Speaker: Pekka Tuominen (University of Helsinki)
In person at Niagara C0826 and on Zoom (link).
Abstract: My presentation explores the everyday realities of segregation and affective geography using ethnographic methods. This anthropological study concentrates on spatially ordered differences in the affective geography of Helsinki, Finland. It examines how various imaginaries and materialities shape our understanding of urban ambience in a city undergoing rapid transformation. I particularly emphasise the experiential dimensions of everyday life in the urban peripheries of Helsinki. I have conducted long-term ethnographic fieldwork in a marginalised district of Kontula, which has been widely stigmatised since its construction beginning in the 1960s, associated with poverty, social problems, and, more recently, issues related to immigration. However, many of these prejudices do not reflect the experiences of its residents. Contrary to the representations of chaos and lawlessness, many residents find the district as vivid, curious, and welcoming. Nonetheless, its urban realities stand in stark contrast to that of the central districts. In my presentation, I consider Kontula through the notions of absurd and ordinary, establishing a comparative perspective on the future expectations of the urban transformation in Helsinki.
Keywords: Urban anthropology, ethnography, affect, affective geography
This seminar is part of the IUR Brown Bag Seminar Series. Bring your lunch! If you have any questions, please contact Defne Kadioglu and Julie Goodrich.