From congruent to non-congruent spaces: Dynamics of Bedouin production of space in Israel

Abstract

The speed with which the Negev Bedouin have been undergoing processes of change through induced sedentarization and urbanization provides a rare opportunity of revealing the dynamic nature of the production of space. Following the Lefebvrian framework of the production of space, attributes of perceived, conceived and lived facets of production of space are investigated in relation to economically distinct Bedouin communities (semi-nomadic pastoralists, sedentary farmers and urban wage laborers) that represent different stages along the transition process. We offer a distinction between Bedouin endogenously oriented space and exogenously oriented space and analyze the dialectical nature and dynamics of the production of hybrid spaces. The context within which such dialectical movements occur affects the congruence between the three facets of Bedouin space and, as a result, their ability to maintain a structured coherence between society, environment and economy.