Research Workshop: Baltaga as a Political Infrastructure of Cairene Urban Geography in post-Revolutionary Times
October 18, 2023 | 5:00PM | Kevorkian Center Library | Register here
Open to NYU Community Only*
Research Workshop: Baltaga as a Political Infrastructure of Cairene Urban Geography in post-Revolutionary Times
Omnia Khalil (City College of New York); Discussant, Jared McCormick (NYU)
Add To Calendar
Within the urban geography of Bulaq Abule’lla, I unpack different modes of violence that constitute an infrastructure of Baltaga—the acts of thuggery on multi levels to the urban geography formation. Baltaga, in this paper, introduces a political infrastructure which is constitutive of Maslaha (Interest or benefit) to refer to a social infrastructure based on the political one. Baltaga and Maslaha, together, explain the political economy associated with thuggery acts. Within the urban poor of Bulaq Abule’lla, I look at how the residents were pushed to Baltaga as a tool of existence within the post-2011 times. I argue that Baltaga, a political infrastructure of the state, has been co-constitutive to the social infrastructure to the residents of the neighborhood through processes of violence. Through an ethnographic study of 18 months, in this paper, I show how Baltaga and Maslaha constitute a political economy of violence within the urban geography. Both words transcended into meanings that are associated with political and social infrastructure.
Omnia Khalil is a lecturer doctorate, the Department of Anthropology and Interdisciplinary Programs at City College of New York, and a Ph.D. holder, the Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), anthropology program. Her research and writings focus on urban geography and violence, political economy, and cross cutting with revolution. Since 2008, Khalil focuses, as an urban researcher, on community participatory action planning and she has led many projects in Cairo, working with local communities.
Jared McCormick is the Director of Graduate Studies and Clinical Associate Professor at the Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies. His larger research explores issues of tourism and imaginations of places across the Middle East. Digital scholarship/methods are central to his teaching and personal work. He is very interested to push the boundaries of how we conceptualize, use, and make visual/digital materials central within our research process.
*Please note:
-This event is only open to the NYU Community who are registered.
-Those who express interest from the NYC Academic Community will be considered based on space. Please email kevorkian.center@nyu.edu for consideration.
-Participants are not allowed to share the work without prior permission from the author.
-All registered attendees will receive a copy of the work one week before the research workshop.
-Participants are expected to have read the entire work before the event.
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be sent to kevorkian.center@nyu.edu by October 11, 2023. A good-faith effort will be made to fulfill requests.
Organized by:
