Translocal Communities in Urban Settlements of Port Moresby. Notions of Space in the Formation of Ethnic Identities

Authors

  • Jaka Repič Oddelek za etnologijo in kulturno antropologijo, Filozofska fakulteta, Aškerčeva 2, 1000 Ljubljana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3986/Traditio2005340204

Keywords:

Port Moresby (Papua Nova Gvineja), prostor, etničnost, migracije, urbana naselja // Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), place, ethnicity, migrations, urban settlements

Abstract

Avtor v prispevku predstavlja urbano skupnost priseljencev iz Okape v Vzhodnem višavju, ki živijo v barakarskem naselju Two Mile v Port Moresbyju, glavnem mestu Papue Nove Gvineje. Obravnavano je razmerje med pojmovanjem prostora in nastankom translokalnih urbanih etničnih skupnosti.V kontekstu (post)kolonialne urbanizacije in migracij v mesta se priseljenci v urbane skupnosti povezujejo na podlagi predstav o skupnem izvirnem okolju ter ustvarjajo in rekonceptualizirajo svoje socialne mreže. Skupno izvirno okolje namreč v mestih postane tista kategorija, zaradi katere se posamezniki združujejo s sorodniki in rojaki, se naselijo v majhne zaselke in se povezujejo v širše urbane skupnosti. Njihove razpršene lokacije v urbanih naseljih Port Moresbyja so povezane v širšo socialno mrežo ali translokalno etnično skupnost.

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This paper presents an urban community of migrants from Okapa in Eastern Highlands that settled in an urban settlement (shantytown) Two Mile in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. The author explores a connection between conceptualisation of space and creation of translocal urban ethnic communities. In the context of (post)colonial urbanization and rural-urban migration, city immigrants create and reconceptualize their social networks and identifications on the basis of their common origin. Common origin that also implies a possession of a common culture is a category, which in an urban context, allows a formation of a wantok sistem, a network of migrants, settled in various urban settlements. Although they live in small settlements at various locations, dispersed all over the city, Okapians are organized into a wider social network or translocal urban ethnic community.

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Published

16.12.2005

How to Cite

Repič, J. (2005). Translocal Communities in Urban Settlements of Port Moresby. Notions of Space in the Formation of Ethnic Identities. Traditiones, 34(2), 55–73. https://doi.org/10.3986/Traditio2005340204

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Section

Razprave in razgledi / Articles and Essays