PERCEPTIONS OF VIOLENCE IN A FORMER SLUM IN BRAZIL : A PHENOMENOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

Abstract

Background: This qualitative study focused on violence as perceived by residents of the slum (favela) of Vila Nova located in the outskirts of Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. At the time of this study, Vila Nova had existed for approximately 20 years, its underpriviledged residents having come to Brasilia from other states in search of a better life for their families. The researcher conducted a focus group interview in 2008 that revealed residents of the favela lived in a constant state of alert and fear due to the emergence of violence. Objective: The aim of this study was to gain insight into violence as a shared concern among Vila Nova residents. The researcher sought to explore the question, What is the lived experience of violence among underpriviledged residents of the favela of Vila Nova in Brasilia, Brazil? Methodology: The researcher used a qualitative research methodology informed by a phenomenological approach to inquire about the shared experiences of violence as perceived by residents of Vila Nova. The method of qualitative inquiry was appropriate for this study as the researcher sought to elicit the meaning that favela residents associated with the violence they perceived and experienced. Consistent with a phenomenological approach, the researcher conducted in-depth, open-ended interviews with eleven favela residents in an effort to understand their points of view, how they related to the phenomenon of violence, and the meanings that such violence held for them. Results: Data collected as a result of this study provided a rich description of what it meant to live in Vila Nova and the meaning that violence held for participants. Themes that emerged from the interviews were: feeling vulnerable, concern for children's future, contributing factors to violence, and discrimination against the community. Participants' coping strategies included remaining silent; self-imposed isolation; avoidance of going out during night hours; talking to children; prohibiting children from playing in the neighborhood, adapting to one's surroundings, and having faith in a supreme being as a source of protection. Conclusion: Vila Nova residents learned to adapt to violence since they perceived no other alternative to improving life conditions in the near future. Further research should address coping mechanisms to violence among impoverished and vulnerable populations especially when states are not present.