Socio-Spatial Inequality and Violence

Abstract

Since the 70s, neo-liberalism has lead to increased social segregation and the segmentation of land according to a population’s social-economic status and the transformation of the labour market. That is to say, we are experiencing a process of social-spatial segregation which can be defined as the agglomeration of families with the same social condition in separate spaces. Segregation can depend on ethnicity, migration background or socio-economic situation, among other conditions and it impairs the mechanisms of social cohesion as it generates social differentiation which in turn breeds tension and fear. This mechanism is leading to the appearance of new areas such as gated communities, gentrification, hyper-degraded areas etc., which are as much a result of the heavy spatial concentration of the elite as of the agglomeration of the poor. This continues to happen, even with the knowledge that in the long-term, a non-segregated, inclusive space is one of several necessary measures in reducing violence and other dangerous behaviours, in the same way as a developed economy which fosters a stable and balanced job market. This article analyses the mechanisms which produce these processes.