Urbans rituals as spaces of memory and belonging: A Geneva case study

Abstract

How do cities include newcomers and established inhabitants? Do urban rituals bring people together? Because of their relative anonymity and accessibility, public rituals – as temporary processes of inclusion or emphasizers of differences – are likely to include people with respect to their differences and any intersections of these. We examine three cases in Geneva, a high mobility city – the Escalade, the Fêtes de Genève and the Saga des Géants – and their potential to foster scepticism (i.e. exclusion) or belonging (i.e. inclusion). Our policy-relevant findings indicate that in post-migration societies, rituals are crucial in fostering belonging, especially when they are based on an open narrative, organized by or with civil-society organizations and based on elements that permit the emotional involvement of the participants. We confront this emic perspective with an etic one, using variables derived from our investigation of public policies and rituals to analyse our observations and public representations of the events. • Our research provides insights for urban territories in search of inclusive practices that can be ritualized and offer a sense of belonging. • The urban space as a continuously recomposing place of inclusive histories needs rituals as a counter to fear-driven conceptions of belonging. • In post-migrant societies, rituals are crucial in fostering this sensus communis, because they require participation but not necessarily much formalized affiliation.