Debordering processes and resilient ontological security at the city level: the case study of Barcelona in perspective

Abstract

Staying within the debate, which links border studies and migration studies, my purpose is to conceptualise a focus that connects two heuristic approaches: ontological security and urban resilience. I will follow the rationale path that the normative foundation of resilience is ontological security. I will state that at the city level the concern on the “security of the self” driving resilience operates at two levels: at the social level, the city council’s resilience strategy seeks to maintain cohesion-making; at the individual level, the city council seeks to provide migrants with the minimum inclusive threshold of “the right to have rights” This paper is the outcome of an exploratory theoretical-empirical research. First, I introduce the theoretical background linking ontological security and debordering processes at the city scale. Then, the conceptual lens linking ontological security and resilience strategies will be justified. Thirdly, the Barcelona debordering processes’ case study will be examined with a methodological section leading the presentation of findings. Finally, concluding remarks will draw some paths for further comparative research.