Abstract

ORIOLANI, Federico Agustín. “Everyone here thinks they are landowners”: use of violence and moral criteria in the resolution of conflicts over the possession of land and houses in popular neighborhoods of Mar del Plata, Argentina. Cuad. antropol. soc. [online]. 2023, n.58, pp.91-105.  Epub Nov 01, 2023. ISSN 1850-275X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.34096/cas.i58.13241.

This article examines the strategies employed by residents to defend their homes and land in low-income neighborhoods situated in the expanding areas of Mar del Plata, Argentina. Through ethnographic research, we observe various conflicts among inhabitants, illustrating how interpersonal confrontations and disputes serve as resources to protect their living spaces. While the state is absent in ensuring access to habitat, state intervention often occurs typically through criminalizing those involved in violent actions. Notably, public policies designed to prevent such situations are lacking, and state agents usually mediate only after the events have occurred. These actions, undertaken by both residents and state agents, underscore that locally regulated habitat access policies are shaped not only by monetary criteria but also by violence, morality, and politics.

Keywords : Conflicts; low income neighborhoods; Access to land and housing; Local regulatory policies; Interpersonal disputes.

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