El límite. Sobre la segregación urbana en contextos locales

Abstract

In 1965, N. Elias and J. Scotson carried out a research about the English town of Winston Parva, which has slowly become classical. In that study, they examine figurations on the social borders between those who lived in a territory and those who arrived later, focusing on the insecurity caused by the most recent neighbors. From that situation, they seek to isolate a configuration that could be translate into a model to be used to analyze similar situations. With this aim in view, in this research two other case studies are triangulated, involving the towns of Magdalena, Manaos (Brazil), and Valderas, Montevideo (Uruguay). Both present similarities and certain differences with Winston Parva, which acknowledges the paradigmatic character and the actuality of Elias' work. But the cases analyzed in this research, present an additional element: organized neighbors build a material division between the groups —a wall, a gate—. This radicalization regarding Winston Parva takes the issue to the edge inviting us to deepen into two ethical and political discussions: the moments where talking becomes impossible and the mystical foundation of authority in those decisions. That shows that segregation between new "marginalized" and "established" more prosperous is a dispute that only causes victims, of different types.