P Naef
Biographic Data
| ID | 57711 |
|---|---|
| NAME | P Naef |
| GIVEN NAMES | P |
| FAMILY NAME | Naef |
| SIGNATURE | NAEF P |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Geneva |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8634-9611 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 48 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
The unbearable resilience of Medellín
This article critically examines the complex and ambiguous relationship between resilience and violence in the recovery of conflict-affected cities. Focusing on Medellín, Colombia’s second-largest city, it traces its transformation from a hotspot of intense urban conflict to a celebrated hub of tourism and innovation. Once labeled the world’s “murder capital,” Medellín has become a flagship for resilience initiatives, frequently lauded for its re…
Navigating Criminal Governance in Colombia
This article examines how individuals navigate life in criminalized territories. Drawing on ethnographic research in Medellin, Colombia’s second-largest city, it explores the trajectories of three young men whose lives are deeply intertwined with the criminal elements controlling their neighborhood. Focusing on their ‘life stories’—the significant events and experiences influencing their paths—and their relationships with illegal actors, this ant…
Walls of resistance
In this article, I examine 'underground memories' to demonstrate how they serve as resources for resistance in the margins of Colombia. I focus on their relations with the urban fabric, looking at the ways the walls of Bogota and Medellin are used as canvases for spreading images and narratives about the conflict. I suggest that murals representing the violence serve as a repository for memories; they challenge hegemonic narratives and contribute…
Beyond short-term savings
This paper investigates the enduring impacts of Swiss energy efficiency programs on household electricity use and on the continuation of energy-conserving practices. Employing a mixed-methods research design, we analyzed electricity consumption data from 2009 to 2019 and incorporated insights from 2840 survey responses collected in 2018. Findings reveal sustained reductions in electricity use and continued adoption of energy-efficient appliances …
Disparitions forcées et mémoires contestées
Située dans la périphérie de Medellín, une fosse commune est considérée comme l'une des plus grandes jamais découverte en milieu urbain. Communément nommé ' l'Escombrera ', ce site était utilisé pour dissimuler les corps de personnes assassinées par les différents groupes armés contrôlant les quartiers populaires de la deuxième ville de Colombie. Cet article examine les discours et les pratiques d'acteurs liées à ces disparitions forcées. Il se p…
The Criminal Governance of Tourism
This article provides a picture of the political economy of tourism and violence in Medellín. It analyses the way criminal actors and tourism entrepreneurs share a territory, by shedding light on the extortion of tour guides, street performers and business owners in some of its barrios populares (poor neighbourhoods). The main objective is to demonstrate how intimate relationships - between and among kin, friends, long-term acquaintances - impact…
Repositioning Engaged Anthropology
This special issue aims to shed light on and recognize the full potential of engaged anthropology and its place in academia and beyond. It argues for an inclusive approach to be both theoretically enriching and methodologically grounded in diverse practices and forms. The introduction addresses common confusions and obstacles distracting engaged anthropology from its core premises and potentials. As the Interface Commission of the Swiss Anthropol…
L' impact du Covid-19 sur les mondes de l'art
This article looks at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the “art worlds” (Becker 1988) in Geneva, Switzerland’s second largest city. The main objective is to determine whether the pandemic has radically reconfigured the art worlds, or if this health crisis has merely reinforced existing trends, namely the market logic that underlies the art sector and the ever-increasing need for artists to develop entrepreneurial capacities. By examining th…
"Resistances in the "Resilient City
Medellin and New Orleans were regularly presented as resilience flagships of the Rockefeller's 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) program. In this article, I will demonstrate how 100RC was embedded or abandoned in both cities' policies. The two case studies provide an opportunity to understand how the 100RC approach to resilience offered – or failed to offer – an appropriate space for the multiple deployments of resilience. 100RC initially promoted an …
Resilient Cities
Although the use of resilience in international relations and urban planning has given rise to a growing body of critical research, this contested concept continues to feature prominently in the conversation on the development of cities. Taking the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) network pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation as a case study, this article exposes some of the challenges inherent in the implementation of a global model of resilience.…
The micro-politics of energy efficiency
Households have a role to play in the so-called ‘energy turn’ in Switzerland, a policy framework that calls for more efficient energy usage. Against this backdrop, this article critically analyses the mechanisms and running of a programme aimed at improving energy usage among low-income households in western Switzerland, bringing together both environmental and social objectives or what was termed an ‘eco-social intervention’. Based on ethnograph…
"Narco-heritage" and the Touristification of the Drug Lord Pablo Escobar in Medellin, Colombia
Medellin was particularly affected by the war that began more than fifty years ago, and the ghost of its infamous cartel still haunts Colombia's second-largest city. However, it is now often singled out as a transformed city, and tourism is rapidly developing. In this context, local guides are now leading tourists in the footsteps of the notorious drug lord, Pablo Escobar. These tours usually include sites in Medellin related to Escobar, such as …
The Familiar and the Strange in Heritage and Tourism Encounters
Through our scholarly representations, as well as our teaching, anthropologists illustrate how our common human heritage includes a rich variety of social and cultural practices as well as other culturally relative markers of our diverse humankind. Through our research, some anthropologists endeavor to combat ethnocentrism, or to illuminate and better understand the effects of racism and other systems and structures of inequality, and through eng…
Tourism, conflict and contested heritage in former Yugoslavia
Although, historically, there have always been travellers crossing the Balkan Peninsula, Todorova (1994) notes that early travellers were usually heading for important centres such as Constantinople or Jerusalem, and considered South-East Europe as a peripheral place where people were just passing through. The region is only really discovered in the eighteenth century along with an increasing interest in the East. More organised forms of tourism …
Touring the ‘ comuna ’
The objective is to explore the touristification of some peripheral neighbourhoods of Medellin. The focus is on urban areas built by war-displaced populations commonly referred to as ‘comunas’ and often associated with crime and narco-traffic. Some tours generally labelled as ‘comuna tours’ have been emerging during the last three years and are largely included in the promotion of the ‘new Medellin’, focusing on its transformation from ‘the most …
Tourism and the ‘martyred city’
The present contribution aims to propose a definition of what is often referred to as a ‘martyred city’, a notion widely used in the media and the public sphere, but still largely understudied in academia. By looking at two cities in the former Yugoslavia – Sarajevo and Vukovar – this article presents the way in which a place can be associated with the notion of martyrdom through memorial sites and practices, such as war museums and tourism. The …
La Yougonostalgie et les Monuments FantÔmes de l’espace Post-yougoslave
L'espace post-yougoslave est caractérisé par des courants nationalistes importants et antagonistes, entraînant d'intenses conflits de mémoire. Cependant, les notions récentes de « yougonostalgie » et « yougosphère » semblent renvoyer à une représentation plus englobante de la mémoire, étant associée à l'identité yougoslave en opposition aux identités nationales renforcées par les guerres des années 1990. La question qui sous-tend cette analyse es…
L a Y ougonostalgie et les M onuments F antÔmes de l’espace P ost-yougoslave
L’espace post-yougoslave est caractérisé par des courants nationalistes importants et antagonistes, entraînant d’intenses conflits de mémoire. Cependant, les notions récentes de « yougonostalgie » et « yougosphère » semblent renvoyer à une représentation plus englobante de la mémoire, étant associée à l’identité yougoslave en opposition aux identités nationales renforcées par les guerres des années 1990. La question qui sous-tend cette analyse es…
Tourism, conflict and contested heritage in former Yugoslavia
Although, historically, there have always been travellers crossing the Balkan Peninsula, Todorova (1994) notes that early travellers were usually heading for important centres such as Constantinople or Jerusalem, and considered South-East Europe as a peripheral place where people were just passing through. The region is only really discovered in the eighteenth century along with an increasing interest in the East. More organised forms of tourism …
"Narco-heritage" and the Touristification of the Drug Lord Pablo Escobar in Medellin, Colombia
Medellin was particularly affected by the war that began more than fifty years ago, and the ghost of its infamous cartel still haunts Colombia's second-largest city. However, it is now often singled out as a transformed city, and tourism is rapidly developing. In this context, local guides are now leading tourists in the footsteps of the notorious drug lord, Pablo Escobar. These tours usually include sites in Medellin related to Escobar, such as …
The Criminal Governance of Tourism
This article provides a picture of the political economy of tourism and violence in Medellín. It analyses the way criminal actors and tourism entrepreneurs share a territory, by shedding light on the extortion of tour guides, street performers and business owners in some of its barrios populares (poor neighbourhoods). The main objective is to demonstrate how intimate relationships - between and among kin, friends, long-term acquaintances - impact…
Touring the ‘ comuna ’
The objective is to explore the touristification of some peripheral neighbourhoods of Medellin. The focus is on urban areas built by war-displaced populations commonly referred to as ‘comunas’ and often associated with crime and narco-traffic. Some tours generally labelled as ‘comuna tours’ have been emerging during the last three years and are largely included in the promotion of the ‘new Medellin’, focusing on its transformation from ‘the most …
Tourism and the ‘martyred city’
The present contribution aims to propose a definition of what is often referred to as a ‘martyred city’, a notion widely used in the media and the public sphere, but still largely understudied in academia. By looking at two cities in the former Yugoslavia – Sarajevo and Vukovar – this article presents the way in which a place can be associated with the notion of martyrdom through memorial sites and practices, such as war museums and tourism. The …
"Resistances in the "Resilient City
Medellin and New Orleans were regularly presented as resilience flagships of the Rockefeller's 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) program. In this article, I will demonstrate how 100RC was embedded or abandoned in both cities' policies. The two case studies provide an opportunity to understand how the 100RC approach to resilience offered – or failed to offer – an appropriate space for the multiple deployments of resilience. 100RC initially promoted an …
Resilient Cities
Although the use of resilience in international relations and urban planning has given rise to a growing body of critical research, this contested concept continues to feature prominently in the conversation on the development of cities. Taking the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) network pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation as a case study, this article exposes some of the challenges inherent in the implementation of a global model of resilience.…
Beyond short-term savings
This paper investigates the enduring impacts of Swiss energy efficiency programs on household electricity use and on the continuation of energy-conserving practices. Employing a mixed-methods research design, we analyzed electricity consumption data from 2009 to 2019 and incorporated insights from 2840 survey responses collected in 2018. Findings reveal sustained reductions in electricity use and continued adoption of energy-efficient appliances …
The micro-politics of energy efficiency
Households have a role to play in the so-called ‘energy turn’ in Switzerland, a policy framework that calls for more efficient energy usage. Against this backdrop, this article critically analyses the mechanisms and running of a programme aimed at improving energy usage among low-income households in western Switzerland, bringing together both environmental and social objectives or what was termed an ‘eco-social intervention’. Based on ethnograph…
The Familiar and the Strange in Heritage and Tourism Encounters
Through our scholarly representations, as well as our teaching, anthropologists illustrate how our common human heritage includes a rich variety of social and cultural practices as well as other culturally relative markers of our diverse humankind. Through our research, some anthropologists endeavor to combat ethnocentrism, or to illuminate and better understand the effects of racism and other systems and structures of inequality, and through eng…
La Yougonostalgie et les Monuments FantÔmes de l’espace Post-yougoslave
L'espace post-yougoslave est caractérisé par des courants nationalistes importants et antagonistes, entraînant d'intenses conflits de mémoire. Cependant, les notions récentes de « yougonostalgie » et « yougosphère » semblent renvoyer à une représentation plus englobante de la mémoire, étant associée à l'identité yougoslave en opposition aux identités nationales renforcées par les guerres des années 1990. La question qui sous-tend cette analyse es…
L a Y ougonostalgie et les M onuments F antÔmes de l’espace P ost-yougoslave
L’espace post-yougoslave est caractérisé par des courants nationalistes importants et antagonistes, entraînant d’intenses conflits de mémoire. Cependant, les notions récentes de « yougonostalgie » et « yougosphère » semblent renvoyer à une représentation plus englobante de la mémoire, étant associée à l’identité yougoslave en opposition aux identités nationales renforcées par les guerres des années 1990. La question qui sous-tend cette analyse es…
Tourism, conflict and contested heritage in former Yugoslavia
Although, historically, there have always been travellers crossing the Balkan Peninsula, Todorova (1994) notes that early travellers were usually heading for important centres such as Constantinople or Jerusalem, and considered South-East Europe as a peripheral place where people were just passing through. The region is only really discovered in the eighteenth century along with an increasing interest in the East. More organised forms of tourism …
Touring the ‘ comuna ’
The objective is to explore the touristification of some peripheral neighbourhoods of Medellin. The focus is on urban areas built by war-displaced populations commonly referred to as ‘comunas’ and often associated with crime and narco-traffic. Some tours generally labelled as ‘comuna tours’ have been emerging during the last three years and are largely included in the promotion of the ‘new Medellin’, focusing on its transformation from ‘the most …
Tourism and the ‘martyred city’
The present contribution aims to propose a definition of what is often referred to as a ‘martyred city’, a notion widely used in the media and the public sphere, but still largely understudied in academia. By looking at two cities in the former Yugoslavia – Sarajevo and Vukovar – this article presents the way in which a place can be associated with the notion of martyrdom through memorial sites and practices, such as war museums and tourism. The …
"Narco-heritage" and the Touristification of the Drug Lord Pablo Escobar in Medellin, Colombia
Medellin was particularly affected by the war that began more than fifty years ago, and the ghost of its infamous cartel still haunts Colombia's second-largest city. However, it is now often singled out as a transformed city, and tourism is rapidly developing. In this context, local guides are now leading tourists in the footsteps of the notorious drug lord, Pablo Escobar. These tours usually include sites in Medellin related to Escobar, such as …
The Familiar and the Strange in Heritage and Tourism Encounters
Through our scholarly representations, as well as our teaching, anthropologists illustrate how our common human heritage includes a rich variety of social and cultural practices as well as other culturally relative markers of our diverse humankind. Through our research, some anthropologists endeavor to combat ethnocentrism, or to illuminate and better understand the effects of racism and other systems and structures of inequality, and through eng…
The micro-politics of energy efficiency
Households have a role to play in the so-called ‘energy turn’ in Switzerland, a policy framework that calls for more efficient energy usage. Against this backdrop, this article critically analyses the mechanisms and running of a programme aimed at improving energy usage among low-income households in western Switzerland, bringing together both environmental and social objectives or what was termed an ‘eco-social intervention’. Based on ethnograph…
Repositioning Engaged Anthropology
This special issue aims to shed light on and recognize the full potential of engaged anthropology and its place in academia and beyond. It argues for an inclusive approach to be both theoretically enriching and methodologically grounded in diverse practices and forms. The introduction addresses common confusions and obstacles distracting engaged anthropology from its core premises and potentials. As the Interface Commission of the Swiss Anthropol…
L' impact du Covid-19 sur les mondes de l'art
This article looks at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the “art worlds” (Becker 1988) in Geneva, Switzerland’s second largest city. The main objective is to determine whether the pandemic has radically reconfigured the art worlds, or if this health crisis has merely reinforced existing trends, namely the market logic that underlies the art sector and the ever-increasing need for artists to develop entrepreneurial capacities. By examining th…
"Resistances in the "Resilient City
Medellin and New Orleans were regularly presented as resilience flagships of the Rockefeller's 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) program. In this article, I will demonstrate how 100RC was embedded or abandoned in both cities' policies. The two case studies provide an opportunity to understand how the 100RC approach to resilience offered – or failed to offer – an appropriate space for the multiple deployments of resilience. 100RC initially promoted an …
Resilient Cities
Although the use of resilience in international relations and urban planning has given rise to a growing body of critical research, this contested concept continues to feature prominently in the conversation on the development of cities. Taking the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) network pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation as a case study, this article exposes some of the challenges inherent in the implementation of a global model of resilience.…
The Criminal Governance of Tourism
This article provides a picture of the political economy of tourism and violence in Medellín. It analyses the way criminal actors and tourism entrepreneurs share a territory, by shedding light on the extortion of tour guides, street performers and business owners in some of its barrios populares (poor neighbourhoods). The main objective is to demonstrate how intimate relationships - between and among kin, friends, long-term acquaintances - impact…
Walls of resistance
In this article, I examine 'underground memories' to demonstrate how they serve as resources for resistance in the margins of Colombia. I focus on their relations with the urban fabric, looking at the ways the walls of Bogota and Medellin are used as canvases for spreading images and narratives about the conflict. I suggest that murals representing the violence serve as a repository for memories; they challenge hegemonic narratives and contribute…
Beyond short-term savings
This paper investigates the enduring impacts of Swiss energy efficiency programs on household electricity use and on the continuation of energy-conserving practices. Employing a mixed-methods research design, we analyzed electricity consumption data from 2009 to 2019 and incorporated insights from 2840 survey responses collected in 2018. Findings reveal sustained reductions in electricity use and continued adoption of energy-efficient appliances …
Disparitions forcées et mémoires contestées
Située dans la périphérie de Medellín, une fosse commune est considérée comme l'une des plus grandes jamais découverte en milieu urbain. Communément nommé ' l'Escombrera ', ce site était utilisé pour dissimuler les corps de personnes assassinées par les différents groupes armés contrôlant les quartiers populaires de la deuxième ville de Colombie. Cet article examine les discours et les pratiques d'acteurs liées à ces disparitions forcées. Il se p…
Navigating Criminal Governance in Colombia
This article examines how individuals navigate life in criminalized territories. Drawing on ethnographic research in Medellin, Colombia’s second-largest city, it explores the trajectories of three young men whose lives are deeply intertwined with the criminal elements controlling their neighborhood. Focusing on their ‘life stories’—the significant events and experiences influencing their paths—and their relationships with illegal actors, this ant…
The unbearable resilience of Medellín
This article critically examines the complex and ambiguous relationship between resilience and violence in the recovery of conflict-affected cities. Focusing on Medellín, Colombia’s second-largest city, it traces its transformation from a hotspot of intense urban conflict to a celebrated hub of tourism and innovation. Once labeled the world’s “murder capital,” Medellín has become a flagship for resilience initiatives, frequently lauded for its re…
Political science (11 works) · Sociology (10 works) · Law (9 works) · Law (6 works) · Politics (6 works) · Art (5 works) · History (5 works) · Economics (4 works) · Narrative (4 works) · Tourism (4 works)