The Sensation of Security: Private Guards and Social Order in Brazil

The Sensation of Security examines how private security guards in Rio de Janeiro provide a sense of security to clients and customers through racialized and gendered impressions related to safety, order, well-being, and cleanliness.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 198 pages
Publication date: 15 May 2023
Publisher: Cornell University Press

The Sensation of Security delves into the pervasive presence of private security guards in the daily lives of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Through extensive ethnographic research spanning several years, Erika Robb Larkins examines the provision of security in Rio from the perspective of security personnel, shedding light on the racialized logics that underpin this critical task. Larkins explores how security guards convey a sense of security to clients and customers who can afford their services, highlighting the cultural nuances that shape this perception. Cultivated through the performances of security laborers, the sensation of security encompasses a range of racialized and gendered impressions associated with safety, order, well-being, and cleanliness. While it primarily serves as a visible means of addressing fears of crime and maintaining order in elite spaces, it also encompasses the emotional labor and physical realities that security workers navigate.

This study highlights the complex interplay between security personnel, clients, and the broader social context in Rio de Janeiro. It sheds light on the ways in which race, gender, and class shape perceptions of security and the responsibilities of those who provide it. Larkins' analysis provides valuable insights into the dynamics of power, privilege, and insecurity in urban spaces, and contributes to our understanding of the broader social and political implications of private security in contemporary society.

Weight: 308g
Dimension: 151 x 228 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501769740