Identity/Identities and Social Representations in the Gauchito Gil Neighborhood: A Case of Territorial Occupation and Appropriation in Relation to Urban Transformation Processes in Salta

Abstract

In recent decades, a series of general changes have taken place in Salta, leading to processes of urban transformation and generating the proliferation of new forms of access to land. One example of this is the Gauchito Gil neighborhood, which emerged through the illegal occupation of land.

The main objective of this study is to understand the process of construction of the neighborhood’s collective identity by examining current social representations in connection with processes of territorial occupation and appropriation, as well as communication strategies. A qualitative approach is proposed in order to interpret residents’ practices, using in-depth interviews and participant observation.

The research is framed within the field of communication and culture, understood as significant aspects of human life in which symbolic forms are produced, exchanged, and negotiated. The analysis seeks to contribute to an understanding of the functioning and organization of the city in general.

The study attempts to show how, in recent decades, changes have occurred in the spatial structure of the city, giving rise to new forms of access to land and, therefore, leading many families in search of housing to settle on uninhabitable land. In this way, these social groups were affected by conditions of precarity.

Thus, the study contributes to the understanding and visibility of the functioning and organization of the city of Salta, while also contributing to the study of issues of current and local relevance.