Page 92 - IJPS-9-3

International Journal of
Population Studies Refugees’ voices in Brazilian cities

space, and political rights. Seeking refuge, in essence, is formulation and reformulation, from which (new) actors,
an endeavor to attain the conditions necessary to realize scales, and places of exercise emerge (Isin, 2009).
fundamental rights while preserving one’s dignity and From the perspective of Holston (2009; 2015),
humanity. Consequently, welcoming encompasses the historical and rooted injustices, often of a structural nature,
crucial task of safeguarding the refugee population’s initially contributed to the formation of a “differentiated
effective right to the city. citizenship,” which he recognizes as the continuous use
To grasp the concept of the “right to the city,” it is of a form of “selective disqualification” based on social
essential to underscore that the term “city” carries legal, distinctions and the conception of rights as privileges
political, and sociological significance (Filho, 2009). The granted to specific types of subjects, thus dividing citizens
city unveils itself as a structured framework encompassing into “classes.” However, in his study on urban peripheries in
various daily life activities, from basic existence to the the global era, including Brazil, the same author also points
intricate dynamics of human interaction. Within this to the emergence of an “insurgent citizenship.” This form
urban milieu, individuals cultivate and sustain the material of citizenship arises from the resignification of meanings
and psychosocial conditions necessary for their existence by new — and different — social subjects who have come
(Harvey, 2012; Instituto Paulo Freire and Prefeitura to inhabit the urban space. This insurgent citizenship has
Municipal de São Paulo, 2015). the potential to destabilize (or at least confront) the then-
current differentiated citizenship (Holston, 2009; 2015).
The city embodies a complex network of material, legal,
social, and political interactions that coexist with diversity In this sense, Papadopoulos & Tsianos (2013) perceive
and sometimes conflict. It serves as a convergence point for citizenship as a specific form of governance that regulates
a multitude of individuals, where actions and relationships the relationship between rights and representation
intersect within territorial and administrative structures, (understood as the qualification of individuals as national
commerce, the social division of labor, and even the citizens). This axiom “rights-representation” represents the
urbanization process. These elements collectively shape basis of modern politics: Rights are considered crucial to
urban life (Borja & Muxí, 2000; Instituto Paulo Freire and creating different segments of citizens and defining who
Prefeitura Municipal de São Paulo, 2015) and influence the qualifies for these rights, while representation defines
practice of citizenship. This is because the very essence of who would be “entitled to have rights” and to what “type”
citizenship finds its expression in the public space, which is of rights one is entitled to. However, these authors argue
intrinsically linked to the city itself (Borja & Muxí, 2000). that cultural identity and collective affections of belonging
The city, in essence, serves as the arena for the practice emerge among mobile or marginalized populations. These
of citizenship, as it facilitates the exercise of various aspects factors can create a social subject that has the potential to
of citizenship rights. These encompass elements such as become a true subject of rights.
the ability to choose one’s work and housing, access to In light of this expansive and insurgent perspective, as
education and basic services, self-governance, and fostering articulated by Santos (2014), citizenship can be understood
diverse interpersonal relationships (Borja & Muxí, 2000). as a compilation of board and abstract principles that
Through our presence in the city, we engage in all the daily manifest as a collection of specific and personalized rights.
activities that ensure our existence and coexistence within These rights are meant to be acknowledged and affirmed
the community. We work, study, and live together; in short, within the context of the prevailing societal norms.
we live (De Oliveira & Carneiro, 2022). This notion of Citizenship, functioning as a source of rights, serves as a
“inhabiting” extends to encompass all actions that involve foundation for respecting each individual and functions
the exercise of every facet of citizenship — civil, political, akin to a societal “law.” This “law” applies universally,
and social, as categorized by Marshall (1967) and De without discrimination, empowering everyone with
Carvalho (2015). This perspective transforms citizenship the necessary “strength” to demand and receive respect
from being merely a status or qualification bestowed upon in the face of other “forces” (Santos, 2014), such as the
individuals into a tool for actively practicing and exercising infringement of their rights. Consequently, the concept
rights (Isin, 2009). of citizenship encapsulates a set of rights that enables any
This is because, as a phenomenon, citizenship proves individual to actively engage in the affairs and governance
to be complex and historically constructed (De Carvalho, of the community in which they participate (De Dallari,
2015; Marshall, 1967). It has evolved within the context 2004), a concept often referred to as “citizenship rights.”
of the historical phenomenon of the construction of the Included within this set of rights is the right to political
Nation-State and has materialized through struggles for participation, as defined by De Dallari (1992). It is described
rights among various groups in a continuous process of as the “right-duty” to influence the establishment of rules

Volume 9 Issue 3 (2023) 86 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.438