The urban house as a social, economic and private space, and instrument for social mobility. The example of artisans and merchants in the 17th Century Murcia

Abstract

Artisans and merchants were living in an urban space because the characteristics of their work, but the residence place also was used, specially by the merchants, as strategy for social mobility; for both groups it constituted a favourite place for the social relations. The sociability strategies helped to that purpose. The housing and the home perform several functions: economic spaces of production and consumption, mainly to maintain the factory and the store; and private and familiar spaces; but also as public spaces, because they have to sell products there elaborated or commercialised and social relations take place. Also, the housing becomes for the accommodated merchants an indicator of the status aspired to which.