MC367 Take home Midterm 2: Due Tuesday, April 4 in class
Hard copy due in class and an electronic copy due on D2L dropbox (which will be open from Tuesday
April 4 from noon to 5 pm.
Answer all questions. Type word count as required under the short answer essays. These answers may
be formatted in single spaced paragraphs, with 12 pt. font.
Part 1. 400 words
(1) Find data for the following indicators for Brazil in the World Bank database,
(2) analyze them, and
(3) comment on key trends since 1980. Use Perlman’s chapter 10 on globalization and Foer’s article
on Brazil for context. (1-3 in 400 words total)
(4) Include an excel spreadsheet table showing data.
http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=world-development-indicators&l=en
Find data for the following indicators for Brazil for these years 1980, 1990, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2011,
2014 and attach the excel spreadsheet.
Population living in slums, (% of urban population)
Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population)
Urban population growth (annual %)
Urban population (% of total)
Part 2. 900 words
(1) Explain Janice Perlman’s critique of both the modernization thesis’s assessment of the favela
and the thesis of “advanced marginality.”
(2) Provide a description of Rio’s favela communities according to:
a. the modernization thesis, idea that cities in general will have development and with
more development you have modernity. Sassen critiques this bc it is not linear like they
think it is. Counter is dependency theory (it is the critique). Lula thinks that they can just
build large projects and that will bring them to modern world.
b. the advanced marginality thesis, somewhat discussed by Fore
c. Perlman’s thesis, and
d. the perspectives provided by directors of: POV Favela Rising (2005),
e. POV City of God (2003), and
f. Loïc Wacquant (2008). Advanced marginality piece
Part 3
Only answer 3 of the following short answers on Rio de Janeiro (250 words for each answer):
(1) Name 5 key explanations for upward social mobility for favela families.
Location in a conjunto, formal employment, higher education,
(2) What is the critique of aesthetic of violence used in City of God according to Siwi?
(3) Name five key components of Afro-Reggae’s success (Perlman and Favela Rising).
Community it built, organized and structured hierarchy mimicked the drug gang, positive role
models, could not be a part of the drug gang if you were in afro-Reggae, gave people a sense
of identity and pride in their cultural roots.
(4) What is the contribution of Kinaesthetics for creating political cultural agency in favelas?
(5) Identify 5 urban and social policy solutions that Perlman thinks are important to improving
the stability of favelas and their residents.
(6) Name five components of social order of the slum according to Michael Penta, and the
writers of the authors of City of God and Favela Rising.