Urban Inequalities

This collection brings together leading thinkers on human beings in urban spaces and inequalities therein. The contributors eschew conceptual confusion between equality — of opportunity, of access, of the right to compete for whatever goal one chooses to pursue — and levelling. The discussions develop in the belief that old and emerging forms of inequality in urban settings need to be understood in depth, as does the machinery that, as masterfully elucidated by Hannah Arendt, operates behind oppression to sustain power and inequality. Anthropologists and fellow ethnographically-committed social scientists examine socio-economic, cultural and political forms of urban inequality in different settings, helping to address comparatively these dynamics.

• sustainable development goal 10
• SDG
• reduced inequalities
• economic anthropology
• employment
• gender
• cities
• informal interaction
• heritage
• inclusion and exclusion

“A strength of this work lies in the diversity of global locations and identities of both the sites of social interactions, and the researchers. … Bringing together such a diverse set of ethnographic accounts offers insights into a multiplicity of experiences of inequalities in urban social settings. The ethnographic microanalysis and theoretical explorations make this a must-read for scholars interested and engaged in understanding more about the contemporary mechanisms of a wide range of social inequalities.” (Robyn Andrews,Urbanities-Journal of Urban Ethnography, Vol. 11 (1), May, 2021)

‘Along with their contributors, Italo Pardo and Giuliana B. Prato look closely—as only excellent ethnographers can—at the problem of inequality, defined in various ways and studies in many different venues. This collection is, in a powerful way an exposition of intersectionality. This will be a welcome addition to the literature in several fields.’

—Jerome Krase, Emeritus Professor and Murray Koppelman Professor of Sociology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, USA

‘This timely collection of ethnographic writings explores inequalities in urban communities across different national contexts. Traversing their diverse ethnographic and theoretical positioning, the authors illuminate the predicament of urban communities as they structure their daily lives in the context of deepening divides. Filled with ethnographically and theoretically rich studies, the book offers a unique comparative perspective into old and emergent forms of sociopolitical and socioeconomic inequalities across cities in England, Egypt, Greece, India, Italy, Israel, Russia, Turkey and the United States. The conceptual scope of the volume is exceptionally rich. Among the dominant themes are questions of citizenship and governance as they relate to political legitimacy. The authors also explore precariousness and social exclusions as pervasive features of contemporary urban politics and expose the logic of inequality embedded in urban policies and management practices.’

—Hana Cervinkova, Professor of Anthropology, Maynooth University, Ireland

‘Italo Pardo and Giuliana Prato bring incisive academic sophistication and years of sustained scholarship in the field of urban anthropology into the creation of a volume interrogating the complex and nuanced phenomenon of urban inequalities. Ethnographic insights from across the globe tease out the relations of the state and citizenship, of legitimacy and responsibility and varieties of ways in which inequalities are perpetuated, nurtured and imposed, most often reinforcing and building up on what already fragments the society. Yet, the question is raised, where are these processes leading, are they actually destroying the very foundations of sustainability, reflecting a foolishness that is probably manifesting itself in global disasters like the Covid-19 pandemic. A very timely volume to aid reflexive thoughts on the present and future of humankind.’

—Subhadra Channa, Professor of Anthropology (retired), University of Delhi, India, Senior Vice President of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES) and Chair of the IUAES Commission on Marginalization and Global Apartheid

• School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK

  Italo Pardo, Giuliana B. Prato

Italo Pardo is Honorary Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Kent, UK. He established and co-edits the journal Urbanities and co-founded and presides over the not-for-profit association, International Urban Symposium-IUS.

Giuliana B. Prato is Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Social Anthropology at the University of Kent, UK. She chairs the Commission on Urban Anthropology (IUAES), co-founded the International Urban Symposium-IUS, of which she is Secretary-Treasurer, and co-founded and serves on the Board of Urbanities.

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