Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Who Segregates Whom? The Analysis of a Gated Community in Mendoza, Argentina

2005; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 20; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/026730303042000331790

1466-1810

Sonia Roitman,

Homelessness and Social Issues

Abstract Gated communities represent an urban phenomenon that is spreading all over the world. This paper presents evidence of what the literature says about the link between gated communities and urban social segregation, showing that the development of gated communities contributes to segregationist tendencies in the city. It suggests the use of structuration theory as a theoretical framework to study the link between gated communities and segregation. A case study from an intermediate city in Argentina is presented. The paper provides the perceptions and opinions of the residents of the gated community as well as the outside community and shows that this segregationist process has two sides and that both groups of people feel segregated and discriminated against. Therefore, urban social segregation is addressed in relation to gated communities, considering the opinions and perceptions of the people living there as well as in the surrounding community, to answer the main question of the paper: who segregates whom? Keywords: Gated communitiesurban social segregationArgentina Acknowledgements This paper is based on the research conducted during 2003 for a PhD thesis ‘Social practices in gated communities: urban social segregation as a myth or a reality? A case study from Mendoza, Argentina’, that the author is currently writing at the Development Planning Unit, University College London. The author would like to particularly thank all the interviewees for their help and acceptance to be interviewed, for giving their opinions about the topic and sharing their experiences. Thanks are also due for the interesting comments on a previous version of this paper made by anonymous referees. Finally, thanks are due to Matt Chesterton for his help. Notes 1 See data of crime rate by province and total of the country in http://www.economia.mendoza.gov.ar/sitios/deie/banco%20de%20datos/social/segpubli/archivos/comseg01.xls (accessed 28 March 2004). 2 See data of Mendoza from http://www.economia.mendoza.gov.ar/sitios/deie/banco%20de%20datos/social/vivienda/archivos/viv01.xls (accessed 28 March 2004). 3 See data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC) www.indec.gov.ar (accessed 28 March 2004). 4 By autonomy Castells means “the average margin of individual autonomy/social heteronomy as constructed by society; … to social conditions that represent the social norm, in contrast with people's inability to organise their own lives even under the constraints of social structure, because of their lack of access to resources that social structure mandates as necessary to construct their limited autonomy…” (1998, footnote 9, chapter 2, p. 73). 5 The poverty line is constructed considering the costs of the basic basket of goods, services and expenses in education, health, clothes and transport for a household. 6 In the second stage of Palmares the differences among the houses are more visible than in the first one where there is a sort of homogeneity mainly regarding sizes, while in the second stage the houses of the ‘nouveau riche’, many of whom have not moved yet as the houses are not finished, are really impressive. Many of the latter can be seen from the highway. Most of the families have 1 to 2 plots, but the ‘new rich’ have 4, 6 or 8 plots. 7 Kelpers are the people who live in the Malvinas Islands (Falklands). 8 The slum is called Urundel. The local church is running a ‘comedor’ (place to eat) for about 100 children of the neighbourhood to go there on Saturdays and have lunch. Some of the residents of Palmares collaborate with food or money. A group of women from Palmares also collected toys for the children of the slum to give to them at Christmas.