Becoming Good Neighbours in Cyprus

Demetriou, Olga; Mavris, John C.; Christou, Georgina

Abstract

‘Neighbourhood’ is a concept that combines a range of ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ points of view. It implies a space of multiple inside/ outside boundaries, e.g. domestic, public, in- and out-groups, locality and state. At the same time, these boundaries are open to definition, negotiation and redefinition: neighbourhoods always border other neighbourhoods and are created within and across different neighbourhoods — one’s ‘neighbourhood’ always places the self at the centre. Neighbourhoods are also made, remade and maintained by individuals, informal groups, organised civil society, local authorities, state structures, perhaps even international actions. Hence our preference for the term neighbouring. Neighbourhoods can be held together by cohesion, but can also be divided and riddled with conflict.1 To study the processes of neighbouring, therefore, requires a bifocal attention to institutions and structures, as well as to individual spontaneous or mundane activities.

Citation

Demetriou, O., Mavris, J. C., & Christou, G. (2011). Becoming Good Neighbours in Cyprus. In H. Armbruster, & U. Meinhof (Eds.), Negotiating Multicultural Europe: Borders, Networks, Neighbourhoods (25-44). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230346475_2

• Publication Date: 2011
• Deposit Date: Sep 11, 2018
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Pages: 25-44
• Series Title: Palgrave Politics of Identity and Citizenship Series
• Book Title: Negotiating Multicultural Europe: Borders, Networks, Neighbourhoods.
• ISBN: 9780230346475
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230346475_2
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1635044