Abstract

The social mix and classism seems to be antagonistic processes that limit the development of a socio-economically heterogeneous city. This article seeks to understand the way in which coexistence within mixed-income neighbourhoods is configured, focusing on two neighbourhoods of Social Integration in Chile. Based on semi-structured interviews, the results show the importance of class differences and the aspiration for social mobility in disputes between residents. Notwithstanding classism, coexistence in these places is stable due to a series of social and spatial mechanisms, including low sociability, a common definition of a good neighbour and internal socioeconomic distribution models which minimize differences. It concludes by analysing the fragility that coexistence of these strange communities acquires in crisis contexts.