William Ward
HIS 3600
Professionalizing History Majors
Spring 2025
Auyero, J., Burbano de Lara, A., & Berti, M. F. (2013). Violence and the State at the Urban Margins. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 43(1), 94-116. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241613494809 (Original work published 2014)
When it comes to reviewing academic journals for class work, I tend to look at assignments that are more complicated and nuanced. When I was working on the World History of the Global Drug Trade course, one of my assignments and the sources I saw were very complicated. When it comes to drugs and violence and was to try and solve those problems it can get very nuanced and problematic to the approaches governments can take. The article I’m going to review for this essay is an in-depth study on crime rates in a low-income district in areas in and around Buenos Aires in Argentina.
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The article begins with the introduction of the topic and its source of image, a study of information and data over a 30-month period on violence-ridden low-income areas. It does a deep analysis which brings into question other studies done while at the same time trying to prove another journal. While most journal only look at “lack of economic opportunities coupled with geographic isolation”(1) this journal sees that there is another factor at play of what is the root of issues in these areas such as the “actions or inactions of state agents may tame or increase this violence”(2) being the key arguing point of this journal. Citing dozens of other journal and academic articles who appear to be also peer-reviewed trustworthy sources, it seems violence has increased and become much more of an urban problem. With this quite sad statistic is brought forth, “Official data for the province of Buenos Aires show a doubling of crime rates between 1995 and 2008”(3) a dangerous fact that show there is an underlining serious issue present. They begin to conduct personal surveys and discussions with people in the southern part of Buenos Aires with archival research on the area. Informal employment is in the area, near a highly polluted river, and with a lack of economic opportunity present. This area set up for failure has only but a minor amount of government assistance and charities to aid it. Here the “murder rate... is thus… four times that of the state of Buenos Aires”(4) despite being a fraction the cities greater population. Here violence doesn’t need to brought up in conversation to learn of its involvement in people’s lives even among children it is a part of their lives and a regular part of common conversation from children as young as 8 to 13.(5) Here the state mismanagement is seen in great affect over militarization of the security of markets to keep commerce civil yet no police effort once the markets are closed. With corruption among the cops who do stay outside of market times with government members fully believing in a “perverse relationship between politics, crime and police action”(6) a problem so blatantly clear that even members of the government acknowledged it. With this the closing articles recognize that it has done a study on a nuanced area with a complicated problem at hand especially with their focused research. Along with this they acknowledge the specific nature of this journal and how there is a big picture that may not be covered in the journal.
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When we take a step back and look at the author’s credentials, we see Auyero went to University of Texas, Burbano de Lara went to the University of Buenos Aires, and Fernanda Berti is an independent author specializing in urban violence as a topic of personal research. It’s clear the authors truly cared and researched deeply their topic and information for this paper as their list of sources is almost as long as the journal itself. I found this article to be perfect and truly articulate the viewpoint. I agree with the view that violence is complicated and nuanced, but it can completely stem solely from government action. This journal itself would be a great source for those wanting to address crime and violence as it helps paint a picture of the societies’ ills and what can cause violence.
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This is one of my favorite articles I have viewed while at UCF. It was overwhelming at first but the more I read the clearer to me it was just how amazing it was. Articles like this truly remind you of what you are as a historian. To not simply agree with contemporaries to question and challenge their thoughts and ideals. To research information in and out of archives to address issues facing our world with knowledge of the past. Only through contradictory thought and argumentative education can we better ourselves and figure out problems and address them.
1. Javier Auyero, Agustín Burbano de Lara, and María Fernanda Berti, “Violence and the State at the Urban Margins,” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 43, no. 1 (July 30, 2013): 94–116, https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241613494809. Para. 4
2. Ibid Para. 4
3. Ibid Para. 7
4. Ibid Para. 13
5. Ibid Para. 17
6. Ibid Para. 37