| Jordanian towns have not been incorporated into the building of the nation, nor have they been considered in the definition of what Jordan is, the decisive factor being direct allegiance to the Hashemite monarchy. Jordanian towns are not a favourable environment for the expression of citizenship free from primary affiliations. However, in the capital, city residents manage to launch initiatives for citizen participation for the community, showing they belong to a post-modern urban elite and even making the city participate in a form of "global citizenship". This introduction of the book "Cities, Urban Practices and Nation Building in Jordan" addresses through urban life the extensively studied issue of national identity and citizenship in Jordan, examining the forms of integration and demarcation of the different components of the population in urban arenas. It takes a diachronic approach that presents the role of towns in Jordan's nation building, the management of urban spaces and the practices of individual urban residents detached from kinship affiliations. |
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