Territorial stigmatization in the neoliberal city: citizen perceptions and reactions in the social peripheries of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain)

Abstract

The incidence of territorial stigmatization on residents in Santa Clara and Añaza, two neighborhoods of the disadvantaged periphery of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is examined. Stigma is a process of an intangible nature that weakens feelings of belonging, deteriorates social ties and, ultimately, aggravates the harsh conditions of existence of urban environments with clear signs of social exclusion. The results obtained from the news in the written press and the use of qualitative techniques such as participant observation and interviews reveal, on the one hand, the persistence of a negative social image on both spaces and, on the other, the different ways in which its inhabitants react to this spatial stigma. These differences in the participatory management of this problem result in the development of different emotional ties of the inhabitants towards their daily places of life and suggests their unequal capacity when exercising their right to the city.