Poverty and Democracy Self-Help and Political Participation in Third World Cities

by Berg-Schlosser, Dirk; Kersting, Norbert

• ISBN13: 9781842772058
• ISBN10: 1842772058
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-06-28
• Publisher: Zed Books

Summary

This book addresses problems of poverty and democratization, and their possible interactions. Its focus lies on marginalized populations within large cities of 'Third World' countries, where these problems have become most crystallized in a spatial sense. Based on field research from Brazil, Chile, Ivory Coast, and Kenya, the book focuses on the national and local contexts and the concrete forms of social structure, interest organization, political culture, and political participation in these cities, countries, and continents.

Author Biography

Dirk Berg-Schlosser is Professor of Political Science, and Norbert Kersting is Assistant Professor of Political Science, both at Marburg University in Germany.

Table of Contents

Tables and Figures	viii
Notes on Contributors	x
Preface	xi
Poverty and Democracy. A Contradiction?	1	(16)
Dirk Berg-Schlosser
Norbert Kersting
Focus and methods	8	(7)
Structure of the book	15	(2)
National Contexts	17	(40)
Brazil: Barbara Happe
Social structure and social inequality	20	(1)
Political-cultural aspects	21	(2)
System of government	23	(3)
Urban setting	26	(5)
Chile: Jaime Sperberg
Social structure	31	(2)
Aspects of Chile's political culture	33	(1)
System of government	34	(2)
Responsibilities and power relations at the local level	36	(2)
The emergence of poor neighbourhoods (poblaciones)	38	(6)
Ivory Coast: Sylvia Schmitt
Social structure and social inequality	44	(1)
Political-cultural aspects	45	(1)
Characteristics of the political system	46	(2)
The urban setting	48	(1)
Marginalisation and urban poverty	49	(1)
Kenya: Dirk Berg-Schlosser	50	(1)
Economic Development and Social Structure	50	(2)
Political Development	52	(3)
Administrative Structures, Urban Setting	55	(2)
Housing Conditions and Policies	57	(19)
Sylvia Schmitt
Urbanisation and precarious living	57	(7)
Housing policies	64	(9)
Summary	73	(3)
Social Structures and Living Conditions	76	(17)
Barbara Happe
Jaime Sperberg
Marginality and extent of poverty	77	(3)
Objective living conditions	80	(8)
Perception of personal situation	88	(3)
Concluding remarks	91	(2)
Collective Interest Groups	93	(28)
Barbara Happe
Claus-Dieter Konig
Characterisation of shanty town organisations	94	(9)
Characteristics of the most important local groups	103	(1)
Latin American urban organisations	104	(6)
Local organisations in Africa	110	(5)
Membership profile of the most important organisations	115	(3)
Concluding remarks	118	(3)
Political Culture	121	(32)
Barbara Happe
Sylvia Schmitt
Political interest and political knowledge	124	(3)
Value structures	127	(9)
The legitimacy of the political system	136	(6)
Responsiveness and effectiveness of government	142	(6)
Concluding remarks: is there a political culture of the urban poor?	148	(5)
Political Participation	153	(28)
Norbert Kersting
Jaime Sperberg
Patterns of political participation	153	(9)
Analysis by country	162	(6)
Voting behaviour	168	(4)
Who votes for the government and who for the opposition?	172	(7)
Concluding remarks	179	(2)
Multi-Level Analyses	181	(15)
Dirk Berg-Schlosser
Living conditions and social relationships	182	(2)
Interest organisation	184	(4)
Political culture	188	(5)
Political participation	193	(3)
The Urban Poor as a Target of Development Policy	196	(21)
Norbert Kersting
Development aid and its orientation towards poverty	196	(5)
Potential and deficits of self-help organisation	201	(13)
Summary	214	(3)
Conclusions and Perspectives	217	(6)
Dirk Berg-Schlosser
Bibliography	223