Methodological approach to socio-territorial vulnerability: comparative study between the towns of Alpa Corral and Bengolea, south of the Córdoba province

Abstract

In the last forty years the discussions around the study of social vulnerability (VS) focus on problems related to the scale of measurement, the dimensions and categories that compose it, its dynamism, the delimitation of vulnerability to particular threat, among others. In this sense, various methodological contributions have been made to measure or estimate the VS in the framework of theoretical developments of various kinds. On this basis, the present work intends to know and understand the methodological particularities of the study of what we call Socio-Territorial Vulnerability (VST) in concentrated rural populations in the south of the province of Córdoba, specifically in the towns of Alpa Corral and Bengolea, through of a comparative study in which one tries, on the one hand, to contrast the results obtained and, on the other, to recognize the methodological particularities that could be derived. To achieve the proposed objective, we work with a theoretical-methodological scheme that interrelates first-order variables with second-order variables and then becomes operational based on a matrix that interrelates quantitative and qualitative VST indicators. The results obtained show that the higher levels of VST are related to the difficulties encountered by the Municipalities when designing and implementing public policies linked to the elaboration of different regulations that regulate the built environment and manage risk. On the other hand, at the level of the methodological design, it is considered that the theoretical scheme adopted provides sufficient tools to perform various operationalization exercises that allow to capture the complexity, dynamism and historicity of the VST. Finally, it is concluded that the results obtained here and the proposed methodological design can serve as a basis for the construction of public policies aimed at reducing risk in the two locations under study.