Citation

Polanska DV. Space Cult. 2010; 13(4): 421-435.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1206331210374140

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze how social class markers are constructed in the discourse on gated communities in a postsocialist urban context. The case of Poland is used as an example of a post-Communist country where the number of gated communities is increasing rapidly in urban areas. The material of study consists of 50 articles published in the largest national newspaper. This article argues that the discourse on gated communities is constituted by and constitutes class divisions and social class markers prevalent in the country since the fall of Communism. The "new" capitalistic system with its inherent social divisions is described as creating demands for "new" forms of housing where gates function as separators, protectors, and class identifiers. Residential differentiation is a reality in Polish society, and private space has become a symbol of exclusivity and spread throughout the country along with the popularity of gated forms of housing.