Understanding changes in the geography of opportunity over time: The case of Santiago, Chile

Abstract

The geography of opportunity research has made significant progress in recent years. The use of composite indexes aimed at capturing the attributes of different urban areas has been particularly useful to deepen the understanding of the role that the urban context plays in people's life chances. However, little attention has been paid to the dynamic component of the geography of opportunity, that is, what explains its changes over time and whether or not those changes (positive or negative) are substantial.

Space and social capital: social contacts in a segregated city

“…Although the causes and trends of spatial segregation in Santiago have been explored extensively, there is relatively less knowledge concerning the consequences of spatial inequality in terms of residents' life opportunities. Researchers have shown that spatial segregation in Santiago has led to marked differences regarding neighborhood cohesion, lifestyles and identities, accessibility to services, fear of crime, educational outcomes, and perceived residential stigma among residents from different spatial configurations (Brain & Prieto, 2021;Cortés, 2021;Dammert, 2004;Márquez & Pérez, 2008;Méndez et al, 2021;Otero, Carranza et al, 2021;Otero, Méndez et al, 2021). Despite these valuable contributions, however, we still do not know how spatial segregation affects one essential aspect of societal life: the way in which people make social connections and form social networks that can help them to climb the social hierarchy, or more precisely, how and why various features of urban geography are associated with social capital.…”

Residential Segregation and Living Conditions. An Analysis of Social Inequalities in Catalonia from Four Spatial Perspectives

“…More particularly, access to higher education has traditionally been considerably more onerous and difficult for the population resident in areas far removed from major urban centres, where the main educational facilities and universities tend to be established [65]. Furthermore, some recent studies in Catalonia and other contexts have shown that training opportunities are heavily determined by the prevailing socioeconomic level of the residence area [66][67][68]. This circumstance is reflected by the phenomenon of scholastic migration (enrolment outside the neighbourhood or municipality of residence), which is widespread in Catalonia [69,70].…”