Abstract EN:

This work contains: (a) a squetters and slums brief literature review, with emphasis upon the studies concerning the "favelas" in brazil; (b) a reflection about the subject "favela", having as a main theoretical framework the dynamic systems theory; (c) the study of the "favela acaba mundo": the investigation of the social, economic and political context within which acaba mundo was created, belo horizonte city; the presentation and the discussion of the research results concerning the "favela" (results from a demographic study employing questionnaire and from a reconstitution of its history by the way of interviews); the analysis of the "favela"'s structure and organization. Joining together our empirical informations, our formulations derived from the dynamic systems theory and our refletion concerning the social and economic determinants of the "favela", we formulated a set of hypotheses concerning our subject. We concluded that the "favela" was a dynamic and open system; nevertheless, it presents also some informational closure and clear physical limits. The question of the land property appeared to have a fundamental role. Moreover, although being a self organized system, the "favela" does not enjoy its autonomy.