Barrio Bravo Transformed: Tourism, Cultural Politics, and Image Making in Mexico City

Vodopivec, Barbara and Dürr, Eveline (2019): Barrio Bravo Transformed: Tourism, Cultural Politics, and Image Making in Mexico City. In: Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology, Vol. 24, No. 2: pp. 313-330

Abstract

This article analyses the processes of urban development and cultural politics in Mexico City, focusing on the way the restructuring of cities under neoliberal policies and the rise of the symbolic economy impact disadvantaged districts. Drawing on ethnographic research, we use tourism in the notorious neighborhood Tepito as a lens through which to explore how different actors engage with these processes. As urban spaces are remade for cultural consumption, a range of actors attempts to turn ``slums'' into attractive destinations and consumer experiences. These development strategies re-signify the meanings and value of notorious areas in the city, generating struggles for control over how these places are represented and sold. We argue that while neoliberal economic restructuring and the rise of the symbolic economy aggravate socio-spatial inequalities, they also open space for new opportunities to contest them. Mexico City, social inequality, urban development, urban tourism

• Item Type: Journal article
• Keywords: Mexico City;social inequality;urban development;urban tourism
• Faculties: Cultural Studies > Department of Ancient and Modern Cultures > Ethnology
• Subjects: 300 Social sciences > 300 Social sciences, sociology and anthropology
• ISSN: 1935-4932
• Language: English