No. 1 (2024): (Re)producing everyday life
Ricerche

Reception through Mobile Commons. Disrupting Exclusion and Negotiating Solidarity Politics through Brussels’ Squats

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  • Ismail Oubad
Ismail Oubad
School of Social Sciences, University of Genoa, Italy Center for Ethnic and Migration Studies, University of Liège
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/contest-15277

Published 2024-07-18

Keywords

  • inequality,
  • solidarity,
  • proximity,
  • third sector,
  • covid-19 pandemic,
  • gift practices
    • ...More
    Less

How to Cite

Oubad, I. (2024). Reception through Mobile Commons. Disrupting Exclusion and Negotiating Solidarity Politics through Brussels’ Squats. Contesti. Città, Territori, Progetti, (1), 104–125. https://doi.org/10.36253/contest-15277

Copyright (c) 2024 Ismail Oubad

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

This study investigates the complex dynamics of squatting in Brussels, examining its influence on shaping solidarity norms and practices in urban settings. Through activist-ethnography conducted within squats, we identify a recurring pattern: the (re)production and negotiation of mobile commons. Analyzing three squatting instances, we emphasize their role as not only spaces for commons (re)production but also platforms for migrants’ and activists’ social becoming. We argue that squats are not mere shelters but dynamic spaces where negotiation and social transformation occur, challenging conventional humanitarian assistance models. Ultimately, this research highlights the significance of (re)producing alternative dwelling infrastructures for illegalized migrants in shaping the urban commons and thereby impacting everyday urban politics of solidarity.

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