Amenity/Lifestyle Migration in the Chilean Andes: Understanding the Views of “The Other” and Its Effects on Integrated Community Development

• Main Authors: David Matarrita-Cascante, Hugo Zunino, Johanna Sagner-Tapia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2017-09-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: amenity migration; lifestyle migration; community development; alterity
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/9/1619

Within the context of domestic amenity/lifestyle migration, we are interested in understanding the way local rural residents and migrants: (1) view each other; and (2) how those views affect an integrated community development. Using alterity theory as a guiding framework, we engaged in a qualitative study to examine such views and their effects along the lines of three axes: an epistemological (what people know about the other), an axiological (how people value the other), and a praxeological (how people interact with the other) one in the Chilean community of Malalcahuello. Findings suggests that, overall, both types of residents know little of the other, have and constantly reproduce negative value judgments of the other, and relate only in mundane non-significant ways. We provide explanations of how these relate to the reported diminished community development efforts in town.