Social Geography of the Argentine Essay (1950-1960)

Abstract

In the 1950s and 1960s, sociopolitical essays experienced significant expansion in Argentina. A bibliographic study of the genre’s production revealed
the existence of a universe of 126 writers with a total output of 190 titles. A preliminary prosopographic survey reveals that 80% pursued their university
studies at the same institution, the University of Buenos Aires, and that for the vast majority, the city of Buenos Aires was both their place of residence and
the center of their professional development. This article examines the socio-spatial distribution of essayists, questioning the possible relationships of
correspondence or “elective affinities” between their placement within the city’s geography, their positions in social space and in the field of cultural production, and their political and intellectual stances.