Organising Grassroots Infrastructure: The (In)visible Work of Organisational (In)completeness

María José Zapata Campos; Ester Barinaga; Jaan Henrik Kain; Michael Oloko; Patrik Zapata

doi:10.1177/00420980211062818

Organising Grassroots Infrastructure: The (In)visible Work of Organisational (In)completeness

María José Zapata Campos^*, Ester Barinaga, Jaan Henrik Kain, Michael Oloko, Patrik Zapata

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

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Abstract

在本文中，我们以最近在组织和城市研究中发展起来的不完整性概念为基础，提高我们对草根组织在城市非正规住区不断变化和资源稀缺的环境中创建和管理关键基础设施的集体行动的理解。从实证的角度而言，本文借鉴了肯尼亚基苏木 (Kisumu) 非正规住区居民协会提供关键服务和基础设施的案例。研究结果表明，草根组织为实现不完整的草根基础设施的生产和治理而形成了三个组织过程：塑造不完整的组织但创造正规和完整组织的假象；为休眠（但仍然可见）结构的生存创建关键（通常是隐藏的）物质和组织基础设施；并塑造嵌套的基础设施，为嵌入社会的浮动和自治群体提供庇护。在资源匮乏的环境中，策略是创造不完整性，减少组织，并使其保持不完整性并限制在最少的要素范围内。本文还探讨了组织和基础设施不完整性的政治影响，方法是研究其如何导致制定松散和模棱两可的政府安排，并将它们在物质和政治上与正规的基础设施系统联系起来。这些政府安排正在发生转变并且正在形成，因此也是不完整的。本文揭示了草根组织如何动员广泛的（不）可见性方法。最后，本文揭示了 “不完整性” 的隐藏力量以及向外界隐藏某些不完整性元素，同时在其他元素被认为有用时使之可见的可能性。

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Urban Studies
Vol/bind	60
Udgave nummer	1
Sider (fra-til)	126-145
Antal sider	20
ISSN	0042-0980
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980211062818
Status	Udgivet - jan. 2023
Udgivet eksternt	Ja

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title = "Organising Grassroots Infrastructure: The (In)visible Work of Organisational (In)completeness",

abstract = "In this article we build on the concept of incompleteness, as recently developed in both organisational and urban studies, to improve our understanding of the collective actions of grassroots organisations in creating and governing critical infrastructures in the changing and resource-scarce contexts of urban informal settlements. Empirically, the article is informed by the case of resident associations providing critical services and infrastructure in informal settlements in Kisumu, Kenya. Findings suggest three organisational processes that grassroots organisations develop for the production and governance of incomplete grassroots infrastructures: shaping a partial organisation but creating the illusion of a formal and complete organisation; crafting critical (and often hidden) material and organisational infrastructures for the subsistence of dormant (but still visible) structures; and moulding nested infrastructure that shelters layers of floating and autonomous groups embedded in communities. In a resource-poor environment, the strategy is to create incompleteness, less organisation and to keep it partial and limited to a minimum of elements. The article also explores the political implications of organisational and infrastructural incompleteness by examining how it leads to efforts to craft loose and ambiguous governmental arrangements, connecting them materially and politically to formal infrastructure systems. These governmental arrangements are shifting and in the making, and therefore also incomplete. The article reveals how grassroots organisations mobilise a wide range of (in)visibility approaches. It concludes by exposing the hidden power of {\textquoteleft}incompleteness{\textquoteright} and the potential in hiding certain elements of incompleteness from outsiders, while rendering other elements visible when perceived as useful.",

keywords = "community, development, governance, grassroots organisations, incompleteness, infrastructure, neighbourhood",

author = "Campos, {Mar{\'i}a Jos{\'e} Zapata} and Ester Barinaga and Kain, {Jaan Henrik} and Michael Oloko and Patrik Zapata",

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T1 - Organising Grassroots Infrastructure

T2 - The (In)visible Work of Organisational (In)completeness

AU - Campos, María José Zapata

AU - Barinaga, Ester

AU - Kain, Jaan Henrik

AU - Oloko, Michael

AU - Zapata, Patrik

PY - 2023/1

Y1 - 2023/1

N2 - In this article we build on the concept of incompleteness, as recently developed in both organisational and urban studies, to improve our understanding of the collective actions of grassroots organisations in creating and governing critical infrastructures in the changing and resource-scarce contexts of urban informal settlements. Empirically, the article is informed by the case of resident associations providing critical services and infrastructure in informal settlements in Kisumu, Kenya. Findings suggest three organisational processes that grassroots organisations develop for the production and governance of incomplete grassroots infrastructures: shaping a partial organisation but creating the illusion of a formal and complete organisation; crafting critical (and often hidden) material and organisational infrastructures for the subsistence of dormant (but still visible) structures; and moulding nested infrastructure that shelters layers of floating and autonomous groups embedded in communities. In a resource-poor environment, the strategy is to create incompleteness, less organisation and to keep it partial and limited to a minimum of elements. The article also explores the political implications of organisational and infrastructural incompleteness by examining how it leads to efforts to craft loose and ambiguous governmental arrangements, connecting them materially and politically to formal infrastructure systems. These governmental arrangements are shifting and in the making, and therefore also incomplete. The article reveals how grassroots organisations mobilise a wide range of (in)visibility approaches. It concludes by exposing the hidden power of ‘incompleteness’ and the potential in hiding certain elements of incompleteness from outsiders, while rendering other elements visible when perceived as useful.

AB - In this article we build on the concept of incompleteness, as recently developed in both organisational and urban studies, to improve our understanding of the collective actions of grassroots organisations in creating and governing critical infrastructures in the changing and resource-scarce contexts of urban informal settlements. Empirically, the article is informed by the case of resident associations providing critical services and infrastructure in informal settlements in Kisumu, Kenya. Findings suggest three organisational processes that grassroots organisations develop for the production and governance of incomplete grassroots infrastructures: shaping a partial organisation but creating the illusion of a formal and complete organisation; crafting critical (and often hidden) material and organisational infrastructures for the subsistence of dormant (but still visible) structures; and moulding nested infrastructure that shelters layers of floating and autonomous groups embedded in communities. In a resource-poor environment, the strategy is to create incompleteness, less organisation and to keep it partial and limited to a minimum of elements. The article also explores the political implications of organisational and infrastructural incompleteness by examining how it leads to efforts to craft loose and ambiguous governmental arrangements, connecting them materially and politically to formal infrastructure systems. These governmental arrangements are shifting and in the making, and therefore also incomplete. The article reveals how grassroots organisations mobilise a wide range of (in)visibility approaches. It concludes by exposing the hidden power of ‘incompleteness’ and the potential in hiding certain elements of incompleteness from outsiders, while rendering other elements visible when perceived as useful.

KW - community

KW - development

KW - governance

KW - grassroots organisations

KW - incompleteness

KW - infrastructure

KW - neighbourhood

U2 - 10.1177/00420980211062818

DO - 10.1177/00420980211062818

M3 - Journal article

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SN - 0042-0980

VL - 60

SP - 126

EP - 145

JO - Urban Studies

JF - Urban Studies

IS - 1

ER -