Inhabiting territories at risk: Spatial appropriations and symbolic disputes in two peripheral neighborhoods of Quito

Through anthropology, the notion of culture has been introduced into the study of risks and natural disasters in order to understand the production of meaning, a contribution that goes beyond the positions of physical and probabilistic sciences. This article incorporates the notion of inhabiting to...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Santillán, Alfredo, Puga-Cevallos, Elisa
Formato: Revistas
Lenguaje:Español
Publicado: Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Sede Ecuador 2023
Acceso en línea:https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/5511
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author Santillán, Alfredo
Puga-Cevallos, Elisa
author_facet Santillán, Alfredo
Puga-Cevallos, Elisa
author_sort Santillán, Alfredo
collection Revista
description Through anthropology, the notion of culture has been introduced into the study of risks and natural disasters in order to understand the production of meaning, a contribution that goes beyond the positions of physical and probabilistic sciences. This article incorporates the notion of inhabiting to the debate, considering the modes and tensions of the daily reproduction of life in territories considered risky. Two neighborhoods are considered – which are similar in terms of context but have different qualities – through ethnographic methods that capture cognitive processes and strategies of adaptation and coexistence for guaranteeing material and symbolic permanence. This focus contributes to the debate on biases regarding risk management that, in practice, tend to abstract them from the space in which they are located and contributes to making explicit the divergences between the analyses of scientists, institutions, and populations. Through the observation of processes of domestication of space and the rationalities that underly them, the categorization of risk is debated as a mechanism for dealing with a context of economic dearth and absence of basic services. It is concluded that, for understanding the positions of people in relation to contingency or their proximity to a harm, one must consider their emotional attachments, their forms of inhabiting territory, and their perspectives of the future.
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spelling iconos-article-55112023-01-01T16:36:36Z Inhabiting territories at risk: Spatial appropriations and symbolic disputes in two peripheral neighborhoods of Quito Habitar territorios en riesgo: apropiaciones espaciales y disputas simbólicas en dos barrios periféricos de Quito Habitar territórios em risco: apropriações espaciais e disputas simbólicas em dois bairros periféricos de Quito Santillán, Alfredo Puga-Cevallos, Elisa antropologia urbana assentamentos informais criação do lugar habitar produção de habitat risco de desastre urban anthropology informal settlements creation of place inhabiting production of habitat disaster risk antropología urbana asentamientos informales creación de lugar habitar producción del hábitat riesgo de desastres Through anthropology, the notion of culture has been introduced into the study of risks and natural disasters in order to understand the production of meaning, a contribution that goes beyond the positions of physical and probabilistic sciences. This article incorporates the notion of inhabiting to the debate, considering the modes and tensions of the daily reproduction of life in territories considered risky. Two neighborhoods are considered – which are similar in terms of context but have different qualities – through ethnographic methods that capture cognitive processes and strategies of adaptation and coexistence for guaranteeing material and symbolic permanence. This focus contributes to the debate on biases regarding risk management that, in practice, tend to abstract them from the space in which they are located and contributes to making explicit the divergences between the analyses of scientists, institutions, and populations. Through the observation of processes of domestication of space and the rationalities that underly them, the categorization of risk is debated as a mechanism for dealing with a context of economic dearth and absence of basic services. It is concluded that, for understanding the positions of people in relation to contingency or their proximity to a harm, one must consider their emotional attachments, their forms of inhabiting territory, and their perspectives of the future. Con la antropología se ha introducido la noción de cultura en el estudio de los riesgos y de los desastres naturales para entender la producción de sentido, una contribución más allá de las posturas de las ciencias físicas y probabilísticas. En este artículo se incorpora la noción del habitar a esta discusión, considerando los modos y las tensiones de la reproducción cotidiana de la vida en territorios considerados riesgosos. Se analizan dos barrios, similares en contexto, pero con diferente calificación, a través de métodos etnográficos que reflejan procesos cognitivos y estrategias de adaptación y convivencia para garantizar su permanencia material y simbólica. Desde este enfoque, se aporta al debate sobre los sesgos en la gestión de riesgos, que en la práctica tiende a abstraerlos del espacio en que se ubican, y explicitar las divergencias entre los análisis científicos, las instituciones y la población. Mediante la observación de los procesos de domesticación del espacio y las racionalidades que están detrás de ellos, se discute la selección del riesgo como mecanismo para lidiar con un contexto de carencias económicas y de ausencia de servicios básicos. Se concluye que para entender las posiciones de la gente ante la contingencia o proximidad de un daño hay que considerar sus vínculos emocionales, sus formas de habitar el territorio y sus perspectivas de futuro. Com a antropologia, a noção de cultura foi introduzida no estudo dos riscos e desastres naturais para compreender a produção de sentido, uma contribuição para além das posições das ciências físicas e probabilísticas. Neste artigo, a noção de habitar é incorporada a essa discussão, considerando os modos e as tensões da reprodução cotidiana da vida em territórios considerados de risco. São analisados dois bairros, semelhantes em contexto, mas com diferentes qualificações, ??através de métodos etnográficos que refletem processos cognitivos e estratégias de adaptação e convivência para garantir a sua permanência material e simbólica. A partir dessa abordagem, contribui para o debate sobre vieses na gestão de riscos, que na prática tende a abstraí-los do espaço em que se situam, e explicitar as divergências entre análises científicas, instituições e população. Através da observação dos processos de domesticação do espaço e das racionalidades subjacentes, discute-se a seleção do risco como mecanismo para fazer lidar com um contexto de carência económica e ausência de serviços básicos. Conclui-se que, para compreender os posicionamentos das pessoas diante da contingência ou proximidade do dano, é necessário considerar seus vínculos afetivos, suas formas de habitar o território e suas perspectivas de futuro. Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Sede Ecuador 2023-01-01 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Artículo evaluado por pares application/pdf text/html application/xml application/epub+zip https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/5511 10.17141/iconos.75.2023.5511 Íconos - Revista de Ciencias Sociales; Núm. 75 (2023): Urbanismos habitados: vida social del entorno construido en América Latina; 81-102 Íconos - Revista de Ciencias Sociales; n. 75 (2023): Urbanismos habitados: vida social do ambiente construído na América Latina; 81-102 Íconos. Revista de Ciencias Sociales; No. 75 (2023): Inhabited urbanisms: The social life of the built environment in Latin America; 81-102 1390-8065 1390-1249 spa https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/5511/4293 https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/5511/4315 https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/5511/4327 https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/5511/4338 Derechos de autor 2023 Alfredo Santillán, Elisa Puga-Cevallos https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/deed.es_ES
spellingShingle Santillán, Alfredo
Puga-Cevallos, Elisa
Inhabiting territories at risk: Spatial appropriations and symbolic disputes in two peripheral neighborhoods of Quito
title Inhabiting territories at risk: Spatial appropriations and symbolic disputes in two peripheral neighborhoods of Quito
title_full Inhabiting territories at risk: Spatial appropriations and symbolic disputes in two peripheral neighborhoods of Quito
title_fullStr Inhabiting territories at risk: Spatial appropriations and symbolic disputes in two peripheral neighborhoods of Quito
title_full_unstemmed Inhabiting territories at risk: Spatial appropriations and symbolic disputes in two peripheral neighborhoods of Quito
title_short Inhabiting territories at risk: Spatial appropriations and symbolic disputes in two peripheral neighborhoods of Quito
title_sort inhabiting territories at risk: spatial appropriations and symbolic disputes in two peripheral neighborhoods of quito
url https://iconos.flacsoandes.edu.ec/index.php/iconos/article/view/5511