Political Squatting as Alternative Commons: The Case of Post-Socialist Cities

• Thesis title in Czech: Politický squatting jako alternativní commons: případ postsocialistických měst
• Thesis title in English: Political Squatting as Alternative Commons: The Case of Post-Socialist Cities
• Key words: politický squatting, urban commons, veřejný prostor, postsocialismus
• English key words: political squatting, urban commons, public space, post-socialism
• Academic year of topic announcement: 2023/2024
• Thesis type: Bachelor's thesis
• Thesis language: angličtina
• Department: Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology (24-KSKA)
• Supervisor: Mgr. Bohuslav Kuřík, Ph.D.
• Author: hidden - assigned and confirmed by the Study Dept.
• Date of registration: 11.03.2024
• Date of assignment: 11.03.2024
• Confirmed by Study dept. on: 11.03.2024
• Date of electronic submission: 28.06.2024
• Date of proceeded defence: 06.09.2024
• Course: Bachelor Thesis Defense (YBAJSZ01)
• Opponents: Mgr. Michal Lehečka, Ph.D.

References

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Preliminary scope of work

Cílem této práce je prozkoumat a syntetizovat fenomén squattingu v postsocialistické střední Evropě. Rychlé politické, socioekonomické a kulturní změny v regionu vedly k vyostření sporů, zejména o městský prostor s vyšší hustotou obyvatelstva a společensko-politickým významem. Navíc zásadně proměnily vztahy k prostoru, jeho obsazování a vlastnictví. Vzhledem k tomu, že většina postsocialistických měst prošla reprivatizačními nároky, úbytkem obecního bytového fondu a postupnou konsolidací neoliberálního městského řádu, objevil se jako reakce na některé z těchto událostí politický squatting. Tato práce používá termín politický squatting v pojetí Agnes Gagyi, který se méně zabývá bezprostředním přístupem k prostoru, ale spíše uznává inherentní politický motiv. Z hlediska analýzy se ptám, do jaké míry jsou squatované prostory alternativou k dichotomii veřejné/soukromé, kterou upevňuje binární systém státního a soukromého vlastnictví, a do jaké míry rozmazávají hranice mezi nimi. Dále se ptám, zda politický squatting představuje oživení veřejného prostoru, a zkoumám potenciální napětí mezi pojmy commons a veřejný prostor. Zajímá mě tvůrčí a subverzivní síla těchto prostorů při vytváření commons. Pokouším se tedy podat přehled politického squattingu ve střední Evropě a vyzdvihnout významné případové studie z tohoto regionu spolu s jejich srovnávací analýzou.

Preliminary scope of work in English

This thesis aims to explore and synthesise the phenomenon of squatting in post-socialist Central Europe. The rapid political, socio-economic and cultural transitions in the region led to exacerbated contention, particularly over urban space with its higher density population and socio-political significance. Moreover, it fundamentally transformed relations to space, its occupation and ownership. As most post-socialist cities underwent re-privatization claims, decrease of municipal housing stock and a gradual consolidation of the neoliberal urban order, political squatting emerged as a response to some of these developments. This thesis applies the term political squatting as understood by Agnes Gagyi which is less concerned with immediate access to space but rather recognises an inherent political motive. In terms of analysis, I inquire to what extent the squatted spaces are an alternative to and blur the lines between the public/private dichotomy consolidated by the binary of state and private ownership. Furthermore, I inquire whether political squatting constitutes a revival of public space and explore the potential tensions between the concepts of commons and public space. I am interested in the creative and subversive power of these spaces in generating commons. Thus, I attempt to provide a review of political squatting in Central Europe, highlighting prominent case studies from the region alongside their comparative analysis.