Life projects for people with disabilities in rural areas of southern Chile: territories as supports towards an operationalization of territorial capital?

Abstract

The following article aims to present an operational proposal for the term territorial capital. Although other works have already employed this locution, in this instance we undertake a more complex conceptualization through the identification of four components that would constitute the territorial capital: proximity, cognition, topophilic elements and location. An empirical reference is used to argue these categories, particularly with regard to the experiences of people with disabilities in rural areas of southern Chile. These experiences are described and analyzed through a qualitative approach that combines interviews and ethnographic observation.