Raul Silveira Neto (p), Diego Silva, Filipe Cavalcanti, Filipe Miranda

Although it is amply recognized that part important of the very high levels of urban Brazilian violence is associated with drugs traffic, formal and rigorous investigation is rare and almost inexistent when the focus are urban neighborhoods. In fact, the available evidence about the association between drugs traffic and consumption and violence is solely based on across cities comparison and consider basically violence associated with homicide. Using a unique data set of 261 Recife Metropolitan Region neighborhoods and spatial econometric models (SLX, SDM and SDEM), the paper presents evidence about a strong and robust spatial association between drugs traffic and consumption and urban violence. The investigation brings at least three contributions to the literature. First, since the violence occurs spatially concentrated within cities, different from previous studies in Brazil, we study the association between drugs and urban violence using neighborhoods and not cities. Second, different from previous investigations, we use distinct indicators of urban violence, such as robbery and aggravated assault, and not only homicide rates. Finally, even if it is not possible to guarantee that our estimated associations between drugs and urban violence represent causal relationships, we were able to consider an unique large set of covariates that, together with spatial econometrics models, certainty turns endogeneity problems much less important. The set of controls includes not only traditional socioeconomic local conditionings of violence, but also, for example, the presence of slums and bar and restaurants activities in the neighborhoods. The set of evidence indicates positive and robust association between drug traffic and homicide and aggravated assault indicators (for example, the homicide rate elasticity related to drugs traffic rate is around 0.207). No association is found, however, between drug traffic and robbery, nor between drug possession and urban violence. Thus, confirming previous evidence obtained using sample of cities (De Mello, 2015), urban violence in Brazil appears strongly associated with drugs traffic and this association appears explained by the systematic nexus of the relationship (implications of its illegal character).

Annie Tubadji (p)

Religion has been tackled in economics mostly from the supply side. It has been contested as either an exogenous cultural attitude that determines economic productivity (Weberian perspective) or as an endogenous narrative created to enhance the power of the institutions over the disadvantaged individuals – i.e. religion as the ‘opium of the people’ (Marxian perspective). But considerably little has been said in economics about the demand for religion and especially what the aggregate demand for religion might stand for. Moreover, religion was thought of as a dwindling down institution itself, since developed societies were presumably growing less religious. The current economic crisis might show the demand side of religion in a different colour with the upsurge of religiosity across the West. At this background, the current paper poses two questions: (i) what socio-economic factors drive the demand for religiosity and superstitious belief on individual level; and (ii) what is increased presence of religiosity and superstitious beliefs signaling for local development on aggregate level? To approach these questions empirically, over 5mln individual observations (i.e. the 10% sample) from the UK 2011 Census data is used. More than 60,000 people in this census self-identified as witches when they were asked to specify freely their religious denomination. Clearly, the UK has a historic predisposition for eventual cultural persistence in witchcraft, as an expression of the free-spirited female. However, anecdotal evidence points that most modern witches in the UK are usually individuals who have experienced negative shocks in their personal socio-economic development and are often stigmatized as mental health cases. Propensity score matching and multi-level modelling are employed. On individual level, we find that the demand for superstitious beliefs is a psychological mechanism for handling relative deprivation. On regional level, higher percentage of superstitious beliefs is associated with higher levels of economic segregation and inequality.

Bandyopadhyay (p), Binay Pal (p)

Public Space has evolved as one of the elementary platforms where social interactions are played out. It determines the character of any location. The different dimensions of public space are the key to ‘place-making’ – more often than not, it is an annotation to the identity of a city. Public space evolves, transforms and changes its character, in keeping with the spirit of the city and the researcher can trace the transformation by relating its nature to the city’s economy, social character, planning and governance. It is understood as it evolves, as a divergence of many factors. This paper makes an attempt to unravel the complex historical narratives over the production of public spaces in the city of Kolkata, a megacity that evolved through colonial history, struggle for independence, the naxal movement, a long history of Left rule and presently, a politically changed scenario – all this interspersed with the neo-liberal influences in planning. It is increasingly evident that public space that evolved in specific social exclusionary principles during the British rule, bore a distinctive character as identifiably different from those created by the local communities for their own use. Public spaces are also spaces of other kinds of contestations – users resolve, as also create conflicts, raise protests, address public issues etc. Users become agents associated with citizens rights, homelessness, provision of public utilities, public art, scope for a democratic rights. Delving into the colonial era is an essential precursor to understanding the evolution and transformatory character of Kolkata’s public space in its present form. Content analysis of archival literature, planning and policy documents are used as the basis of enquiry, substantiated by perception studies across different sets of respondents selected from amongst elite and poor citizens, aged citizens of select neighbourhoods, planners from yester-years and present generations help identify the visions and imageries of the city and its role in place-making. It is concluded that there has been a gradual shift in perceptions from segregation and exclusion during colonial period towards creating more uniform and inclusive public spaces in postcolonial era on the one hand, and the superimposition of the vision of a global city aimed to be created in keeping with demands of global capital. This juxtaposition has created complexities of identity, conflicts and confusions, often usurped politically, that have nuanced impacts upon the communities and their freedom to use space as if it were their own.