Touring Poverty addresses a highly controversial practice: the transformation of impoverished neighbourhoods into valued attractions for international tourists. In the megacities of the Global South, selected and idealized aspects of poverty are being turned into a tourist commodity for consumption.

The book takes the reader on a journey through Rocinha, a neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro which is advertised as "the largest favela in Latin America." Bianca Freire-Medeiros presents interviews with tour operators, guides, tourists and dwellers to explore the vital questions raised by this kind of tourism. How and why do diverse social actors and institutions orchestrate, perform and consume touristic poverty? In the context of globalization and neoliberalism, what are the politics of selling and buying the social experience of cities, cultures and peoples?

With a full and sensitive exploration of the ethical debates surrounding the sale of emotions elicited by the first-hand contemplation of poverty, Touring Poverty is an innovative book that provokes the reader to think about the role played by tourism and our role as tourists within a context of growing poverty. It will be of interest to students of sociology, anthropology, ethnography and methodology, urban studies, tourism studies, mobility studies, development studies, politics and international relations."

Touring Poverty addresses a highly controversial practice: the transformation of impoverished neighbourhoods into valued attractions for international tourists. In the megacities of the Global South, selected and idealized aspects of poverty are being turned into a tourist commodity for consumption.

The book takes the reader on a journey through Rocinha, a neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro which is advertised as "the largest favela in Latin America." Bianca Freire-Medeiros presents interviews with tour operators, guides, tourists and dwellers to explore the vital questions raised by this kind of tourism. How and why do diverse social actors and institutions orchestrate, perform and consume touristic poverty? In the context of globalization and neoliberalism, what are the politics of selling and buying the social experience of cities, cultures and peoples?

With a full and sensitive exploration of the ethical debates surrounding the 'sale of emotions' elicited by the first-hand contemplation of poverty, Touring Poverty is an innovative book that provokes the reader to think about the role played by tourism - and our role as tourists - within a context of growing poverty. It will be of interest to students of sociology, anthropology, ethnography and methodology, urban studies, tourism studies, mobility studies, development studies, politics and international relations.

Urban Latin America explores the relationship between images, words and the built environment using an engaging variety of methods and sources, with a timely emphasis on comparative studies. The book brings together scholars with various disciplinary backgrounds and theoretical affiliations who critically approach urban experiences through visual accounts, texts and architectural elements. The reader is introduced to major theories, secondary sources and empirical references that have not been written about in English. Film and photography, fictional and historical writings, particular buildings and landmarks - all inspire fascinating glimpses into different moments in the biography of cities in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Urban Latin America explores the relationship between images, words and the built environment using an engaging variety of methods and sources, with a timely emphasis on comparative studies. The book brings together scholars with various disciplinary backgrounds and theoretical affiliations who critically approach urban experiences through visual accounts, texts and architectural elements. The reader is introduced to major theories, secondary sources and empirical references that have not been written about in English. Film and photography, fictional and historical writings, particular buildings and landmarks - all inspire fascinating glimpses into different moments in the biography of cities in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela.