Laure Assaf - Transient territories: Arab youth and the making of urban subjectivities in Abu Dhabi

Based on an ethnography of the Arab youth in Abu Dhabi, this presentation questions the role of urban space in shaping specific subjects. For the young Emiratis and Arab expatriates who came of age in the 2010s, state-produced stratifications and social hierarchies have carved out strong boundaries that structure and separate these youths. At the same time, their urban practices create shared identifications along the lines of age and generation. To what extent can this tension give rise to political subjectivities? I argue that the transformative power of urban belonging is most apparent through two affects, nostalgia and love. While they have the potential to generate lasting change, the collectives and relationships they create also remain fragile.

https://Universityofexeter.zoom.us/meeting/register/TlHXZud7SwmWdQFdmH1xTQ