Urban Dwellings, Haitian Citizenshipsexplores the failed international reconstruction of Port-au-Prince after the devastating 2010 earthquake. It describes the failures of international aid in Haiti while it analyzes examples of Haitian-based reconstruction and economic practices. By interrogating the relationship between indigenous uses of the cityscape and the urbanization of the countryside within a framework that centers on the violence of urban planning, the book shows that the forms of economic development promoted by international agencies institutionalize impermanence and instability. Conversely, it shows how everyday Haitians use and transform the city to create spaces of belonging and forms of citizenship anchored in a long history of resistance to extractive economies. Taking readers into the remnants of failed industrial projects in Haitian provinces and into the streets, rubble, and homes of Port-au-Prince, this book reflects on the possibilities and meanings of dwelling in post-disaster urban landscapes.
Urban Dwellings, Haitian Citizenshipsexplores the failed international reconstruction of Port-au-Prince after the devastating 2010 earthquake. It describes how, in the meantime, people from various backgrounds use, transform, and create vibrant urban spaces and economies that enable them to rebuild their lives. By exploring how the state, international organizations, and everyday people transform the environment,the book reflects on the possibilities of dwelling in post-disaster landscapes.
VINCENT JOOSis an assistant professor of anthropology and global French studies at Florida State University in Tallahassee.List of Illustrations
Introduction
1 Developing Disasters: Dispossession and Industrialization in Northern Haiti
2 Industrial Futures: Abstract and Disciplinarian Landscapes in Post-Earthquake Haiti
3 State Interventions: Infrastructure and Citizenship
4 Inlă‰