published by casa da palavra the book favelas do rio de janeiro - história e direito (favelas of rio de janeiro - history and law), by rafael soares gonçalves follows the historical development of these communities and how they began to receive systematic academic attention in the second half of the 20th century.

in this text, gonçalves debunks the prevailing passive stereotype of community inhabitants, presenting them instead as active participants in the formation of their urban reality, having demonstrated legal expertise and prowess in strategic mobilization - he considers how the legal concept of a 'favela' impacted political policies and governmental initiatives, but often fell short in improving the stigma attached to these areas.

available in major bookstores, favelas do rio de janeiro - história e direito is also available on-line via livraria travessa on this link.