SOUZA, Helder Barros e. Squares lives: flanelinhas and social exclusion. []. , 18. ISSN 1870-350X.

The article questions the legitimacy of exclusionary discourse, the criminalization and disqualification of informal work in public space. We took as its starting point the study of a period marked by events in the city of Volta Redonda, State of Rio de Janeiro, when a series of police operations aimed to cohibit the activities of 'flanelinhas' at one of the central districts of the city. A contextualization was done from the analysis of information and journalistic articles divulged in official publications and vehicles of mass communication. For valuation of subjective data, we conducted a field research with flanelinhas in one of the sites more affected by the operations mentioned, collecting material through interviews, which was submitted to content analysis. The results indicate the tenuity of the frontier between the discourse of public order and social exclusion, and the ethical-political suffering of individuals marginalized during/after a career marked by silent violences.

: Social exclusion; Ideology; Informal work; Citizenship.