Poor youths and ‘pacification’: Dilemmas between discourse and practice from the perspective of young people about policing in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas

Abstract

This article explores the social representations of youngsters from favelas in Rio de Janeiro on police practices in the context of the implementation of 'Pacifying Police Units'. Drawing from fieldwork, participant observation and interviews, the authors analyse the narratives and practices which influence relations between young people and the police in the Complexo do Alemão area of the city. The interviewees expressed a demand for further public security and social services. Young people noted some progress in police practices, although these changes appear to be unstable. The permanence of violent practices and prejudice by the police was verified in youngsters' narratives. 2 Any change in this scenario should be based on the replacement of the war logic of 'pacification' for another logic, that of participation.

Brazilian youth experiencing poverty: Everyday life in the favela

“…The favela where this study was carried out was one of the first to receive a UPP unit, and had great media visibility at the time. However, at the same time it received a cable car that was widely explored for tourism in the region, given that it offered a privileged view of the city of Rio de Janeiro and had been the scene of a soap opera on the largest Brazilian television station, the stigma of violence remained (Corrêa, 2013;Corrêa et al, 2016;Pérez, 2014).…”

Calidad educativa como precarización laboral: análisis de América Latina

“…Lo anterior conduce a una sistematización de la organización, y así se definirá dentro de los márgenes del mercado, lo que debe ser; se integrará en una concepción sobre la vida de alumnos, docentes, directivos, escuelas, institutos. Con todo ello, será un mecanismo de control y reproducción social (Martínez et al, 2016;Vázquez, 2012).…”

Juventudes no Complexo do Alemão (RJ): O que diz a literatura?/Youths in the Complexo do Alemão (RJ): What do academic literature say?

“…Esses dois dados podem ser explicados por se tratar de temática específica brasileira. Tal visão é reafirmada quando se observa que as três publicações em idioma estrangeiro (inglês) 7,8,15 foram realizadas por autores brasileiros.…”

“…A dissertação de mestrado de Corrêa 16 e o artigo derivado desta pesquisa 15 , analisando a percepção de jovens moradores do Complexo do Alemão frequentadores ou não de projetos sociais a respeito das UPPs, consideraram que, apesar da redução dos conflitos armados, os jovens ainda têm uma relação de desconfiança com as instituições policiais, especialmente devido às dificuldades de relacionamento com estes atores. Segundo os jovens, o comportamento da polícia com os pobres é desrespeitoso.…”