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The city of Beirut is increasingly congested, polluted and suffocating. Its already limited green public spaces are under growing threat of privatisation and redevelopment. The State Otherwise examines the difficult predicament of Beirut’s public green spaces from the vantage point of the civic campaign to reopen Horsh al Sanawbar, the city’s largest public park. Analysing the relationship between neoliberal sectarianism, private interest and political action, the book asks questions about the nature of privatisation of public property, civic society’s potential to mobilise individuals and the role of public authorities in promoting the public good.
“This book is theoretically sophisticated and written in clear, thoughtful prose. It is quite rare to find this pairing!” • Kristin V. Monroe, University of Kentucky
“This is an outstanding book that shows how activism in a time of neoliberal governance can politicise participants and advance transformative visions for political and social life.” • Alice Wilson, University of Sussex
Alice Stefanelli is an Assistant Professor in Social Anthropology at Durham University and a Fellow of the Durham Research Methods Centre. Her research interests concern the public life of cities and the ways in which people make their lives within them.
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1. Beirut La Min?
Chapter 2. The Fragility of the Public
Chapter 3. Ambivalent Spaces
Chapter 4. Windows of Possibility
Chapter 5. The State Otherwise
Conclusion
References
Index