ABSTRACT

The literature suggests that the rise of gated communities causes a number of problems, creates spatial fragmentation and social exclusion, and works as a barrier to promoting urban diversity. Gated communities have grown in popularity in recent decades in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In contrast to the popular view that gated communities provide an extreme example of residential segregation, this article argues that the rise of gated communities creates a differentiated citizenship by blocking poor people’s access to public space, which is vital for their livelihoods. Weaving together observation and ethnographic research in the Sattola slum in Dhaka and its adjacent gated community, Niketon, this article argues that poor slum residents’ access to public space for livelihoods is regulated—in the name of security and preventing criminal activities—by the local gated community members’ association, which reproduces spatial inequality. The study contributes to the literature on gated communities and social segregation by revealing that private governance takes various forms and is not always separate from local government bodies; rather, local government actors and homeowners’ associations may work together to exclude other groups from gated communities in the name of security.

摘要

文献表明，封闭式社区的兴起导致了许多问题，造成了空间碎片化和社会排斥，并成为促进城市多样性的障碍。近几十年来，封闭式社区在孟加拉国达卡越来越受欢迎。与门禁社区是居住隔离的极端例子的流行观点相反，本文认为，门禁社区的兴起通过阻止穷人进入对他们的生计至关重要的公共空间来创造差异化的公民身份。将达卡萨托拉贫民窟及其邻近的封闭社区耐克顿的观察和人种学研究结合在一起，本文认为，贫困的贫民窟居民进入公共空间谋生是由当地封闭式社区成员协会以安全和预防犯罪活动的名义进行监管的，这再现了空间不平等。该研究通过揭示私人治理采取多种形式并且并不总是与地方政府机构分开，从而为有关封闭社区和社会隔离的文献做出了贡献；相反，地方政府行为者和房主协会可能会共同努力，以安全的名义将其他群体排除在封闭社区之外。该研究通过揭示私人治理采取多种形式并且并不总是与地方政府机构分开，从而为有关封闭社区和社会隔离的文献做出了贡献；相反，地方政府行为者和房主协会可能会共同努力，以安全的名义将其他群体排除在封闭社区之外。该研究通过揭示私人治理采取多种形式并且并不总是与地方政府机构分开，从而为有关封闭社区和社会隔离的文献做出了贡献；相反，地方政府行为者和房主协会可能会共同努力，以安全的名义将其他群体排除在封闭社区之外。