The increase in the homeless population over recent years is clearly evident to anyone visiting any of Brazil’s major metropolises. Although the phenomenon is no longer restricted to large cities, that is where this acute form of social exclusion and poverty is most apparent.
There are homeless people, defined as anyone who lives temporarily or permanently in public places or shelters and in situations of extreme poverty, in 42% of Brazilian municipalities. They may be homeless due to economic difficulties, family problems, or health issues, such as drug addiction.
Brazil has been slowly rediscovering itself based on the gradual release of data from the 2022 census, but our knowledge about this group of people is still lacking. Understanding more about this population is essential to developing public policies that address the problem, which is growing in Brazil and worldwide.
Government bodies and research institutes have been focusing on the methodological challenges of collecting more data, which is made even more difficult by factors such as the fluctuating and itinerant nature of this heterogeneous group. Studies on the homeless have also changed focus over time, as described in this issue’s cover story.
Methodology is at the heart of the work of sociologist Maria Cecília Minayo. A desire to combine her academic goals with social issues led her to study the impacts of violence on health. A socio-historical phenomenon, violence affects health in various ways, explains the FIOCRUZ researcher. In addition to causing deaths and physical trauma, it also causes mental and emotional problems, lowers quality of life, and has consequences on healthcare systems, creating new problems for preventive and curative care. In an interview, Minayo explains how she developed qualitative research procedures in the area.
The Quebra-Quilos Revolt is not usually covered in school history books. In the 1860s, during the reign of Dom Pedro II, a science lover who was eager to align with Europe, the government adopted the decimal metric system to replace the previously used anthropometric measurements, which included palms, armspans, and other units.
With the aim of facilitating commercial trade, the new mandatory system was instituted in 1873, causing outrage. The fight was not with science, but with the government, which left the burden of acquiring new scales and weights entirely to the public, explains journalist Suzel Tunes in this issue’s Retrospect section. Implementation of the metric system ended up being delayed in Brazil due to riots, measuring instruments being destroyed, and even blocks of sugar being thrown at the police.
And to close this issue, a portrait. Renowned for her images of the Yanomami people, Claudia Andujar appears on the other side of the camera with her partner of eight years and professional colleague, American photographer George Love. Love is known for his experimental images of the Amazon and urban scenes, and his work is currently on display at the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art.
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