Knowing the Favela

The current paradigm of ‘favela integration’ in Rio de Janeiro requires that the favelas themselves become an object of knowledge. That is, favelas cariocas must be constructed as knowable before Continue reading →

“Underground Sociabilities”: new trends in urban social research?

Social psychologists at the London School of Economics partner with Brazilian researchers and challenge us to consider grassroots struggles for social inclusion rather than focus solely on marginality and exclusion. Researchers Continue reading →

Revisiting Complexo do Alemão

The author revisits 13 conjoined favelas, known as Complexo do Alemão, after one year to see how ‘favela integration’ projects are progressing. Last week I had the opportunity to attend Continue reading →

Questions of perspective: research as nation-building

Brazilian academics, once known for their fierce criticism of the state and Brazilian politics, now express tempered optimism. This post explores the dual role of social scientist and nation-builder.  This Continue reading →

Questions of perspective

Lines are being drawn over Rio de Janeiro’s controversial Pacifying Police Units; but are opinions more ideologically informed than they are based on empirical evidence?  Last week I attended a conference about Continue reading →

Remaking Rio: favela tourism and the tourist narrative, part III

This is the third and final post in a series about the portrayal of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas through the tourist narrative. I’m interested in the favela tourist experience because Continue reading →

Remaking Rio: favela tourism and the tourist narrative, part II

This is part two of a series of posts discussing the representation of favelas in Rio de Janeiro, favela tours and the tourist narrative. In part one I sketched out Continue reading →

Remaking Rio: favela tourism and the tourist narrative: part I

Part one in a three-part series exploring how favela-tourism coincides with  urban renewal and ‘favela integration’ in Rio de Janeiro. The above video shows a new tourist attraction in the famous favela Continue reading →

Who’s Afraid of the Informal?: slum as an analytical category

Continuing the dialogical debate between FAVELissues writers about the conflation of informality and slums at the glocal scale. Following Lubiana’s post about urban informality as a form of protesting economic inequality Continue reading →

New Socio-Spatial Relationships Produced Through Urban Occupations, ‘Informalizing’ the City

Temporary informalization of urban space in global cities can radically alter interaction between urban citizens. Can we draw parallels between informal housing settlements in the global south and the Occupy Movement? Following Continue reading →

Resistance to Rio’s Celebrated Gondolas, Fetishizing the Teleferico

  Why would local residents rally against major investments in transport infrastructure meant to increase mobility within the favela when the press are acclaiming the very same projects? I’m not Continue reading →