Touch and Distance as Aesthetic of Social Interaction

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Private self-care practices and displays of community-care often appear to be at odds, yet this article explores how physical proximity and spatial dynamics during face-to-face encounters contribute to the overall aesthetic experience of both – self-care and community-care. To comprehend the significance of domestic space within Beirut, particularly in the context of Sufism, the article explores Sophie’s narrative and her conceptualization of her apartment as a private-public space for communication. Hinging on certain privileges, this refuge, distinct from the world outside, serves as a stage for the ritual gatherings of the Sufis. The positioning of bodies during these gatherings illustrates how this arrangement is maintained or disrupted through practices involving different degrees of proximity and distance. Socio-spatial interactions display a social order that oscillates between self-care and community-care, between self-control and collective intimacy. By contemplating the power dynamics inherent in this ethnographic context, the implicated link between socio-spatial interaction, practices of class distinction, and aesthetics within spiritual practices are discussed.