Перифериите на града: За пространството, границите и изключването
The Peripheries of the City: On Space, Boundaries and Exclusion

Summary/Abstract: The article examines Roma ghettoized structures as specific socio-spatial forms of exclusion within the contemporary city. Its main objective is to analyse how urban peripheries are experienced by their inhabitants and how they function as boundaries of belonging, participation, and access to resources. The study is based on a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews conducted in six Bulgarian cities: Lom, Asenovgrad, Ruse, Kyustendil, Straldzha, and Dobrich. The findings show that peripheries are perceived not merely as geographically distant spaces but as socially and symbolically distinct zones in which various forms of exclusion are manifested. They function as boundaries that separate the “inside” from the “outside,” limit opportunities for social mobility, and shape the ways in which individuals perceive their future. At the same time, internal differentiation is observed, with certain cases demonstrating processes of partial integration related to education, employment, and local initiatives. Based on the empirical analysis, the article proposes a typology of the experience of peripherality, distinguishing three main types: space of isolation, space of limited opportunities, and space of partial integration. This typology shows that peripheries do not represent a homogeneous social reality, but rather a dynamic and multi-layered structure. The study contributes to the understanding of space as an active factor in the production and reproduction of social inequalities and raises the question of the boundaries of participation and belonging in the contemporary city.

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