Gendered meanings and everyday experiences of violence in urban Brazil

Abstract

AbstractViolent acts are not random, but are infused with meaning: those intended by the perpetrators and those ascribed by others. This article explores how dominant gangs in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro attempt to manipulate the meanings of violence to maintain their control of territory, presenting themselves as protectors of the community. Gangs impose violent punishment on residents who have breached their rules and behavioural norms. The messages they send out regarding the (un)acceptability of violence against women is highly ambiguous, however, which reduces women's options and increases levels of insecurity. Despite the ambiguity and unpredictability of gang rule, residents refrain from challenging gang control, preferring to moderate their own daily routines as a means to feel secure in the face of high levels of insecurity.Significados generizados y experiencias cotidianas de violencia en el Brasil urbanoLos actos de violencia no son azarosos, sino que están imbuidos de significado: aquellos pretendidos por los autores y aquellos atribuidos por otros. Este artículo analiza cómo las pandillas dominantes en las favelas de Río de Janeiro intentan manipular los significados de la violencia para mantener su control del territorio, presentándose como protectoras de la comunidad. Las pandillas imponen el castigo violento a los residentes que han violado sus reglas y sus normas de comportamiento. Los mensajes que envían con respecto a la (in)aceptabilidad de la violencia contra las mujeres son altamente ambiguos, sin embargo, lo cual reduce las opciones de las mujeres y aumenta los niveles de inseguridad. A pesar de la ambigüedad e imprevisibilidad de la autoridad pandillera, los residentes se abstienen de desafiar el control pandillero, y prefieren adaptar sus rutinas diarias como forma de sentirse seguros frente a los altos niveles de inseguridad.𤁒𵆙𷄗𠉐𠀓𦊒𡅇𰍀𤘕𡀵𡉰𤡇𨂅𙦂𧖙𦂅𩦃𧥣𲑣𹕤𦊒𡅇𴢒𠀦𤆂𸝐𦅙𸕃𦐦𰍀񥊒𲞀𦅙𠠅𨎅𠄂𤡇𨂅񥌆𣕅𠄐𦊒𡅇𩍙𲘘𲝳𙦂𠡔𠆂𹁄𵡑𦊒𡅇𲝳𰍂𨦂𒊐𦐒𥦑𥔆𵝒𷌤𲐢𨤉𠡩𡍆𶄹𧙥𡌆𠀓𲑹𹁆𰍀𤄐𧥦񥊒𢤔𠌉𵞗𢉰𶡹𶠇𥔑𡁆𦊒𡅇𰍀𤡇𨂅񥊒𠔑𠆗𲔀𱦕𣕅𠡔𢌠𰐤𰍀𥔑𡁆񥊒𤆂𡉰𶔣𠀦𱀸𡌆𰍀𠑅𥉒𲝳𒊐𤄐𧥦𠉐𣕅𶠩𡑓𠆂𠈄𰍀𲑹𧠵𵉨𡀗𡙄𴢒𠀦𵉨𳔹𰍀𣘡𧙥𦁅𠆗𦊒𡅇𤠉𢞈𒊐𠊔𠆂𠈄𥅒𠉖𶢂𰍀𦍷𠡑񥊈𦂀𧡡񥊉𣒁𤔥𣕅𢢙𤘕𦁅𦊒𰍀𵝙𤚇𦅙𹙀𤈰𧅩𱥆𰍀񥊒𣑔𡀗𠥃𣕩𠄂𢢙𤘕𰍀𶡳𥌡񥊒𤆂𢚆𡅒𠄂𙦁𣐳𠡀𰍀𱉃𤈰𒊐𣘓𱙉𤄐𧥦𵉨𡀗𠡕𦍷𧅩𱥆𤘕𙦂𙦁𡒇𹁄𧥹𤘕񥊒𣘡𧙥𠅳𣘓𷌧𶦑𠠓𥍡𥄒𤄐𧥦𰍀𥔑𡁆񥊒𠕂𡔡𳐐𡁆𠆂𠈄𰍀𦂅𤄠𩦃𧥣𤠕𠁤񥊒𠕰𠀦𸝔𣕅𹙀𤈰𙦁𰠰𣑐𤘕𦄂𳜙𤑱𣐳𠡀𤡣𰍀𙥨𱆁𦁁𤌵𒊐Keywords:: urban violenceterritorydomestic violencegang punishmentgeography of fearmeaning of violencePalabras claves:: violencia urbanaterritorioviolencia domésticacastigo pandillerogeografía del miedosignificado de la violencia关键词:: 𠡑𸆐𵞉񥌆𢑸𤁦𦊒𡅇𒊉𢌠𰐤𒊉𣑸𤈷𦊒𡅇𒊉񀙗𤄐𤠉𢞈𒊉𤙖𤠇𢌠𩜂𒊉𦊒𡅇𤡇𨂅 AcknowledgementsMy sincere thanks to Ann Varley, three anonymous reviewers and the editors of Gender, Place and Culture for their time, input and effort. Thanks to the ESRC for funding the initial research period. I take full responsibility for any errors that may have occurred.Notes1. Militias differ from gangs as they generally do not come from the community, and ostensibly offer greater levels of security by prohibiting drugs trafficking. However, militias tend to function on a similar basis to gangs, using similar mechanisms of control, imposing rules and punishing rule breakers. They also pursue similar criminal profit-seeking activities and are associated with corruption at high levels of government (Alves and Evanson Citation2011, 93–96; CPI Citation2008; Lemle Citation2009).2. A number of strategically located favelas have recently been 'pacified', in an effort to increase security in anticipation of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. However, the plan is to pacify only 40 out of 700 favelas (Frayssinet Citation2011).3. All interviewees are identified with pseudonyms.4. However, the 'pacification' of certain favelas, see endnote 2, has allowed increasing number of journalists to venture back into these favelas.5.Observatório de Favelas, Favela Watch, is a research and activist NGO based in Maré that runs pilot social projects, campaigns on rights abuses, media training, information sharing and lobbying for state investment, among other activities.Additional informationNotes on contributorsPolly WildingPolly Wilding is a lecturer in Gender and Development at the Centre for Global Development, University of Leeds, UK. She is the author of Negotiating Boundaries: Gender, Violence and Transformation in Brazil (2012).