Domestic space in Bogota throughout the 20th century: a manifestation of developing local identities

Through comparative analysis of both public space, and homes of the highsociety at three different periods of the twentieth century, this paper intends to comment upon the construction of local identity, or ‘bogotanidad’. This is based on the premise that public and private spaces reflect hierarchical, social and gender structures. Using the theoretical framework established by Michael Billig and Catherine Palmer, both the physical structures and the uses of the city and home will be analysed, as a reflection of the construction of local identity. The paper draws the conclusions that: during the twentieth century, high-society women from Bogotá made many contributions to society. They moved from the ‘banal’, to creating new social models suitable to the identity of the city. These new models consequently led to fundamental changes, which are principally reflected in the home and in the construction of intimacy.