Urban Imaginaries of Fear:

This investigation seeks to understand how urban imaginaries of fear have led to segregation and fragmentation in the Mexican city of Guadalajara. The distinct socio-economic spaces of Santa Cecilia and Puerta de Hierro are explored to understand the social constructions of fear and perceived danger in urban areas. This study employs a multidisciplinary approach through ethnographic fieldwork, historical reconstruction, archival research, and media content analysis to examine the socio-spatial dynamics that have propagated the urban imaginaries of fear that exist in Guadalajara. It reveals how the historically marginalized Santa Cecilia district has been portrayed as a wild no-go zone full of danger. In turn, Puerta de Hierro's gated community reflects its affluent residents' fears and the trending desire for urban separation, isolation, and fortification. The research concludes that urban imaginaries of fear have played a significant role in influencing public policy, city planning, urban division, social cohesion, and stereotypes that affect the quality of life for its residents. By combining historical analysis with contemporary media studies and first-hand accounts from residents from both sides of the divide, this investigation provides valuable insights for understanding the intentional processes of urban segregation and how they perpetuate and exacerbate social inequalities. CONTENTS Acknowledgements xi INTRODUCTION 1 Urban imaginaries of fear: spatializing the fear in the city 2 Social constructionism 5 Urban imaginaries as a concept 6 Research questions 11 How to apply the concept to two extreme cases 13 Decomposing the urban imaginaries of fear 14 Political, social, and theoretical relevance 18 1. URBAN HISTORY OF GUADALAJARA 19 Foundation and conquest 19 The Colonial period 19 Independence 23 The Porfiriato period 25 After the Mexican Revolution: Colonia Obrera 30 The urban impact of the ISI model: the Mexican miracle 32 Changing the model of segregation and the arrival of gated communities 34 "Safe" places and "dangerous" districts in local press 36 Yahoo! Answers 37 Santa Cecilia and Puerta de Hierro: two opposite and paradigmatic cases 39 SANTA CECILIA 41 2. BACKGROUNDS: HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION 43 Foundation and history of Santa Cecilia 44 Physical description 48 Characteristics of the inhabitants 54 Local practices and urban dynamics 56 3. METHODOLOGY IN SANTA CECILIA 59 Methodological design for Santa Cecilia 59 Ethnography and urban imaginaries 61 Generalizability 64 Middle class discourse on Santa Cecilia 64 Entering the field: reflexivity 65 4. SANTA CECILIA IN LOCAL PRESS 72 The media eyes on Santa Cecilia 72 Construction of a dangerous place 77 Metanarratives 98 The cases 104 5. SANTA CECILIA: LOCAL DISCOURSE AND SOCIAL PRACTICES 115 Positioning in front of danger 115 Where is the violence? 121 Gender matters: how men and women use the space 127 Troubles outside gangs: tracking symbolic violence 128 The blurred private-public border 131 Police practices 134 Survival handbook: how to avoid becoming a victim 136 PUERTA DE HIERRO 141 6. BACKGROUNDS: HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION 143 Foundation and history of Puerta de Hierro 144 Physical description: topography, houses, and streets 146 Characteristics of inhabitants 150 Local practices and urban dynamics 151 7. METHODOLOGY IN PUERTA DE HIERRO 154 Entering the field? The impossible ethnography 154 A question of reflexivity: How was I perceived? 157 Adjusting the scope and finding new sources 157 8. PUERTA DE HIERRO IN LOCAL PRESS 159 Media coverage of Puerta de Hierro 160 Advertising Puerta de Hierro 163 Glamor and symbolic prestige by contact 181 The notes on drug lords and Puerta de Hierro 184 9. PUERTA DE HIERRO: LOCAL DISCOURSE AND SOCIAL PRACTICES 188 Being far and near 188 Women stay at home 189 Reasons for living in Puerta de Hierro 190 Disadvantages and problems of living in Puerta de Hierro 190 The unending search for social isolation 193 The tiny public space, the hated pedestrians, and the "well-ordered" city 194 Urban imaginaries on Puerta de Hierro 195 Strategies to handle the "inner other" 197 The used city 199 CONCLUSION: URBAN IMAGINARIES OF FEAR IN DANGEROUS DISTRICTS AND GATED COMMUNITIES 202 References 208