Project description

The research documents the ḥawakīr of Nazareth, traditional gardens that were widespread until the late 1970s and are now disappearing rapidly as new houses are built on their land and residents' tastes are changing. The traditional garden was a space that combined work and socializing, and a center of collective (extended family) life. It provided a wide diversity of crops and was integral to households of all economic backgrounds. Conversely, today people prefer gardens with green lawns and flowers, intended strictly for recreation and ornament, which act as markers of privacy and economic success. We use ethnographic data to provide detailed descriptions of historical and contemporary ḥawakīr. The analysis dwells on the resonances between changing practices and meanings regarding ḥawakīr, and the changing character of the urban landscape, on their value as sites of attachment and identity, and on the potential of their revival for greater urban sustainability.

Researchers

Keywords

Environmental sociology Natural resource sociology Social economy Economic sociology & Socioeconomics Cultural anthropology