Favela Digital Activism: The Use of Social Media to Fight Oppression and Injustice in Brazil

Medrado, A., Souza, R. and Cabral, T. 2020. Favela Digital Activism: The Use of Social Media to Fight Oppression and Injustice in Brazil. in: Martens, C., Venegas, C. and Sharupi Tapuy, E. (ed.) Digital Activism, Community Media and Sustainable Communication in Latin America London Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 177-202

Chapter titleFavela Digital Activism: The Use of Social Media to Fight Oppression and Injustice in Brazil
AuthorsMedrado, A., Souza, R. and Cabral, T.
EditorsMartens, C., Venegas, C. and Sharupi Tapuy, E.
Abstract

In this chapter, we analyze the role of favela digital activism as a tool to fight against oppression, injustice and Human Rights violations in Rio de Janeiro. By studying “favela digital activism”, we refer to residents’ “us by us” philosophy in which they can become the narrators of their own stories. The methodological approaches are inspired by digital anthropology. We conducted the research in two stages, with netnographic observations in the first phase and offline ethnographic observations and interviews in the second phase. In order to offer an in-depth exploration of one successful initiative, we analyze the case study of a Facebook page called Maré Vive, created by residents of Maré, a large network of favelas in Rio de Janeiro. We argue that favela digital activism represents a distinctive urban media phenomenon, providing residents with tools for everyday survival in a context of conflict and social inequality.

Keywordsfavela digital activism, social media; urban media; community media; police brutality; media and everyday life.
Book titleDigital Activism, Community Media and Sustainable Communication in Latin America
Page range177-202
Year2020
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Publication dates
Published04 Aug 2020
Place of publicationLondon
ISBN9783030453947
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45394-7
File
File Access Level
Controlled (open metadata, closed files)
Web address (URL)https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030453930

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