Barikada: a critical ethnography on urban poor demolition barricades

Abstract

A study on urban poor communities was conducted to understand the dynamics of demolition and barricades. A critical ethnography was conducted in the urban poor community of Barangay Corazon de Jesus, San Juan City. In the face of a demolition in 2011, residents defended themselves through a barricade which was tagged as one of the most successful barricades in urban poor history. Study participants were current residents of the barangay and supporters who were present during said demolition. The study evolved on the participants’ perspectives on the factors which made their barricade successful, including the role of social institutions in the formation of said barricade. Quantitative and qualitative methods were utilized for the study which includes survey, focus group discussion, semi structured interview, and actual participant observation. Using Critical Theory, the study focused on how social institutions influenced the participants’ behavior on demolition and their empowerment which pushed them to action. The study highlights the residents’ experiences and concepts on demolition and barricade, which included conflicts with said social institutions during the barricade.