Brazil is a rising world power; however, there are huge social issues that are quite evident in today’s Brazil. The working class people are suffering from low wages, dire poverty, and no representation at the local or national level. A majority of these people live in slum towns, called Favelas, on the outskirts of huge cities, like Rio de Janeiro. In Rio de Janeiro, the largest Favela, with a population of almost seventy-thousand people, is Rocinha. In Rocinha many issues are bluntly evident, yet the government seems to ignore them. Lack of resources have lead residents to build unsafe structures on the hillsides, unsafe wiring systems, lack of proper plumbing, and the lack of basic needs being met by their government. The main social issue that aids in the continuing growth of the Favela populations is poverty. Dire poverty in Rocinha makes it nearly impossible to leave the favela to become successful in the city, in addition, poverty bars them from proper nutrition, limits the amount of education a person can attain, and makes the residents subject to gangs, and drug-related crimes. By examining this issue from a broad perspective, and on an individual basis, harm prevention can be put in place, towards the betterment of the community.
A brief background of Brazil, and history of the Favelas, specifically Rocinha, is necessary to understand the issue of poverty in Rocinha. Brazil is the largest country by population and area in South America. Its economy is booming, and has been on the rise since 2004. According to the Wall Street Journal, for the last 100 years Brazil has been the land of opportunity in South America, with it being the largest economy in South America, and the tenth largest economy in the world (...
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...perately with poverty, and the effects of poverty. Income inequality, lack of education, rising health concerns, drug violence, and no response by the state government help to perpetuate this issue of poverty. However, there is community-changing work taking place in Rocinha in the form of community organizations coming together to use the strengths of the community to make change. By realizing its strengths, the community will continue to better themselves, and slowly get out of the cycle of poverty. It will be a long and hard struggle to get out of the grips of poverty, but it is a fight worth fighting. The community is strong, and has great strengths in its ability to organize, its sense of communalism, and its determination and pride. Through these continued efforts the symptoms of poverty will eventually lessen, and the community will continue to prosper.
In Samba, Alma Guillermoprieto describes the Carnival celebrated every year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and explores the black cultural roots from which it takes its traditions as well as its social, economic, and political context in the 1980s. From her firsthand experience and investigation into favela life and the role of samba schools, specifically of Manguiera, Guillermoprieto illustrates a complex image of race relations in Brazil. The hegemonic character of samba culture in Brazil stands as a prevalent theme in numerous facets of favela life, samba schools, and racial interactions like the increasing involvement of white Brazilians in Carnival preparation and the popularity of mulatas with white Brazilians and tourists. Rio de Janeiro’s early development as a city was largely segregated after the practice of slavery ended. The centralization of Afro-Brazilians in favelas in the hills of the city strengthened their ties to black
Globalisation has been crucial to the economic and social development of Brazil. In the late twentieth century Brazil face years of economic, political and social instability experiencing high inflation, high income inequality and rapidly growing poverty. However after a change of government in the 1990s and large structural changes in both the economic and social landscapes, the brazilian economy has been experiencing a growing middle class and reduced income gap. Since the start of the 21st century, brazil has benefitted from the move to a more global economy.
Living in poverty brings high tensions and people tend to lose it. The use of alcohol is a contributor of the excess violence in the favelas. Many men and women begin to fight about the littlest thing, but it expands to a large issue as a result of the alcohol. Carolina recounts whenever a fight breaks out, “I was giving lunch when Vera came to tell me there was a fight in the favela” (de Jesus 63). These incredibly common vicious fights are entertainments to people living in the favelas. It is so familiar that whenever a fight breaks out people just enjoy it as if it were a show. As Carolina being the great hero she is, she regularly breaks up the
Larry Rohter was a journalist in Brazil for 14 years and from his experiences he offers in this book some unique insights into Brazilian history, politics, culture and more. In 10 topical chapters Rohter’s easy-to-read book provides a look at Brazilian history and the extraordinary changes the country has undergone -- and is still undergoing. Rother covers many significant issues, but several stand out more than others. Namely: the country’s history, culture, politics, and finally its economy/natural wealth.
Another foundation of the community is the lack of choises for the citizens. All choises have either been settled in the past or are adopted by the Committee of Elders. The only real choice that the citizens have over their live is weather to have an familiy unit and, for the students, where to spend their volunteer hours . This was a needed action for the community to prevent the citizens of making wrong decisions. As the Giver said, every member of the community lives a life that was created for him or her .
Shantytowns are defined as urban slums “perched on hillside outskirts of most cities” (Sanabria, 2007, p.25) in Latin America. Common characteristics of shantytowns include run-down buildings, poor infrastructure, lack of space, high population, risk of disease, low education level, and a great lack of job opportunities (pp.24-6). These ghettos are home to the poor and socially-outcast, especially first and second generation migrants from rural areas (pp.24-5).
The Realm of Desire and Dream: Brazil and its Self-Constructing Middle Class of the 1980s, 1990s and Today
In the favela of São Paulo, Brazil, 1958, Carolina Maria de Jesus rewrote the words of a famous poet, “In this era it is necessary to say: ‘Cry, child. Life is bitter,’” (de Jesus 27). Her sentiments reflected the cruel truth of the favelas, the location where the city’s impoverished inhabited small shacks. Because of housing developments, poor families were pushed to the outskirts of the city into shanty towns. Within the favelas, the infant mortality rate was high, there was no indoor plumbing or electricity, drug lords were governing forces, drug addiction was rampant, and people were starving to death. Child of the Dark, a diary written by Carolina Maria de Jesus from 1955 to 1960, provides a unique view from inside Brazil’s favelas, discussing the perceptions of good
“Because of the rapid growth experienced by this country in terms of urban development, industrialization and population at the beginning of the 21st century, Brazil is facing a number of social, environmental and political challenges” (Meyer 2010). Over the years, Brazils infrastructure has been a topic of concern as the quality and quantity of growth seem to be lacking. One might be familiar with the recent 2016 Olympics in Rio and how many complaints were made about the unfinished quarters where people were staying and how the under developed the city
... funding and direction, including those of local government and philanthropy, are critical to tailoring programs to the specific needs of local communities, and should be leveraged through federal funding. The final ingredient is responsibility, both personal and collective. Individuals must be empowered to improve their own lives, and the community must support the effort rather than look the other way, or looking past the working poor, who can so easily blend into the background.
When one thinks of poverty often the mental picture that comes to mind is of single parent welfare, dependent, women and unemployed, drug-addicted, alcoholic lackadaisical men. The children are often forgotten. The impact of poverty, the destruction of crime and stigmatization of the violence on the children is more devastating and irreversible than the miseducation and illiteracy that most often companies poverty. The implication is not the poverty can not be overcome but that the cycles of teenage pregnancy, welfare dependency, and dropping out of high school continues and are hard to break. The badges of poverty are just as addictive and capitiving as any disease such as alcohol or drugs.
To watch City of God is to be forced to enter, from a safe distance, the ruthless and merciless hoods of Rio de Janeiro. The captivating and poignant film guides viewers through the realistic aspects of slum life experienced by young, underprivileged youth in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, some aspects that not even most middle class Brazilians get to see. In a city where police are fraudulent, opportunities are scarce and crime is widespread, many youths believe there is no alternative to gang activity. In City of God, director Fernando Meirelles puts to the forefront of Brazilian cinema the real issues that favelas in Brazil face like poverty, extreme violence and stereotypical gender roles in a male dominated society. City of God encapsulates the hope of Rio’s impoverished blacks for social and economic ascension.
There is a stark difference in the `haves" and "have-nots." The "haves" live in a nicer area of Brazil and can enjoy the benefits of private education, expensive meals, nicer houses, shopping malls and recreational activities. The "have-nots" are forced to live in substandard housing projects and use what public education is offered to them. They have an obvious lack of wealth and capital and cannot buy products that the "haves" can. The "have-nots" also lack medicine and sanitary conditions. Many of the poor live near or on the water and thus will be more likely to contract disease and sickness from the animals that defecate in the water or the pollutants dumped by Brazil's factories and companies. The diets of the "haves" and "have-nots" also show the contrast between the classes. The "haves" can enjoy a nice dinner and feast on delicacies while the "have-nots" have to eat base meals and in some cases starve.
Frequently however, issues arise amongst a community that need attention. In this essay I will outline and discuss some of these issues and the interventions, projects or programmes designed and used to tackle and combat them. The three models of intervention or, ‘Community Development’, I will discuss in this essay, "Social Planning", "Community Development", and "Social/Community Action", all have the same aim regardless of how it is accomplished and this is to improve and maintain the conditions which affect the lives of the community.
In conclusion, sometimes actions take place that changes a person’s outlook on life and as you can see poverty is one that can have a huge effect on not only one person, but also the people around him/ her.