Breaking the Rules, Making the Ruler : Syriac Single-Family Homes and the Limits of Welfare State Planning

• The Swedish town of Södertälje is arguably the capital of the diasporic Syriac Christians, who have arrived from across the Middle East for decades. While Syriacs have usually resided in standardized apartments in high rises, this paper examines the controversial, Syriac-dominated neighborhoods of custom-designed, single-family houses now under construction, drawing on ethnographic research among both planners and residents. While Swedish planners have long imagined immigrants to have a valuable “voice” during renovations of older neighborhoods, Syriac participation in new areas has radically exceeded such expectations, blurring the boundary between resident and planner. Here, both residents and planners navigate the limits of the plan, where not only neighborhood aesthetics, but also questions of nationalism, class, and professionalism are at stake.

Subject headings

HUMANIORA  -- Konst -- Arkitektur (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Arts -- Architecture (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Socialantropologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Social Anthropology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

urban planning; Sweden; Syriac Orthodox Christians; standards; housing

Arkitektur

Architecture

Stadsbyggnad

Urban Design

Critical Studies

Kritiska studier

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kap (subject category)