Estratificación y desigualdad social desde la perspectiva del estrato 1 en la localidad Ciudad Bolívar Bogotá, Colombia durante el periodo 2021-2024: análisis para la comprensión de sus efectos y desafíos sociales

Abstract

This research paper analyzes the relationship between socioeconomic stratification and social inequality in stratum 1 of Ciudad Bolívar, Bogotá, during the period 2021–2024. Using a qualitative methodology, two strategies were combined: a documentary review of institutional and academic sources, and the collection of testimonies through semi-structured interviews with 20 residents of various neighborhoods in the city, with an emphasis on Candelaria la Nueva. The study identified that urban stratification, initially conceived as a technical mechanism for assigning differential rates, has generated unintended consequences that profoundly affect the daily lives of people classified in lower strata. The documentary review showed that, in contexts such as Ciudad Bolívar, stratification contributes to perpetuating inequalities in access to public services, social opportunities, and living conditions. Fieldwork revealed that residents of stratum 1 perceive stratification as a form of symbolic and material exclusion, which reinforces territorial stigma and limits their social mobility. The testimonies collected show citizens aware of these inequalities, with clear proposals to transform their environment, improve their living conditions, and demand greater state involvement. The conclusion is that it is necessary to rethink the current stratification model, incorporating the voice of communities into the design of public policies, in order to move toward a more equitable city with territorial justice.