Favela

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a favela as a settlement of jerry-built shacks on the outskirts of a Brazilian city. Oxford Dictionary refers to a favela as a Brazilian shack or shantytown; a slum. There are many problems with these definitions of a favela. Most of the problems with these definitions is that they have not evolved with favelas and give a negative connotation to word favela. The definition of a favela may have been appropriate for the favelas of Rio in 1960, but modern day favelas do not fit these definitions as they have evolved from shacks to brick-and-mortar establishments (Perlman, 2009, p. 29). Most favelas now have access to water, electricity, Internet, cable, and sewage. This makes their lives a lot different in comparison…

In order to begin to engage in a more critical analysis of why favelas specifically (besides location) were so vulnerable to exploitation and displacement measures, it is first necessary to understand their background. Favelas are urban ‘shanty-towns’ which were established after Brazil’s abolishment of slavery in 1888. Favelas developed due to Brazil’s inequitable racial disparities which prevented former Afro-Brazilian slaves, access to property rights and civil liberties. As a result, these…

Brazil lives in a mainstream way of life, they often cast a judgement on the favelas they know little to nothing about. Throughout this essay one will palpably showed to the vision of the favelas that “living with insecurity in a Brazilian favela’ disclosures us to. By using debates, the main arguments and a critical…

Hidden beneath the bustling metropolises of the captivating Latin American country of Brazil are it’s notorious favelas. Favelas are highly populated, urbanized areas located within many of Brazil’s largest cities. Brazil is continuously recognized for its slum regions within its cities because of the increasingly poor and dangerous living conditions in which its inhabitants are exposed to. Although there are many issues present within these communities the importance of access to clean water…

Life in the Favelas By Eli W. Favelas started because of the independence of slaves in 1888. The former slaves then moved near big cities and create small neighborhoods, called Favelas. They had to make their own houses on free land because they did not have any money. In the 1950’s a large influx of farmers moved to the big cities because they were not satisfied with the amount of money, which increased the size and population of the Favelas. This influx of population caused the Favelas to…

The favelas in Brazil are mainly built on the hillsides and they consist of small shacks where the city’s poor live. Many of the houses are single rooms and lack water, electricity, and plumbing of any kind. In the worst cases, the houses are single room buildings made out of cardboard, plastic and tin roofs held down by rocks. The more established favelas have houses of maybe 2 rooms and are made out of bricks rather than scavenged materials. Benedita da Silva, an Afro-Brazilian woman and…

the favelas have become very dangerous place for its residents to live in. Janice Perlman (2009) describes these factors as the ‘ingredients’ that create a ‘violence stew’ (p. 173). These ‘ingredients’ each add to violence and put its residents in a more vulnerable position. Most of these ingredients are caused by a strong drug gangs, indifferent government with unaccountable police, and vulnerable poor population. Each these alone would not necessarily increase the violence seen in Rio today,…

The most well-known slum in India is Dharavi a section of the city of Mumbai. After appearing in the movie “Slumdog Millionaire,” Dharavi began to gain a lot of attention. It is a busy, bustling, fast moving, densely packed city. Similar to Brazil it has little formal infrastructure, and many of the homes are makeshift. The slums of Dharavi did not emerge until the late 19th century. Before then the city was nothing more than a swamp used by fisherman. Around the late 19th century the swamp was…

In his essay, “Flavio’s Home”, Gordon Parks describes the horrific conditions of poverty in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro by focusing on the lives of the Da Silva family, specifically the life of a twelve year old boy named Flavio. Parks uses his words to paint a somber picture of life in the favelas, creating a juxtaposition between the rich and poor, both in Brazil and abroad by using moving metaphors and description. We saw into the everyday lives of the Da Silva family; seeing their…

involves visiting urban area characterized by poverty, squalor and violence” (Dürr 113). This form tourism is a recent phenomenon and scholars have been debating on whether it helps or hinder the slums as a whole. The definition of slum varies from city to city, and country to country. Also, the quality of life, the safety, vibrancy of the local economy and legitimacy of it actually existing all differ from slum to slum. In Rio the slums are called a favela, and in Johannesburg they are called a…