ARCHITECTURE, FESTIVAL & THE CITY - Research

Urban practices and political festivals of Hamas in Gaza: Serious consequences and hidden messages

Abstract:
The urban environment is an active theatre, rich of many social behaviors and practices. In political festivals, activities are often directed towards urban areas and spaces that have a certain symbolism among the folk in the city. In Gaza, since Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, the Hamas-led launch ceremony is held annually. Over the course of ten years, this periodic event has produced a variety of urban practices that were developed each time to appear somewhat different. Every time, the urban space and these festive practices -even spontaneous or organized- work side by side to present a profound reading of what is going on in the Palestinian society in Gaza. The research will introduce a detailed analysis of these practices by studying the interactive network between three main supposed axes; the dispatcher, the receiver, and the urban space (the theatre). The research will use the qualitative research methodology and apply a combination of two approaches; the phenomenology approach together with the ethnographic approach. In the ethnographic method, the investigation will focus on visual ethnography which depends on using photographs as a methodological tool. On the other hand, the phenomenological approach will help in investigating the external appearance and inner consciousness of phenomena based on memory, imagery, and meaning. The research findings will show how the urban practices of festivals can be used as a means of emphasizing the role played by architecture and active urban space in influencing issues of national identity at the political and social levels alike.


Key words: Political festivals, Gaza, Architecture, urban practices, identity.


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