An investigation of the capabilities and aspirations in contemporary Tunisia to comprehend their histories of erosion, but also to reveal new perspectives towards alternative futures.
After the Arab Revolutions in 2011, Tunisia became a symbol of freedom and justice and thus the hope of an entire region. Now, the picture has been reversed: Political freedoms are being curtailed and the economy is in disarray, especially after the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. In the face of expanding inequality, resentment and attacks against ›Others‹ fall on fertile ground. More than ever, mobility becomes contested – shaping spatial movements, social positions and discourses of the self – while young people, in particular, desire to leave the country. The contributors to this volume investigate the meaning of capabilities and aspirations to comprehend the histories of their erosion, but also to reveal alternative ways of imagining futures.
Jörg Gertel
Jörg Gertel ist Professor für Arabistik und Wirtschaftsgeographie an der Universität Leipzig. Seine Ausbildung brachte ihn an die Universitäten von Damaskus, Kairo und Khartoum. Er lehrte und forschte zudem an der Universität Freiburg sowie mehrfach in Seattle und Auckland. Im Zentrum seiner Forschung stehen der weitere Mittelmeerraum und Fragen zur Nahrungssicherheit, Mobilitäts- und Marktdynamik sowie der Situation von Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen.
Inequality Inequality Mobility Mobility Capability Capability Aspiration Aspiration Tunisia Tunisia Social Inequality Social Inequality Economy Economy Migration
»From irregular migration to a precarious economy, from deferred dreams to the reality of forced flight, »Inequality and Mobility« offers a reflection of a society challenged by insecure livelihoods and the demand for dignity. This volume is not simply a Tunisian case study, but rather a contemporary anthropological reading of the post-revolutionary reality in the Maghreb: a space where besieged desires intertwine with the dynamics of hesitant change, and where hope for a dignified future continues to rise from the depths of marginalization.«
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»This volume is a much-needed, innovative contribution on the interconnectedness of some of the most pressing challenges of our time as they dominate the larger Middle East. Focusing on the case of Tunisia, »Inequality and Mobility« provides rich empirical material and fresh insights into the struggles of daily life under continuous authoritarian rule after the failed Arab up-risings of a decade ago. It opens new perspectives for comparison across the region, from the Mediterranean to the Mashreq.«
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»›Inequality and Mobility‹ represents an invaluable collection of studies on the struggles and aspirations of the Tunisian people in the aftermath of the 2011 revolution. The essays conjoin economic and sociological analysis with fine-grained ethnographic accounts of the textures and vicissitudes of individual lives confronted with economic precarity, racial discrimination, and a political system that forcefully, if inconsistently, stifles and instrumentalizes mobility. This superb volume is a crucial resource for those seeking to understand the complex challenges faced by the peoples of North Africa in their search for a life of dignity, equality, and prosperity.«
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