Spatial Rituals and Ritualized Space in Dutch Postwar Homes for the Elderly: Anthropology in History

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterAcademic

Abstract

This chapter shows how Sanjib Datta Chowdhury’s anthropological work on spatial rituals in a Dutch residential home for the elderly changed my historical narrative on postwar policies concerning such homes. My initial argument revolved around policymakers’ reports and their notions of good care and independency. Chowdhury’s approach, however, made me revisit both my sources and analysis. First, I started studying the architectural plans and photography in the policy reports in more detail. Second, the ways in which these visualizations marked spaces as private, public, or semi-public, enabled me to explore how middle-class conceptions of what belongs to which type of space-at home, in villages, and in cities-co-inspired the layout of the residential homes. This warranted, in turn, a contribution to Chowdhury’s interpretations of spatial rituals. A more performative reading of the homes’ architectural representation as ritualized space, however, would have enriched the analysis and deepened interdisciplinary integration.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationInterdisciplinarity in the Scholarly Life Cycle
Subtitle of host publicationLearning by Example in Humanities and Social Science Research
EditorsKarin Bijsterveld, Aagje Swinnen
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Pages173-190
Number of pages17
ISBN (Electronic)9783031111082
ISBN (Print)9783031111075
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2023

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