Koulaxi

Citizenship in Crisis in Athens explores the construction of citizen identity through embodied and mediated encounters with noncitizen migrants in the spatio-temporality of compounded crises.

Widely recognised as central to contemporary social and political life, the dynamics of citizenship are explored here through the lens of urban change, migration, crisis, and intense mediated communication. Drawing on ethnographic research in Athens, the book introduces innovative concepts like crisis, culturalist and convivial reflexivity to examine how embodied and mediated encounters with citizens-in- the-making shape citizen identity. It critically addresses pressing issues, from the rise of neoliberal nationalism and exclusionary politics to the potential for solidarity and cosmopolitanism in diverse urban spaces.

This book is suited for postgraduate courses in media and communications and sociology, particularly those focussing on identity, transnationalism, and migration in crisis-affected cities. It is also relevant for advanced undergraduate modules where students explore interdisciplinary perspectives. By offering new insights into citizen identity construction during urban crises, the book appeals to researchers investigating migration, urban diversity, and citizenship. Its interdisciplinary approach ensures broad relevance across academic programmes.

Dr Afroditi-Maria Koulaxi is an LSE100 Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her interdisciplinary research explores identity and migration at the intersection of sociology, urban studies, media, and communications. Currently, Dr Koulaxi’s work investigates climate-driven displacement, with a particular emphasis on the immediate aftermath of Storm Daniel and its significant impact on citizenship, the digital divide, and resilience. Additional research includes an exploration of digital culture and gender, examining how femicides are represented in media narratives and emphasising the intersections of race, class, and gender in shaping public discourse on lethal violence against women.