Das Geistesleben unter die großstädte: the socio-affective order in the subway from a Simmelian perspective

Abstract

The reflection on socio-affective relations and the construction of social order in public transport originated in the thought of Georg Simmel. A theme that has been deepened by the French tradition of urban studies. Which has studied the role of emotional exchanges between the user public in the construction of the social order of the New and York and Paris subways. However, when observing transport systems of this type in Latin America, there are other populations that, by using the subway for commercial purposes, influence the construction of the socio-affective order in the subway. These cases allow us to relate other Simmelian reflections on socio-affective relations, such as the notion of the poor and the extranger. Based on this, the article proposes to move towards a general and inclusive reflection on the importance of socio-affective relations in the construction of social order in the subway.