Conclusion

Abstract

The conclusion summarises the main argument of the book: the persistence of institutional camps is linked to the contentious politics between state and non-state actors involved in their governance. This is in turn influenced by the incorporation of civil society through public partnerships and by the camp legal ambiguity. To conclude, I propose a series of general reflections that speak to a variety of readers. For students of camps, the book illustrates how these are contentious fields of evolving power relations that produce different types of persistent temporariness. For those interested in social and policy change, the research sheds light on the ways in which institutional stability is not an inertial process but the product of intricate conflicting relations. Moreover, exogenous shocks are not the only source of change but also the internal characteristics of an institution—such as ambiguity—can influence gradual change and political mobilisations. For urban scholars, the last chapter primarily shows how the urban is not only a space of marginalisation but also of politicisation.