Conceptualizations and practices of 'Corruption' in the cultural context of post-war development and modernization processes in Greece - a case study of the former refugee settlement of Kato Toumba, Thessaloniki

Abstract

This article endeavors to elucidate and comprehend an alternative use of the 'refugee' identity,
particularly within the cultural framework of hegemonic discourses on post-war development and
modernization of Greek society. The study draws on data obtained from fieldwork (including
interviews and participant observation) conducted in former refugee neighbourhoods in Kato Toumba (2012-2013, 2015), as well as the analysis of primary archival material detailing the
historical formation and evolution of Kato Toumba into a middle-class neighbourhood in eastern
Thessaloniki. This archival material is treated as ethnographic data. The article aims to
demonstrate how material objects from the everyday life of an informant, who is a descendant of
Asia Minor refugees, can be interlinked with urban archives, services, and discourses on 'refugee
rehabilitation'. It also explores how these elements contribute to the reproduction of the
“noikokyraios” (Greek middle class) identity, which is perceived as being under threat due to the
financial crisis of 2010-2018. By employing an intergenerational perspective on refugee identity,
this paper seeks to highlight the strategies and practices of Toumba refugees in resisting the
othering discourses emanating from the urban center and in adapting to post-civil war mentalities
and ideological projections framed by the “anti-communism / modernization” dichotomy.