linda zuijderwijk collective identities on a roundabout

Collective identities on a roundabout

A case study into representations in public space

Paper submitted for Dag van de Sociologie 2013

Paper is a shortened version of a chapter in Ph.D-thesis on processes of appropriation of public (?) space.

All pictures taken by the author. For acknowledgement of sources used, please contact the author.

All citations are translated from Dutch.

Linda Zuijderwijk, [email protected]

Amsterdam – Surinam Square

5/30/2013 Dag van de Sociologie 2013. Draft. Please

do not cite without author's permission

Source: Google Maps, 2012

Q:

How are collective identities imagined (i.e. voiced, negotiated,

organized, accommodated) through the spatial and practical

representation in urban public space?



Surinam Square as a space of remembrance



A:

Various forms of collective identities are dynamically and

relationally re-constructed on the basis of spatial and practical

representations on Surinam Square.

Counter-hegemonic – Hegemonic representation

Citizenship – Ethnic segregation

Exclusive – inclusive representation in public space



A formalized counter-monument and event… From counter-hegemonic to hegemonic

Roy Ristie (initiator):

‘The various ethnicities are processed in the trunk

of the tree, indicating the diversity […] – looking

at the leaves, the Netherlands, Surinam and the

Antilles, having a joint history, are a family – and

remember, blood is thicker than water […]’.

Elvira Sweet (city-councillor and ‘a prominent from

the Surinamese community’): ‘I think I can justly

state that I politically made out a case for it […]’.



…used to communicate local citizenship… Identification with Amsterdam

Alderman for Diversity:

‘Recent research of the Free University teaches us

that many Amsterdammers were themselves

owners of slaves, working via intermediaries on

the plantations in Surinam, for example. And

these are not just the rich Amsterdammers, but

also the ordinary man’ (italics in original).

‘The realization of the history of this city of which

the history of slavery is part, bonds

Amsterdammers of diverse backgrounds and

ethnicity with each other. I am talking about

Citizenship, every Amsterdammer, all of us

standing here as citizens of this city.

Irrespective of age, origin, sexual inclination,

religion or ethnicity’.

‘It is the task of the Council of Amsterdam to create

a basis of communality, of solidarity, for all

those differences, this diversity. That is why we

are standing here today, together. To remember

our shared past’.



…(thus, literally, by the use of public space)…



…and the public experiences ethnic segregation.

The event as form of exclusive representation in public space

Man (1940), born in the Netherlands:

‘Today is the remembrance of the abolition of

slavery, over there. […] There actually is quite

some solidarity. I will not go there myself, I have

nothing to do with Suriname, and by the way

also not with Asian countries. I do like Greece, I

like to go there […]It is like, it is 350 years ago

that your grandpa died, that is not something

you are going to commemorate, right? We do

not all the time have to bring up what

happened?’.

Man (1985), born in Morocco :

‘That is the Surinamese celebration, the

independency. That is what the statue

represents. It is about the abolition of slavery. It

really is something for them, the Surinamese. In

itself, I would like to go there, but I do not know

whether I am welcome or not. I do not know if it

is really necessary, there has been no slavery

since two centuries. It should be possible,

though. […] There is a cozy atmosphere, and

there is a lot of food. It is something for their

own culture’.



Summarizing

Q: How are collective identities imagined (i.e. voiced, negotiated,

organized, accommodated) through the spatial and practical

representation in urban public space?

A: Various forms of collective identities are dynamically and

relationally re-constructed on the basis of spatial and practical

representations on Surinam Square.

A formalized counter-monument and event…

…used to communicate local citizenship…

…(thus, literally, by the use of public space)…

…and the public experiences ethnic segregation.



(Thank you)

Q:

collective identities

local citizenship ethnic segregation

‘It is certainly true that “[we] know of no people without names, no languages or cultures in which some

manner of distinctions between self and other, we and they are not made.” But it is not clear why this

implies the ubiquity of identity, unless we dilute “identity” to the point of designating all practices involving

naming and self-other distinctions’ (Brubaker & Cooper 2000: 13 – 14).

From: Brubaker, R., & Cooper, F. (2000). Beyond "identity". Theory and Society, 29, 1 - 47.



linda zuijderwijk collective identities on a roundabout

Documents

use of public space5302013

public spacepaper

public spaceman

authors permissionsource

urban public space

eventfrom counterhegemonic

joint history

basis of spatial