Entre cidades partidas e quartos de despejo: territórios, nomenclaturas e relações de poder

Abstract

In September 2023, occurred the “I National Meeting of Production, Analysis and Dissemination of Information on Favelas and Urban Communities in Brazil”, promoted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The central objective of the event was to discuss the change in the nomenclature “subnormal clusters”, used in the agency's official research and publications to define popular territories in the country. In this text, through an experience report, I explain the aspects that I considered relevant on the event. I recall my memories, assuming, however, that memory is not established on the individual way. The memory is built of the events was formed by the collective experiences; they inform my view and the way I attribute meaning to reality. Under the auspices of this perspective, I conclude my narrative by stating that naming is exercising power. By opening its doors to society, IBGE moves closer to building a more democratic and plural society, moving away from stigmatizing and pejorative discourses about these territories and their populations.