Coastal identities: exploring the construction of identities on the Durban beachfront.

Abstract

This research project is part of a larger coastal governance project, titled Knowledge for Coastal Change, led by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The main objective of that project is to “develop an innovative and radical model for (scientific) knowledge production at local (or municipal) levels in order to inform evidence-based decision making and management of South Africa’s coastal resources, build competence and contribute to the theoretical debate around the development of a democratic knowledge-society” (CGCG Report, 2013). My research is nested within and contributes to this larger body of work. The Durban coastline is one of the most attractive spaces in the city. Because of its cultural and socio-economic value to the city and province, this area is called the Golden Mile. But there are numerous questions about its governance and the role of identities in its governance: does it accommodate all the relevant users, stakeholders and those who rely on it intensively? The study is based on qualitative research methods and uses concepts such as “spatial fetishism” (Soja 1989), “space and place” (Keith and Pile 1993, Dixon and Durrheim 2004), “ritual of habitation” (Holmes 1999), “identity-construction spaces” (Kaya 2005) and “interactive governance theory” (Kooinman et, al 2008) to interrogate how identity formation informs people’s attachment to the Durban Beachfront (and vice versa)