Spatial Rituals and Ritualized Space in Dutch Postwar Homes for the Elderly:Anthropology in History

This chapter shows how Sanjib Datta Chowdhury’s anthropological work on spatial rituals in a Dutch residential home for the elderly changed my historical narrative on postwar policies concerning such homes. My initial argument revolved around policymakers’ reports and their notions of good care and independency. Chowdhury’s approach, however, made me revisit both my sources and analysis. First, I started studying the architectural plans and photography in the policy reports in more detail. Second, the ways in which these visualizations marked spaces as private, public, or semi-public, enabled... Mehr ...