"Fear talk" in Capim Macio, Natal, Brazil
Fear talk; Crime fear; Public security; Insecurity; Subjective violence; Urban district; Brazil; Natal; Capim Macio; Habitus; Pierre Bourdieu
The fear of being a victim of violence and crime triggers diverse social practices, reorganizes the public space, shapes social interactions, legitimizes anti-democratic institutional actions, stigmatizes subjects, confuses crime with other urban issues, such as inadequate waste management, prostitution, the existence of homeless people, urban arts. Such a picture impacts the well-being of cities, the strengthening of democracy and human rights, the achievement of a more egalitarian and fraternal urban society, so it must be investigated. In this context, in Capim Macio, a middle-class neighborhood in the city of Natal/RN and the field of this research, large and medium-sized buildings coexist, having in common high walls, electric fences and electronic monitoring in most streets, little movement of pedestrians and public spaces, such as squares and blocks, but a strong incidence of private spaces, such as supermarkets, universities and schools. Based on the context described above, this study seeks, based on Pierre Bourdieu's theory of habitus, to answer: “How are the social practices of Capim Macio residents structured based on fear of crime?”. It is a predominantly qualitative research, with a descriptive character, which is explained in light of the chosen theoretical framework. Through observational and documentary analysis, in addition to the application of semi-structured interviews, it was possible to extract the socio-spatial and criminal processes developed in the neighborhood and the residents' relations with violence, crime and fear.