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From familiarity to fragility: : an autoethnographic exploration of an Italian city

Garland, Joshua LU (2024) In Journal of Autoethnography 5(1). p.122-141
Abstract
Space, and embodied movement through it, produces place meanings and senses of belonging as individual and environment act upon each other. This co-constitution, however, remains changeable over time with each new or repeated experience. Following an autoethnographic walk around an Italian city, this article charts how passage through and between different parts of the city can evoke often consistent yet sometimes challenging understandings of place and one’s position within it. In so doing, six “zones” of belonging are identified, each accompanied by various thoughts, feelings, and memories as they are navigated on foot. The importance of passage through place in building a knowledge of both place and self is therefore highlighted.... (More)
Space, and embodied movement through it, produces place meanings and senses of belonging as individual and environment act upon each other. This co-constitution, however, remains changeable over time with each new or repeated experience. Following an autoethnographic walk around an Italian city, this article charts how passage through and between different parts of the city can evoke often consistent yet sometimes challenging understandings of place and one’s position within it. In so doing, six “zones” of belonging are identified, each accompanied by various thoughts, feelings, and memories as they are navigated on foot. The importance of passage through place in building a knowledge of both place and self is therefore highlighted. Facilitated by reflections upon visual materials collected during the walk, this knowledge and associated feelings are shown to be changeable across neighboring spaces. Moreover, such change is experienceable even within the same space over time as previously hidden yet nonetheless existing entities become visible to the individual for the first or successive times. This tension between absence and presence may thereby result in disruptive shocks and fragility that alter everyday place interactions and belongingness. This can include decisions around how once familiar spaces are subsequently navigated or subject to recollection on the basis of shifting knowledges and expectations that result. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
place attachment, walking, urban environment, belonging, disruption
in
Journal of Autoethnography
volume
5
issue
1
pages
122 - 141
publisher
University of California Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85184078130
ISSN
2637-5192
DOI
10.1525/joae.2024.5.1.122
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fc3d9747-2722-4b63-aadd-9abd5b46b314
date added to LUP
2023-12-15 19:19:20
date last changed
2024-02-14 04:02:15
@article{fc3d9747-2722-4b63-aadd-9abd5b46b314,
  abstract     = {{Space, and embodied movement through it, produces place meanings and senses of belonging as individual and environment act upon each other. This co-constitution, however, remains changeable over time with each new or repeated experience. Following an autoethnographic walk around an Italian city, this article charts how passage through and between different parts of the city can evoke often consistent yet sometimes challenging understandings of place and one’s position within it. In so doing, six “zones” of belonging are identified, each accompanied by various thoughts, feelings, and memories as they are navigated on foot. The importance of passage through place in building a knowledge of both place and self is therefore highlighted. Facilitated by reflections upon visual materials collected during the walk, this knowledge and associated feelings are shown to be changeable across neighboring spaces. Moreover, such change is experienceable even within the same space over time as previously hidden yet nonetheless existing entities become visible to the individual for the first or successive times. This tension between absence and presence may thereby result in disruptive shocks and fragility that alter everyday place interactions and belongingness. This can include decisions around how once familiar spaces are subsequently navigated or subject to recollection on the basis of shifting knowledges and expectations that result.}},
  author       = {{Garland, Joshua}},
  issn         = {{2637-5192}},
  keywords     = {{place attachment; walking; urban environment; belonging; disruption}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{122--141}},
  publisher    = {{University of California Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Autoethnography}},
  title        = {{From familiarity to fragility: : an autoethnographic exploration of an Italian city}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/joae.2024.5.1.122}},
  doi          = {{10.1525/joae.2024.5.1.122}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}