Coastline as Memory: Narratives of othering in Lesvos island

My research explores othering as a socio-spatial process and examines how it is produced through practices of bordering on the island of Lesvos (in Greece), with a particular focus on the coastline as a critical spatial threshold. I am trying to approach and analyze othering as a dynamic mechanism that shapes identities, power relations and spatial experiences.

Lesvos is examined as a multilayered border space where geographic, political and social boundaries intersect. State policies, migration flows, tourism and everyday practices extend the notion of the border beyond territorial lines, producing shifting forms of inclusion and exclusion. The coastline emerges as a highly charged space where contrasting realities coexist.

The research combines literature review with other research tools such as interviews, walking conversations, memory-based narratives, mapping and visual documentation through video and photos. Personal and collective memories are used to uncover how the coastline is experienced and remembered by different actors.

Click here for the research paper