The Brothel as Landmark and Node in the Socio-Spatial Organization of the Corregimiento of Aguas Blancas, Valledupar, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: This article examines the role of the brothel as both a landmark and a node in the socio-spatial organization of the corregimiento of Aguas Blancas, Valledupar, Colombia. The research focuses on how the brothel simultaneously fulfills two functions within this corregimiento: as a spatial landmark and as a node of functional articulation in a Colombian Caribbean context characterized by inadequate urban planning and limited public infrastructure.

Methods: The study adopted a qualitative, exploratory-descriptive research design conducted in three stages. 1) Ethnographic fieldwork, including an observation log, georeferencing, photographic documentation of the exteriors and interiors of brothels, semi-structured interviews, and a general sociodemographic characterization of sex workers. The qualitative data were analyzed in ATLAS.ti using a word cloud and a frequency table. 2) Simple random sampling based on closed-ended questionnaires administered to residents of the corregimiento through Google Forms. 3) An interpretive analysis integrating the findings by examining the symbolic, functional, and territorial dimensions of the brothel as a landmark and node through a data triangulation matrix based on the intersection of emerging empirical categories.

Results: The findings reveal that brothels in Aguas Blancas function as symbolic landmarks and urban nodes that intertwine economic, affective, and territorial dynamics. The 81% of residents acknowledge their existence, 53.8% have visited one, and the majority identifies three brothels concentrated in the San Rafael, Sabanas de Celedón, and San Martín neighborhoods; meanwhile, community perceptions vary (27% neutral, 24.7% negative, and 20% positive), and 45% of the sex workers are over the age of 40.

Conclusions: Far from being hidden enclaves, these spaces constitute a functional center of local life. Their discreet spatial morphology, regulated by social codes and sensual aesthetics, reflects an economy of desire shaped by structural exclusion, as well as narratives of survival, the resignification of the brothel as a vital space, and perceptions imbued with meaning and collective memory.