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This thesis is a study of women, warung (small shops) and Cicadas kampung community of Bandung, West Java. Data on warung, women, and the Cicadas kampung is based on 12 months fieldwork in 2002. To collect the data, a combination of in-depth interviews, observation and participant observation were adopted. In this research I explore the warung issue from the perspective of warung owners and other members of the kampung. ¶ From the owners’ point of view the main reason to establish warung is to extend the limited income produced by their family members to make ends meet. Other reasons are the possibility to combine income earning activities with domestic chores and social prestige. Having a warung gives more social prestige to a woman warung owner than being a domestic helper. On the other hand, having a job in the formal sector is considered better than conducting a warung business. ¶ From the kampung residents’ point of view, the reasons to shop at warung are mainly related to certain services offered by warung which are not available in other trading sectors. Warung offer small quantities of goods and credit. These services match the socioeconomic condition of the people, who are mostly low income. For the poor, warung indeed ‘support’ them by providing these affordable services which are in accord with their purchasing power. Moreover shopping at warung enables the people to save, especially when buying cooked food. For kampung people, cooking may lead to a higher cost. Proximity is another reason people shop at warung—which could be as close as next door—and this saves them transportation costs. ¶ Warung are also a social centre where people interact and discuss community affairs. Buying snacks (jajan) and credit (nganjuk) are important practices which mark the relationship between warung owners and their customers. These practices are less likely to characterize other trading sectors. ¶ More women than men run warung because having a warung enables women to combine reproductive and productive work, though this leads to the women working extremely long hours—up to 16 hours a day—to perform both tasks. Warung can also be seen as an extension of women’s domestic responsibilities, by reinvesting money and providing meals for their family.

The world has witnessed a transformation process associated with the drastic changes in social, political and economic spheres under the constraints of neo-liberalism with opening up new challenges for humanity. At that context, as a global problem, poverty has been aggravating at the world-wide and now urban areas are more exposed to risks of poverty. In this regard, reforms of that restructuring process have centered on the requirement of local administrations at poverty struggle. The purpose of this study is to explore local policy initiatives of local administrations at combating urban poverty with also taking into consideration the central government practices. By the help of the GEKA provinces of Denizli, Aydin, and Mugla cases, urban poverty struggle has been examined in detail by a method covering survey application to the impoverished and the in-depth interview method with local and central government officials. At the study, it is seen that in each case study, local administrations have different institutional, political and social service based contingency variables. Local authorities of case provinces cannot produce systematic, standardized, equal and general poverty alleviation policies and services because of the inherent nature of local government tied to uneven development and contingent local variation. Thus, within the limitation of the study, urban poverty struggle have been searched in specific cases, but it is not possible to determine the results of the research to other cases in Turkey. Even though the research covers up few cases at the urban level, the results will be worthwhile and shed light on other future studies.

Since the mid-1970s, subsidized housing policy in the U.S. has shifted from providing aid through public housing projects to providing aid through vouchers to be used in the private market and through smaller-scale, often mixed-income developments. These policy shifts are guided by a deconcentration ideology drawn from social science research on the deleterious effects of the concentration of poverty on individuals and neighborhoods. These changes in subsidized housing policy have led to a major geographic redistribution of the urban poor, which has implications for neighborhoods and cities that are not yet fully understood. This dissertation investigates the extent to which the changing location of subsidized housing units accounts for changes in neighborhood poverty and metropolitan poverty concentration. My findings show that while the subsidized housing policies adopted since the 1970s successfully deconcentrated subsidized housing units, they did not deconcentrate poverty in neighborhoods or metropolitan areas. I find that neighborhood poverty rates increase when neighborhoods either gain or lose subsidized housing units. Neighborhoods that gain more subsidized units see larger increases in poverty rates, and because these neighborhoods already have many poor residents, there is a risk of creating new neighborhoods of concentrated poverty. Surprisingly, neighborhoods that lose subsidized units also become poorer, suggesting an enduring legacy of subsidized housing for neighborhood poverty. At the metropolitan level, reducing the concentration of subsidized housing in high subsidy neighborhoods leads to only very small declines in the concentration of poor residents in high poverty neighborhoods. My results suggest that subsidized housing policy may maintain, rather than break, the cycle of neighborhood inequality. Subsidized housing policy is implemented in a context of neighborhood inequality, and as the policies increasingly rely on the private rental market, higher-SES neighborhoods’ interests in keeping low-income subsidized renters out may shape how the policy is implemented, leaving lower-SES neighborhoods to receive more subsidized low-income tenants and thus experience larger increases in poverty rates.

This paper investigates the impact of receiving microcredit on the economic conditions of urban poor. The change in household income level between the years 2009 and 2011 was measured for a group of survey participants half of whom were microcredit beneficiaries, while the other half were not. The survey was conducted in Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan. A difference-in-differences approach was used for the analysis and various other attributes that influence income such as the level of education, age and gender were taken into account in model formation. The findings indicate that microloans do not significantly affect the income level of the urbn poor in the short run.

This dissertation combines ethnography and history to study the co-evolution of participatory governance and clientelism in a context of urban poverty and re-democratization in the city of Fortaleza, capital of the Northeastern state of Ceará, Brazil. Government sponsored participatory governance mechanisms have been employed in Brazil since the 1980s to re-incorporate civil society into such processes of government as budgeting and city planning. With an emphasis on citizen participation, participatory governance represents a new form of mediation between the state and society, one that provides an alternative to traditional forms of state-society relationships such as clientelism, a mainstay of Brazilian politics. Despite a large body of research on Brazil’s participatory programs, little attention has been paid to the use of participatory social policy by the military regime (1964-1985) and the impacts of participation’s authoritarian origins on contemporary state-society relations. Three inter-related questions guide the analysis. First, how has participatory governance, originally employed in Fortaleza by the military government, shaped how the urban poor organize and exercise their political citizenship today? Second, how has clientelism adapted to participatory institutions? Do participatory mechanisms aid the urban poor in overcoming existing societal and political power structures? Finally, how have grassroots (non-state sponsored) participatory organizations shaped local conceptions of politics and civic engagement? The main contribution of this dissertation is to bring anthropological discussions on participatory governance in Brazil to bear on discussions surrounding political clientelism and political participation, in a context of democratization in poor urban communities. The analysis, developed in three appended articles, is based on data from twelve months of ethnographic fieldwork in Fortaleza involving participant observation, in-depth interviews, and a review of archival data from city participatory planning offices and local universities. The data provides evidence that the institutionalization of civil society’s engagement with the state led to new expressions of and limitations to citizenship among Fortaleza’s urban poor. I argue that the authoritarian origins of participatory social policy in Fortaleza led to the fragmentation of strong civic mobilization in the 1980s and consolidated new forms of urban clientelism. Contemporary participatory governance programs have diversified urban political networks, which lessons the power of traditional clientelist patrons, but some patrons have adapted by institutionalizing methods of exchange within participatory programs and local organizations. Recent informal participatory mechanisms have emerged to assert localized or alternate governmentalities. These grassroots forms respond to the paradoxical and contested nature of participation in participatory programs in Fortaleza’s peripheries; that they often fail to achieve long-term solutions to local issues through sustained civic mobilization.

Thesis advisor: M. Brinton Lykes / Today in the United States there is epidemic poverty plaguing childhood for many of our nation's children. Census data for 2000 indicates that there were about 72 million people under the age of 18 living in the United States and more than 11.6 million of these children were living below the poverty line. That means that at least one out of every six children in this country was living in poverty. More alarming is the realization that 77% of these children living in poverty lived in families that had at least one working adult. These were not children from families that were lazy, unable to find work, unmotivated, or unable to work due to illness, drug use, or some other circumstances but rather children from families that were working and still not able to make enough money to support their families in a healthy way. These children are in a situation not of their own making. For many, this is not a condition that they are surviving for a brief period of time but rather a societal context in which they are challenged to grow up. Eighty percent of children who are poor one year are still poor the following year. This is not a problem that will just go away by itself. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2003. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Education, Lynch School of. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

A tese analisa as estratégias individuais e familiares de sobrevivência e melhoria de vida entre moradores de uma favela paulistana. O objetivo é observar ao longo dos percursos de vida a evolução de suas condições de vida e bem estar, problematizando a produção e reprodução das desigualdades no interior da pobreza. / This thesis analyses familial and individual survival and improvement strategies of favela inhabitans in the city of São Paulo. The objective is to observe through their life courses the evolution life conditions and well-being, making problematic the production and reproduction of inequalities in poverty.

A pesquisa busca mostrar, de forma geral, as causas do processo de periferização nos municípios do entorno da metrópole paulista, e como se dá a concentração da pobreza, que afeta o desenvolvimento local e da sociedade como um todo. Nesse contexto, a questão das desigualdades sócio - espaciais e da segregação social urbana serão muito discutidas, assim como os efeitos da exclusão social na formação do indivíduo, inserido na realidade das periferias empobrecidas. Acredita-se que lugares socialmente degradados e ambientalmente problemáticos, sem amparo de políticas públicas específicas, são reprodutores dessas mesmas condições, e que este fato já não é mais suportado pelas cidades, pois não permite seu desenvolvimento econômico e social, tampouco o compromisso de fornecer uma qualidade de vida mínima para sua população. Além disso, a reprodução da pobreza e da desigualdade sócio espacial, afeta a sociedade como um todo, uma vez que se tornam crescentes os conflitos sociais e principalmente a violência urbana. A partir dessa discussão, o município periférico de Francisco Morato passa então a ser o foco principal da pesquisa, que mostrará como o processo de empobrecimento e periferização afetam esse Município de 155 mil habitantes, crescente e desordenado, situado na região noroeste da Grande São Paulo. A intenção é ter Francisco Morato como exemplo do que acontece em diversos outros municípios empobrecidos da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo. Francisco Morato é formado em grande parte por loteamentos de baixa renda, sendo um grande número deles irregulares. A cidade em geral é carente de diversas infra-estruturas, equipamentos urbanos, serviços e projetos sociais. Nesta pesquisa, partimos do princípio que o modelo de urbanização atual tornou-se social e ambientalmente inviável para o desenvolvimento sócio-econômico e ambiental, uma vez que o aumento da pobreza urbana prejudica o desenvolvimento da cidade, pois proporciona diversos tipos de problemas ambientais e sociais, tais como ocupação de áreas impróprias, desmatamentos, aumento da exclusão, da violência e geração de mais pobreza a partir da reprodução das relações sociais. Esses problemas atingem toda a sociedade e devem ter seus efeitos considerados ao longo prazo. Trata-se da formação social, do indivíduo que estamos produzindo, inserido num contexto onde as desigualdades sociais, as indiferenças e a violência são crescentes. Para as prefeituras das periferias empobrecidas, os problemas sócio-ambientais tornam-se um desafio cada vez maior, uma vez que essas instituições são em muitos casos carentes de instrumentos de gestão e recursos técnicos e financeiros. Essa é a realidade de Francisco Morato e de outros municípios de baixa renda. O Objetivo principal do trabalho é levantar os impactos causados, pelo aumento da pobreza urbana, no meio físico e social das cidades, tendo Francisco Morato como exemplo. Tentamos jogar luzes sobre a questão da reprodução dos espaços de pobreza, e entender se a partir da dinâmica capitalista excludente, aliada à ineficácia de políticas públicas, estamos criando uma sociedade mais desiquilibrada socialmente, mais violenta e mais subdesenvolvida. Talvez o resultado dessa pesquisa possa ajudar na formulação de políticas públicas sociais mais eficazes no combate à pobreza e à exclusão no município de Francisco Morato e em outros locais com situação semelhante. / This search tries to focus the causes of the peripherical process in the cities around Sao Paulo metropolis as well as try to explain how the poverty concentration is done and how it can modify not only the local development but also the whole society. In this context, the question of the social-space inequalities and urban social segregation will be widely argued, as well the effects of the social exclusion in the individual formation, inserted into the peripherical poverty reality. We believe that places socially and ambientally degraded and without any specific support from government are reproducers of these same conditions and this situation is not supported any more by the cities once it does not permit its economic and social development, worse than that, do not provide the minimum life quality for its population. Moreover, the reproduction of the poverty and social-spacial inequality affects the society as a whole, once the social problems and conflicts are growing up and mainly the urban violence. From this point of the discussion ahead, the peripherical county of Francisco Morato begins to be the main focus of this search that will show how the impoverish process affects this disordered and increasing County of 155 thousands inhabitants, located at northwest of Sao Paulo City (Grande Sao Paulo). The intention is to have Francisco Morato as an example of what happens in several others poor counties around the region of São Paulo metropolis. Francisco Morato has a lot of illegal and low income land divisions. The County is, in a general way, devoided of infrastructure, urban equipments, services and social projects. In this search, we start from the principle that the current urbanization model became unsustainable for the environmental and economic-social development once the urban impoverishment harms the city development. These problems affect society the society as a whole and must have its effects considered in long term. These is regarding to the social formation, to the individual that we are producing within a context where the social inequality, the indifference and violence are growing up. To the City Halls of the poor periphery, the social-environmental problem is a big challenging because these institutions are most of the cases, deficient in managements, financial and technical resources. This is the reality of Francisco Morato and others poor income counties. Having Francisco Morato as an example, the main objective of this work is to establish the impacts caused by the urban poverty into the environmental and social means of the cities. We try to clarify the questions about the reproduction of poverty spaces and understand if the dynamic of exclusionist capitalism, allied to inefficient public politics, are creating a society much more socially-unbalanced, more violent and more underdeveloped. Perhaps the results of this search can help the formulation of more efficient public politics to reduce poverty and social-exclusion of the County of Francisco Morato as much as others countries with the same situation.

A pesquisa busca mostrar, de forma geral, as causas do processo de periferização nos municípios do entorno da metrópole paulista, e como se dá a concentração da pobreza, que afeta o desenvolvimento local e da sociedade como um todo. Nesse contexto, a questão das desigualdades sócio - espaciais e da segregação social urbana serão muito discutidas, assim como os efeitos da exclusão social na formação do indivíduo, inserido na realidade das periferias empobrecidas. Acredita-se que lugares socialmente degradados e ambientalmente problemáticos, sem amparo de políticas públicas específicas, são reprodutores dessas mesmas condições, e que este fato já não é mais suportado pelas cidades, pois não permite seu desenvolvimento econômico e social, tampouco o compromisso de fornecer uma qualidade de vida mínima para sua população. Além disso, a reprodução da pobreza e da desigualdade sócio espacial, afeta a sociedade como um todo, uma vez que se tornam crescentes os conflitos sociais e principalmente a violência urbana. A partir dessa discussão, o município periférico de Francisco Morato passa então a ser o foco principal da pesquisa, que mostrará como o processo de empobrecimento e periferização afetam esse Município de 155 mil habitantes, crescente e desordenado, situado na região noroeste da Grande São Paulo. A intenção é ter Francisco Morato como exemplo do que acontece em diversos outros municípios empobrecidos da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo. Francisco Morato é formado em grande parte por loteamentos de baixa renda, sendo um grande número deles irregulares. A cidade em geral é carente de diversas infra-estruturas, equipamentos urbanos, serviços e projetos sociais. Nesta pesquisa, partimos do princípio que o modelo de urbanização atual tornou-se social e ambientalmente inviável para o desenvolvimento sócio-econômico e ambiental, uma vez que o aumento da pobreza urbana prejudica o desenvolvimento da cidade, pois proporciona diversos tipos de problemas ambientais e sociais, tais como ocupação de áreas impróprias, desmatamentos, aumento da exclusão, da violência e geração de mais pobreza a partir da reprodução das relações sociais. Esses problemas atingem toda a sociedade e devem ter seus efeitos considerados ao longo prazo. Trata-se da formação social, do indivíduo que estamos produzindo, inserido num contexto onde as desigualdades sociais, as indiferenças e a violência são crescentes. Para as prefeituras das periferias empobrecidas, os problemas sócio-ambientais tornam-se um desafio cada vez maior, uma vez que essas instituições são em muitos casos carentes de instrumentos de gestão e recursos técnicos e financeiros. Essa é a realidade de Francisco Morato e de outros municípios de baixa renda. O Objetivo principal do trabalho é levantar os impactos causados, pelo aumento da pobreza urbana, no meio físico e social das cidades, tendo Francisco Morato como exemplo. Tentamos jogar luzes sobre a questão da reprodução dos espaços de pobreza, e entender se a partir da dinâmica capitalista excludente, aliada à ineficácia de políticas públicas, estamos criando uma sociedade mais desiquilibrada socialmente, mais violenta e mais subdesenvolvida. Talvez o resultado dessa pesquisa possa ajudar na formulação de políticas públicas sociais mais eficazes no combate à pobreza e à exclusão no município de Francisco Morato e em outros locais com situação semelhante. / This search tries to focus the causes of the peripherical process in the cities around Sao Paulo metropolis as well as try to explain how the poverty concentration is done and how it can modify not only the local development but also the whole society. In this context, the question of the social-space inequalities and urban social segregation will be widely argued, as well the effects of the social exclusion in the individual formation, inserted into the peripherical poverty reality. We believe that places socially and ambientally degraded and without any specific support from government are reproducers of these same conditions and this situation is not supported any more by the cities once it does not permit its economic and social development, worse than that, do not provide the minimum life quality for its population. Moreover, the reproduction of the poverty and social-spacial inequality affects the society as a whole, once the social problems and conflicts are growing up and mainly the urban violence. From this point of the discussion ahead, the peripherical county of Francisco Morato begins to be the main focus of this search that will show how the impoverish process affects this disordered and increasing County of 155 thousands inhabitants, located at northwest of Sao Paulo City (Grande Sao Paulo). The intention is to have Francisco Morato as an example of what happens in several others poor counties around the region of São Paulo metropolis. Francisco Morato has a lot of illegal and low income land divisions. The County is, in a general way, devoided of infrastructure, urban equipments, services and social projects. In this search, we start from the principle that the current urbanization model became unsustainable for the environmental and economic-social development once the urban impoverishment harms the city development. These problems affect society the society as a whole and must have its effects considered in long term. These is regarding to the social formation, to the individual that we are producing within a context where the social inequality, the indifference and violence are growing up. To the City Halls of the poor periphery, the social-environmental problem is a big challenging because these institutions are most of the cases, deficient in managements, financial and technical resources. This is the reality of Francisco Morato and others poor income counties. Having Francisco Morato as an example, the main objective of this work is to establish the impacts caused by the urban poverty into the environmental and social means of the cities. We try to clarify the questions about the reproduction of poverty spaces and understand if the dynamic of exclusionist capitalism, allied to inefficient public politics, are creating a society much more socially-unbalanced, more violent and more underdeveloped. Perhaps the results of this search can help the formulation of more efficient public politics to reduce poverty and social-exclusion of the County of Francisco Morato as much as others countries with the same situation.