflow of African migration to the area. Based on anthropological field work I conducted in the neighborhood between the years 2010–2013, I argue that the struggle of the longstanding residents aroused melancholic feelings among them when they realized that the global migration is a current indication of their discrimination as lower income Mizrahim who inhabit the city periphery and are located at the margins of Israeli society. |
| |
Keywords: | Melancholic citizenship right to the city global migration Mizrahim Tel Aviv Israel |
|
|