Security, Health and Social Exclusion in Urban Contexts. A Sociological Perspective

This paper explores the theme of socio-spatial exclusion through two concepts from contemporary critical sociology: that of territorial stigmatization and that of abyssal social exclusion. These concepts are used to interpret a specific urban context characterized by marked socio-spatial inequalities: the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The dynamics of socio-spatial segregation are analyzed with particular reference to the issues of urban security and access to social and health services. The case of Rio de Janeiro, which has a paradigmatic value because of the deep urban division between asfalto and favelas, has here the function of stimulating the analysis of certain dynamics also found in other urban contexts globally. We then go on to discuss the relevance of activation and knowledge processes located in “bottom-up” civic and democratic participation practices to counteract the dynamics of social exclusion and foster equitable access to urban healthcare and security.