Spaces of Memory and Belonging: Embodied Encounters in Chatsworth, South Africa

Abstract

This article explores embodied memory at the intersections of space, identity, and history in the former Indian suburb of Chatsworth, Durban, South Africa. It draws on lived experiences from in-depth interviews with 10 participants who lived through the apartheid and post-apartheid periods. The article demonstrates how memory and attachment to specific spaces in Chatsworth developed through embodied encounters across spaces. It demonstrates a relationship where participants’ interactions with spaces such as markets, cooking stalls, and streets evoke memories connected to their personal and collective histories. These spaces served as conduits that shaped and anchored participants’ memories, fostering attachment to the spaces. In this historically segregated setting, spatial contexts that were previously strictly controlled and characterized by rigid boundaries evolved to become crucial for affirming identity and strengthening ties to “home” and Indian identity. The article advances the understanding of embodied spatial practices and their role in memory and identity formation within a historically segregated urban context.