Reading Public Space through Masculinities in a Maghrebian Context – 5in10 with Khadidja Boussaid
Khadidja Boussaïd holds a Ph.D. in Urban Sociology from the University of Algiers 2 and is a senior researcher at CREAD (Research Center for Applied Economics for Development). She is part of a research team focused on the socio-economic dynamics of families, with a particular emphasis on the transformations of gender identities within Algerian households, but also focusing on the issue of Gender inequalities to access to public space. She is a short-term fellow at MECAM (Merian Centre for advanced studies in the Maghreb, Tunis University), where she is conducting a study about urban public space and its reading through masculinities in a North African context. Khadidja Boussaïd is accredited to supervise research (HDR) and is a member of the LASADET Laboratory (Socio-Anthropological Analysis of Territorial Development). She is also an associate member of the Gender Studies Center (CEG) at the University of Lausanne, contributing to research on the intersection of gender, space, and power.

How do you explain your work to someone who may not be an expert in the same field of inquiry and comes from another geographical context?
My research is situated within the paradigm of critical urban sociology, a field that integrates gender studies with a decolonial approach. Urban public spaces are not neutral, and men and women, as well as minorities, do not have equal access to them. The objective of this study is to comprehend the manner in which public space functions as a conduit for power dynamics, with a focus on the mechanisms of access and appropriation that give rise to gendered inequalities. My current postdoctoral project is to explore the concept of masculinities in the public sphere of Maghreb countries (a comparative study between Algeria and Tunisia). The main purpose of this study is to comprehend the manner in which masculine identities are constructed, negotiated, and experienced within the specific social and cultural contexts that are characteristic of this region.
What intrigued you when you started your academic journey? What were formative encounters and challenges?
The initial point of interest was to establish a set of criteria for comparing Algiers and Tunis with regard to their urban structure and function. To achieve this objective, it was necessary to establish a micro-sociology of urbanities through observation and strolling. Another key point was to examine masculinity in relation to public space and interactions with women in that same space, which is intended to be a game of power. The encounters I have had have been both social and academic. Adopting a grounded approach allowed me to establish an iterative process for producing critical knowledge as part of this project.
How does your work relate to imaginations of the future, and how does it address questions of disparities?
My work deals with the question of spatial and social disparities in terms of gender. This reflection highlights inequalities linked to the patriarchal and neoliberal system, which prevent the actors and actresses of society from fully emerging in a plural and egalitarian citizenship. The idea is to project ourselves into a new social contract that puts the fight against systemic inequalities at the center of its issues, and critically discusses access to societal rights.
What is the role of humanities and social sciences in times of upheaval? And what may be the task and the public of a scholar?
Humanities and social sciences play an essential role in helping societies understand, interpret, and navigate uncertainty. It’s not only about collecting data or talking about social trends; these sciences provide frameworks for making sense of collective trauma, questioning power dynamics, offering moral and ethical critiques, and imagining alternative futures. The public task of a scholar is both reflective and engaged: helping societies make sense of upheaval, acting as ethical guides and critical voices, and to open space for dialogue between academia and public life.
For researchers in the Global South, this also necessitates the adoption of epistemological approaches that take account of power relations with the Northern regions. It is imperative that researchers systematically integrate decolonial and anti-racist issues, as well as climate issues that pose questions for the whole of humanity. These issues must be a priority for researchers.
Can you recommend a book, text, film, or exhibition that effectively addresses questions and imaginations of the future while dealing with inequalities in interesting ways?
I recommend one of Achille Mbembe’s books. It was published in 2019 and is called “Necropolitics”. Mbembe takes a decolonial approach, building on Foucault’s idea of biopolitics but focusing on the management of death, war and exclusion. This is very relevant to questions of inequality, migration and the climate emergency.
Citation: Reading Public Space through Masculinities in a Maghrebian Context – 5in10 with Khadidja Boussaïd, in: TRAFO – Blog for Transregional Research, 29.05.2025, https://trafo.hypotheses.org/59274
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Forum Transregionale Studien (May 29, 2025). Reading Public Space through Masculinities in a Maghrebian Context – 5in10 with Khadidja Boussaid. TRAFO – Blog for Transregional Research. Retrieved June 20, 2025 from https://doi.org/10.58079/1413o