Key Figure of Mobility: The Exile

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Exile is an ancient concept of political displacement expressing the enduring consequences for those affected by it. At least since antiquity, exile has been a particular existence but also a form of figuration for those writing about it. This slippage contributed to a widening gap between experiences of exile as a condition of displacement and the qualities the figure symbolises, thus complicating the question of who may be considered exiled under what circumstances. Using this slippage between condition and figure productively, the article first traces the figure through Edward Said and outlines exile’s relation to other key figures of mobility and diaspora. A second analytical move compares this figure to anthropological research and to the particular case of Palestinians living in exile ‘at home’. Once reinstated as a condition of displacement for the anthropology of mobility, exile illuminates the subjective and temporal dimensions of political displacement and its enduring aftermath. It helps us to grasp the myriad processes by which people are excluded, allowed and forced to move, while also illustrating the forced movement of boundaries and political projects across and around people.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)55-68
JournalSocial Anthropology
Volume25
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Feb 2017

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • exile
  • mobility
  • identity
  • displacement
  • diaspora
  • Edward Said

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