Open AccessMarginal Conviviality On Inequalities and Violence Reproduction
Author(s) -
Gabriel Feltran
Publication year - 2020
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.46877/feltran.2020.26
Subject(s) - reproduction , sociology , inequality , normative , argument (complex analysis) , construct (python library) , argumentation theory , constitution , epistemology , political science , law , mathematical analysis , ecology , biochemistry , chemistry , philosophy , mathematics , computer science , biology , programming language
In an insightful essay reviewing the state of art of “conviviality”, Sergio Costa (2019: 1) follows the Mecila theoretical path (Mecila 2017) and asserts the “reciprocal constitution of conviviality and inequality”. The author removes from conviviality its normative (and conflict-free) mood; the notion, Costa argues, must be understood as an analytical unit for theory-making. As such, Costa assumes that ordinary interactions construct and, at the same time, reproduce social life. Conviviality is about pragmatically living together, not about virtuous commonality. In sustainedly unequal societies such as the Latin American ones, conviviality is inescapably linked to the reproduction of inequalities. Are convivial situations also part of the reproduction of violence, in societies that are not only unequal but also violent? This paper explores marginal conviviality, adding empirical evidence to Costa’s argument, as well as addressing his theoretical framework from an ethnographic point of view. A life story, followed empirically from 2005-2018 in a district of São Paulo, guides my argumentation.