ABSTRACT
This essay explores a concept of engagement that privileges the social over the spatial. This privileging is considered particularly significant in postcolonial contexts where entire populations have been historically marginalized. Spatial tactics of including people who have previously been excluded from decision-making processes because of race and gender are now being identified as a forceful means of expanding social engagement. Within this context, self-reliance has emerged as a unifying attribute capable of building community and shelter in parallel. This essay explores social engagement through a diverse range of participatory projects.
