Nostalgias for a barrio: narratives of generational loss from Esperanza neighborhood in Valparaiso, Chile

ABSTRACT

Based on the case of Cerro Esperanza, in Valparaíso (Chile), the article investigates nostalgia experienced and expressed by two generations of inhabitants who are members of long-time resident families. Historically a blue-collar sector, it built over the 20th century and has not undergone many changes in its social structure or spatial organization since. In addition, despite not having lived the same experiences in the neighborhood, inhabitants of both generations feel nostalgia for the barrio of before and express discomfort at what they perceive as a progressive loss of neighborhood identity. The article explores their day to day nostalgic narratives, shedding light on the contradictions among identity and imaginaries associated with the past and present. This work seeks to understand the activation of nostalgia in these inhabitants and the meanings they give to this feeling, as mediated by their generational identity. The paper discusses the role of this latter in the activation, construction and use of a collective nostalgia and proposes to understand and analyze it not from the material changes to the context of the groups of inhabitants, but from their external, and internal, social changes.

RÉSUMÉ

A partir du cas du Cerro Esperanza, à Valparaíso (Chili), l´article s´intéresse aux nostalgies senties et exprimées par deux générations d´habitants, membres des anciennes familles du quartier. Secteur historiquement ouvrier, il s´est consolidé pendant le XX^e siècle et il a connu peu de changements dans sa structure social et son organisation spatiale depuis. Sans avoir vécu les mêmes expériences, les habitants des deux générations sentent une nostalgie pour le quartier d´avant et expriment un mal-être face à ce qu´ils perçoivent comme une progressive perte d´identité de quartier. L´article explore leurs paroles nostalgiques quotidiennes, mettant à la lumière les contradictions qui surgissent l´identité et les imaginaires liés au quartier passé et actuel. Ce travail chercher à comprendre l´activation d´une nostalgie chez ces habitants et les significations qui donnent à ce sentiment selon la génération. L´article discute ainsi le rôle du générationnel dans l´activation, la construction et l´usage d´une nostalgie collective, et propose de la comprendre et de l´analyser non depuis les changements matériels dans l´environnement de ces groupes mais depuis les changements sociaux internes et externes à eux.

RESUMEN

Basado en el caso del Cerro Esperanza, en Valparaíso (Chile), el articulo indaga en las nostalgias vividas y expresadas por dos generaciones de habitantes miembros de familias antiguas. Sector históricamente obrero, se consolidó durante el siglo XX y ha conocido pocos cambios en su estructura social y organización espacial. Además, a pesar de no haber vivido las mismas experiencias en el barrio, habitantes de ambas generaciones sienten nostalgia por el barrio de antes y expresan malestar frente a lo que perciben como una progresiva pérdida de la identidad barrial. El artículo explora sus narrativas nostálgicas cotidianas, poniendo a la luz las contradicciones que surgen sobre la identidad y los imaginarios asociados con el barrio pasado y actual. Este trabajo persigue comprender la activación de la nostalgia en estos habitantes y los significados que otorgan a este sentimiento según su generación. El artículo discute así el rol de lo generacional en la activación, la construcción y el uso de una nostalgia colectiva, proponiendo comprenderla y analizarla no desde los cambios materiales en el entorno de los grupos de habitantes sino desde los cambios sociales externos e internos a ellos.

KEYWORDS:

• Nostalgia
• identity
• belonging
• generation
• neighborhood
• Chile

MOTS CLÉS:

• Nostalgie
• identité
• appartenance
• génération
• quartier
• Chili

PALABRAS CLAVES:

• Nostalgia
• identidad
• pertenencia
• generación
• barrio
• Chile

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the research support provide by CONICYT under the FONDECYT project n°11180372 and under the International Network project REDI170126. They thank Alexandra Bennitt, Macarena Rojas Mora y Natalie Calderón for their participation in the fieldwork. Finally, they thank Juan Carlos Ruiz for his review and suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The categorization of first and second generation does not mean that there were no inhabitants before. It is a distinction made in order to analyze the current composition of old families. It is in the same sense that we consider today’s older adults to be part of the first generation, even if their parents also lived on the hill, because they were the first generation to have lived all their life (or at least all their adult life) in the neighborhood.

2. According to the 2017 census, Valparaíso is a city of 296,655 inhabitants in a conurbation of 951,480 inhabitants composed of two urban centers – Valparaíso and Viña del Mar – and three peripheral communes – Concón, Quilpué, and Villa Alemana.

3. The route today is used as a metro-train in the conurbation of Greater Valparaíso.

4. The Juntas de Vecinos are territorial organizations created in the 1960s. They are led by elected inhabitants and aim to look after the interests of those who share a territory.

5. The Centros de Madres organizations directed towards the poorest women, created in 1930. Currently, they are maintained as recreational spaces for women. They usually operate in the headquarters of the Juntas de Vecinos.

6. At different times, participants mentioned that they live in the house that belongs or belonged to their parents and sometimes grandparents.

7. A subjective appreciation, meaning those who have been around ‘since the good old days’.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by CONICYT and under the FONDECYT project [n°11180372] and under the International Network project [REDI170126].