"O meu prédio tem tudo" : intersecções entre espaço social, simbólico e geográfico nas práticas residenciais de frações de elite em João Pessoa - PB

Abstract

This research investigates the distinctive dynamics and symbolic boundaries between elite fractions in the city of João Pessoa-PB, based on the housing universe, encompassing aspects related to the tastes and residential practices of these agents, as well as the ways they classify and appropriate the physical space of the city. This investigation was directed towards understanding possible intersections between the social, symbolic, and geographical spaces occupied by local elites. In this sense, the research relied on the theoretical framework of Pierre Bourdieu's sociology, with emphasis on the themes of distinction and classificatory disputes between class fractions, as well as the homology between social positions and symbolic stances. The methodological path taken for the research began with a bibliographic and documentary survey about the development of the city of João Pessoa to identify patterns of territorial anchoring of elite fractions in the physical space of the city. Then, ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with high-end real estate market producers, along with documentary analysis of advertising material, identifying how builders and architects classify themselves, the city, and their clientele. Another 22 semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the local elites in their respective residences, which also involved participant observation. This corpus allowed for the analytical construction of a micro space in which the studied elite fractions are positioned based on the differential concentration of economic and cultural capital. The existence of symbolic boundaries between these fractions was verified, manifested in classifications regarding ways of living, leisure, and uses of the city. Moreover, symbolic struggles were observed in the construction of the city, resulting from a movement that, although it may seem like a result of urban expansion, carries a segregation strategy. The neighborhoods along the city's coastline, perceived as legitimate residential areas for local elites, are giving way to the recently emerging Altiplano "Nobre" neighborhood, which promises "exclusivity". Thus, elite fractions were found that do not live in the public spaces of the city, distancing themselves through private practices, resulting in an urban desertion by these agents, who are secluded in "islands".