Visual Ethnography and Urban Practice Investigation: “The Palestinian Urban Practices in Gaza Strip During War 2014“

Abstract

It is hard to imagine the forms of human behaviors and reactions in dangerous environments where there are conflicts and wars. However, through the conflict and wars, image has become the factual witness and the powerful tool of bringing out facts and details. The visual ethnography is an investigation approach that depends on using photographs and media images as a methodological tool in studying and analyzing the social behavior. The war in Gaza is worth highlighting due to the new cultural and urban realities and reactions that were produced and formed through the act of occupation and Palestinians will to struggle and endure on the land. This research highlights the Palestinian urban behavior towards the violent degradation of built forms in the space of conflict in Gaza during and after the last war in July 2014, depending on analyzing the important or basic meaning of experience that includes both the external appearance and inner consciousness based on memory, image, and meaning. This research will show how visual ethnography has been used to document events and phenomena that related to the urban practices in Gaza during the war. However, the photographs show concrete data and vital details of everyday events, activity and behaviors, especially in such affected environment that’s full of violence, fear and suffering. The findings will show the depth of the relation between photography and architecture, and how can using photography in research gives rich content, and accuracy and logic analysis with evidence for the violations that occur, However, it can be an effective tool to reach the policy makers.