Between the ordinary and the extra-oridnary: socio-spatial transformation in the South of Johannesburg
Date
2014-06-16
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
South African Geographical Journal
Abstract
A recent discourse on ‘ordinary cities’ represents cities as unique assemblages rather than as imperfect representations of an ideal such as the ‘world city’. The ‘ordinariness’ of cities is, however, constructed at the intersection of the ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary’. We use the case of the ‘Old South’ of Johannesburg to show how the ordinariness of everyday life has been shaped by continually shifting transnational, or extraordinary, flows and relationships. Strong locally inscribed spatial loyalties emerged historically in the Old South, although these were always overlain by ethnic territorialities. Recently, new socio-spatial configurations have emerged in the context of post-Apartheid migration flows. The emergent identities and territorialities
associated with these flows remain fragile and ambiguous, but may offer pointers towards our new urban futures.
Description
Keywords
Johannesburg || transnational migrants || spatial identity
Citation
Harrison and Zack, 2014