Description
This research explores the intersection of Afghan society, class, and urban life in Kabul, examining the ways in which proximity to 'Empire' shaped the lives of its people. Focusing on Kabul province, the study will analyse how imperial influence manifested through urban planning, security infrastructures, and class structures. Drawing on biopolitical works of Foucault, Agamben and Mbembe, with the concept of heterotopia, the research will map key urban elements such as military barracks, checkpoints, and green zones, exploring their role in defining spaces of safety, exclusion, and exposure to violence. Kevin A. Lynch’s seminal work, The Image of the City, will guide the analysis of Kabul's urban form through its categories of paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks, offering insights into how urban space reflects broader social and political dynamics. The study will also investigate how different social classes in Kabul navigate these spatial configurations, considering how Empire's forces constructed definitions of life and death. The research aims to illuminate the complex relationship between urbanisation, class stratification, and the violent realities of life under Empire's rule, providing a critical lens on the role of urban space in shaping social identities and experiences in Afghanistan.
