Social Cartographies in Contexts of Violence(s): (Re)mapping Borders and Limits in the Peripheral Barrios of Guayaquil, Ecuador

Abstract

The establishment and subsequent configuration of peripheral barrios in Latin America are phenomena intrinsic to the history of these nations. Despite the many years that have passed since the first informal settlements, we are far from being able to comprehend the complex realities of their inhabitants. Against this background and by producing two social cartographies, the purpose of this article is to examine the socio-spatial production of peripheral barrios in Guayaquil (Ecuador), particularly Bastión Popular and Nigeria. Drawing on the voices of the inhabitants, these cartographies captured shared experiences and trajectories, revealing the boundaries and bordering processes that (re)produce and condition their social practices in everyday neighborhood space. Social cartographies served as a flexible and suitable methodological tool for symbolizing abstract and concrete elements in the neighborhood territory, establishing connections between the meanings attributed to each neighborhood and the contextual features of the city. The originality of this research and article lies in its use of this methodological tool for understanding these realities in Guayaquil.