Narrativas sobre el lugar: Habitar una vivienda de interés social en la periferia urbana

Abstract

This paper analyzes the experience of inhabiting a housing estate located in the peri-urban area of Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. While we acknowledge the complexity behind the study of inhabiting practices we focus on the analysis of three dimensions: the first one is associated with dwellers and how they use their experiences to value their current dwellings in relation to their previous places of residence. The second dimension is related to the analysis of living in a housing estate and the impacts of these experiences on the everyday lives of dwellers. The third dimension offers an analysis of the relationships among neighbors and the use of public spaces on the part of dwellers. This is conducted through interviews, field visits, participant observation and a questionnaire. The goal of this research is to understand how the inhabitants of a given place recreate — through narrative descriptions— the everyday experiences of inhabiting a housing estate in the peri-urban area of a medium-sized city.