The neighbourhood as a social space for women and children in postwar Nea Ionia

The refugee settlements established in Volos during the interwar period, such as Nea Ionia, later evolved into exclusively working class areas. Within these areas, the neighbourhood functioned as a space for the development of social networks through which people would search for work, often successfully. This environment fostered mutual aid, community, cohesion and solidarity, even though these were often fragile. In the field of the neighbourhood, a keen observer could witness the formation of a general sense of common interests, on the one hand, and on the other, the development of stratification through the factors of profession, origin, gender, and age.

   The first fact that becomes clear when studying photographs of the era is the lack of infrastructure in the refugee neighbourhoods of Nea Ionia, even though three decades had passed since the settlement was established. There was no running water and households had to get water from the wells which were scattered around the settlement. The photograph depicts exclusively women and children standing around the wells and carrying the water, a duty categorised as a household chore and therefore designated as a woman’s job. As a result, there were certain spaces in the settlement which came to ‘belong’ to women. Public space in the neighbourhood was ‘divided’ and ‘separated’ not just according to income and profession, but also according to gender and age.

The photographs depict a part of women’s everyday life in the settlement and reflect the fact that the neighbourhood street was the main socialization site for women and children. The church must have also played an important role in their socialization, and working women, whether in factories or elsewhere, would also socialise at their workplace. What we see in the photographs is women of all ages hanging out in groups outside their yards or in front of their houses, knitting and talking, playing and having fun. These images, along with the ones depicting wells and public water taps, give off the sense that the interpersonal relationships between women in the neighbourhood were characterised by intimacy and familiarity.

For the women of Nea Ionia, the neighbourhood emerged as the main form of collective organisation of their everyday life, since it constituted a type of social relationship which encouraged cohesion among households and individuals through cohabitation. The neighbourhood, the street, the yard, the public water taps were the places where the women of the settlement got together to discuss their everyday problems and family issues, sharing their worries, concerns and sorrows, but also their hopes, expectations and moments of joy. In this way, the neighbourhood created a sense of collectivity and community as well as distinctness from other city areas, inspiring a sense of belonging in its residents.

Gossiping in the streets was the channel through which much-needed goods and assistance flowed from one neighbourhood woman to the next. The neighbourhood could also function as public opinion, directly or indirectly influencing family affairs. However, it would be a mistake to imagine that these relationships were always smooth and congenial. There was probably often conflict and strife as a result of overcrowding and forced proximity (small yards right next to each other, narrow streets), exacerbated by a disadvantaged environment and lack of infrastructure as well as widespread personal hardship.