Por uma microgeografia da favela: uma comparação entre o Complexo do Alemão e o Complexo da Maré

Abstract

In Brazil, the favelas – or "aglomerados subnormais" [substandard settlements] according to the terminology of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) – are generally seen as homogeneous pockets of poverty and low quality of life. Indeed, that's what a synoptic view on the city effectively shows. However, other levels and dimensions of the phenomenon are revealed when we use the geographic scale as research strategy and analytical tool. Observed on the microscale, the Brazilian favelas emerge as geographical spaces on their own terms, i.e. as mosaics structured by socioeconomic dynamics and physical conditions (topography). Following this hypothesis, our goal was to compare two complex of favelas located in the North Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro – Alemão Complex and Maré Complex –, trying to understand their internal socio-spatial differentiation. We use IBGE data at the level of the "setor censitário" [census tract], i.e. the basic unit for data collection. We classified and mapped data on infrastructure, income and population density. This mapping allowed us to see not only how different are the two complexes from each other, but also how internally different are both complexes taken separately, especially as to monthly household income.