Gated communities have spread globally, though unevenly. However, their early popularity and expansion from North America to other different localities have led to their physical and social diversification (i.e., morphological design and locking mechanisms and their resident profiles, which are not limited to the richest classes). This diversity has resulted in varied and sometimes conflicting concepts and classification criteria. Given this situation, this study aims to propose a typology of these developments that encompasses all current forms, based on an exhaustive census we compiled. We used a broader concept adapted to the research context, that of the ‘Residential Compound’, based on the idea that total closure is not an essential condition for consideration. Although the empirical work is based on the metropolitan area of Granada (Spain), we believe it is representative of most Spanish and possibly European metropolitan areas. Using satellite images and the Spanish electronic cadastre, we compiled a census of 642 residential compounds, classified based on over 50 variables. These compounds were categorized into five types depending on the enclosure level: (1) protected compounds; (2) controlled compounds; (3) structurally self-isolated compounds; (4) individualistic compounds; and (5) symbolic compounds.

Residential compounds have become a widespread and popular way of life. Today, we find a great structural and social diversity of compounds. While evidence suggests that living in the most closed settings, such as gated communities, is often linked to the desire of the upper-middle class’s desire to associate with people of similar status, research on what kind of elective belonging can be found among working classes remains limited. This qualitative study analyses how class identity is constructed through interviews with residents and non-residents of upper-middle and working-class compounds in the metropolitan area of Granada. The results indicate that residents of compounds value the development of a sense of belonging more highly, and reproduce it more noticeably in their discourses, than non-residents. Residential compounds appear to function as status drivers, both materially and symbolically, but operate differently depending on the social composition of the compounds themselves.

Desde la implantación de los Sistemas de Garantía de Calidad, la enseñanza universitaria ha incorporado mecanismos y figuras de coordinación a la práctica docente. Sin embargo, su aplicación dista de ser homogénea. Un mecanismo diseñado originalmente para la mejora de la calidad docente ha cobrado una nueva significación e importancia debido al contexto de precarización generalizada de las plantillas de profesorado en la universidad. Este trabajo plantea un análisis del contexto, las bases teóricas y los distintos modelos de coordinación implementados en una serie de universidades donde se imparte el grado de Sociología en Andalucía, pero los resultados son perfectamente extrapolables a otras disciplinas y lugares. Empleando un análisis autoetnográfico, a partir de la experiencia de los autores del texto, se elaboran dos modelos típico ideales de coordinación. Las prácticas docentes reales en los diferentes departamentos analizados se mueven en un continuo que va desde la coordinación total a la autonomía total. Cada uno de estos modelos tienen una serie de ventajas e inconvenientes, y son fruto de una particular combinación de factores materiales, culturales y humanos. Nuestros resultados muestran la utilidad de un mayor grado de coordinación en contextos de plantillas inestables o en formación, frente a la adecuación de la autonomía a las situaciones de mayor estabilidad y experiencia. La coordinación puede servir para mitigar algunos problemas causados por la precariedad, pero no debería ser una coartada para profundizar en ella.

The phenomenon of residential compounds is increasingly prevalent in today’s society. Fear of crime is one of the main explanations for the proliferation of gated communities, the most closed type of residential compound. They reflect a privatisation of public space and the desire of the most privileged groups to control access to their residential enclaves. Considering that in Southern Europe this phenomenon exhibits more morphological and social diversity and that crime levels are lower, this paper analyses what residents of these compounds value and explores security as a key residential value in this context. For this purpose, an empirical analysis of 20 interviews was conducted in 2020 in the Granada metropolitan area (Spain), where previous studies have highlighted a wide variety of residential compounds in the urban landscape. Contrary to the general assumptions reported in other studies, our results show that there are no significant concerns about security amongst the residents of residential compounds. Instead, their priorities emphasize a widespread interest in residential comfort, which encompasses various dimensions such as spaciousness, tranquillity and location. This interest is shared by both residents and non-residents of these residential compounds. Therefore, tranquillity emerges as central aspect of residential satisfaction, challenging the stereotypical view that gated communities are primarily associated with security anxieties.

In recent decades and due to an increasing polarization of social structures, and the intensification of economic migration flows towards western countries, social segregation has become one of the main challenges for urban studies. However, both the scope of segregation and its effects in the short and long term are aspects that are still debated strongly within the European academic and political sphere. The goal of this chapter is to study the recent literature about urban segregation in southern European countries (2000–2018), in order to discover Mediterranean patterns and features and in order to light up the state of the art regarding the definition, operationalization and interpretation of the segregation process. Our results suggest that residential segregation could involve either negative synergies or positive ones regarding social cohesion. Thus, public agendas should take into the equation the complex links between residential and social outcomes.

The training offered to university teaching staff tends to be scant, voluntary and heavily oriented toward novice teachers. With the arrival of Covid-19 and the sudden switch to online teaching, training became an urgent need for teachers. In this context, some faculty members of the University of *anonimizado* created a multi-cohort faculty peer-training group for collaborative learning in multimodal teaching methods. This paper describes the initiative and analyses the impact of the training on participating faculty members. The authors used a mixed methods research strategy with a sequential approach. Results indicate that training action’s collaborative dynamics contributed to the general well-being of the participants, bringing about a reduction in their feelings of isolation, insecurity and lessening their perception that they lacked the skills required for the new situation. Also, intergenerational differences were detected in the effects the training had on more novice and more experienced teachers.