Temples, cupolas, minarets : public space as contested terrain in contemporary Switzerland
Vol.17,No.2(2009)
Abstract
Pages:
141–153
The semantic components of public space are a sensitive and debated issue and, by no means neutral and void of ascribed meanings. Rather, the terrain is contested by social groups and access is disputed and limited. This observation has become vividly apparent in current Switzerland, as controversial debates arose concerning the construction of minarets. More generally, in Switzerland, religious immigrant communities increasingly started to claim their place in the public sphere, in particular in employing publicly visible symbols such as buildings, statues, processions, clothing in order to refer to their existence and right of place. The paper explores the metaphorical use of public space and its conceptualisation as an analytical tool; current debates of the building of minarets illustrate processes of exclusion and inclusion of immigrant "foreign" religion to Swiss public space.
141–153