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(Re)making the margins: Frontier assemblages and brokerage in Hambantota, Sri Lanka
Author(s) -
Goodhand Jonathan,
Walton Oliver
Publication year - 2023
Publication title -
journal of international development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.533
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1099-1328
pISSN - 0954-1748
DOI - 10.1002/jid.3651
Subject(s) - frontier , sri lanka , tracing , economic geography , dynamics (music) , government (linguistics) , key (lock) , geography , power (physics) , business , political science , sociology , environmental planning , archaeology , computer security , computer science , physics , pedagogy , linguistics , philosophy , quantum mechanics , tanzania , operating system
This article examines the dynamics of brokerage surrounding two moments of rupture (the tsunami and the end of the war) in Hambantota, a district in southern Sri Lanka and a key site of frontier development. We contrast the two development assemblages that emerged from these moments, examining how structural transformations shape the dynamics of brokerage, and how brokers mediate the effects of these transformations. By tracing the shifting fortunes of a local government broker, we reveal the changing power dynamics within these two assemblages, whilst highlighting how moments of rupture both open and shut down brokerage spaces.