Rooting the Palestinian Shatat in Jordan: Art, Objects, and the Matter of Belonging
Abstract
This article presents the concept of dispersed rooting in order to understand the significance of Palestinian visual and material productions in Jordan. The authors argue that the production of art and traditional clothing, as well as the consumption of souvenirs, constitutes rooting practices that connect exiled Palestinians to the broader Palestinian people and homeland within the shifting and negotiated limits of protracted displacement in Jordan. By considering the role of art and objects in the rooting of Palestinians, this article elucidates the importance of visual and material culture for the meaning of identity and belonging among a dispersed population of exiled Palestinian refugees. Specifically, it demonstrates how producing Palestinian art and tradition is deeply implicated in the reproduction of the Palestinian self and community. As the analysis indicates, Palestinians produce visual and material culture to root themselves in a world where Palestine persists, and where their belonging to it and its people remains inviolable.
Publication Title
Journal of Palestine Studies
Recommended Citation
Craig, K., & Pérez, M. (2023). Rooting the Palestinian Shatat in Jordan: Art, Objects, and the Matter of Belonging. Journal of Palestine Studies, 52 (4), 9-36. https://doi.org/10.1080/0377919X.2023.2281907
