Representações sociais sobre o direito à cidade e à habitação: um olhar da periferia

Abstract

This exploratory and qualitative research aims to understand the social representations of urban occupations residents in relation to the right to the city and housing, considering housing as a basic need and its importance for individuals and groups subjective constitution. The Social Representations Theory is used as a reference as it proposes to overcome the dichotomy between individual and society. Thus, it allows understanding of a set of knowledge socially elaborated in a processual and dialogical manner. To reach these understandings, semi-structured interviews were conducted with residents of occupations located in the Sabará region, in the Industrial City of Curitiba - CIC, in order to verify the residential trajectorys, social relations around the housing issue and their aspirations in relation to housing and the city. These occupations stand out for the number of manifestations in claim to the right to housing. The region concentrates most of the irregular housing and housing production by the public power in Curitiba, and its history reveals the segregationist character of space production in the city. The area is characterized by precarious housing, infrastructure and sanitation conditions, as well as the lack of public services and equipment. By analyzing the content of the interviews, the following dimensions of meaning were distinguished for social representations: the experience of living, the logic of need, decent housing, perceptions of the city center, perspectives on inequality, power and coexistence, social bonds, prejudices and stigmas. To contribute with the analysis, theoretical research was also conducted on the concepts of space production and the right to the city in Henri Lefebvre's work, as well as the definitions of precarious inclusion and exclusion in capitalist society. In conclusion, it was found that residents perceive their poverty condition and their inequality in relation to other city areas, but this segregation is often naturalized, not realizing the role of social agents acting for the unequal production of space. However, it was also noted the mobilization and organization of residents to manage the times and spaces in the dynamics of occupations. Thus, we can see the coexistence of conformity and resistance manifestations, needs and potentialities in the daily lives of the interviewees.