Melancholic citizenship in the south Tel Aviv protest against global migration

By: Shamur T.
Published in: Citizenship Studies
SDGs : SDG 10  |  Units:   | Time: 2018 |  Link
Description: Combining anthropological analysis with the discipline of urban studies and the theory of melancholy, this article offer s 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. © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.