Have slums suddenly become cool? Tourists across the globe seem to think so, as they increasingly hunt down favelas, ghettos, and barrios for memorable vacation experiences. A moral outrage to some critics, the rise of slum tourism nevertheless is a fascinating phenomenon that demands more detailed, nonjudgmental research than it has received up to this point. In the provocative Slumming It , Fabian Frenzel is the first scholar to explore the intriguing motivations and consequences of this novel form of tourism with a truly accessible, open-minded approach. He examines the strange allure that slums have for wealthier visitors, and he investigates the changes this curious attraction has led to on both a small and large scale: from gentrification and urban policy reform to the organization of international development and poverty alleviation efforts. Using case studies throughout the global south—including Rio de Janeiro, Bangkok, and cities in South Africa, Kenya, and India—Frenzel provides a comprehensive study of slum tourism and a controversial take on the potentially positive impact it may have on these struggling communities in the future. Have Slums Become 'cool'? More And More Tourists From Across The Globe Seem To Think So As They Discover Favelas, Ghettos, Townships And Barrios On Leisurely Visits. But While Slum Tourism Often Evokes Moral Outrage, Critics Rarely Ask About What Motivates This Tourism, Or What Wider Consequences And Effects It Initiates. In This Provocative Book, Fabian Frenzel Investigates The Lure That Slums Exert On Their Better-off Visitors, Looking At The Many Ways In Which This Curious Form Of Attraction Ignites Changes Both In The Slums Themselves And On The World Stage. Covering Slums Ranging From Rio De Janeiro To Bangkok, And Multiple Cities In South Africa, Kenya And India, Slumming It Examines The Roots And Consequences Of A Growing Phenomenon Whose Effects Have Ranged From Gentrification And Urban Policy Reform To The Organization Of International Development And Poverty Alleviation. Controversially, Frenzel Argues That The Rise Of Slum Tourism Has Drawn Attention To Important Global Justice Issues, And Is Far More Complex Than We Initially Acknowledged. Introduction -- Tourism And Social Question -- The Slum And The City -- Value Practices And Tourist Valorization -- Slums In Local Value Regimes -- Disruptive Valorization: Putting Slums On The Map -- Co-opting And Engineering Tourist Valorization: Policy And Real Estate Responses -- Tourist Valorization In The Post-fordist Care Regime -- Slum Tourism And Political Activism -- Conclusion. Fabian Frenzel. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 1 About the Author......Page 3 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Dedication......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 List of figures......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 12 1 Introduction......Page 14 2 Tourism and the social question......Page 31 3 The slum and the city......Page 52 4 Value practices and tourist valorization......Page 77 5 Slums in local value regimes......Page 95 6 Disruptive valorization: putting slums on the map......Page 111 7 Co-opting and engineering tourist valorization: policy and real estate responses......Page 137 8 Tourist valorization in the post-Fordist care regime......Page 156 9 Slum tourism and political activism......Page 174 10 Conclusion......Page 194 References......Page 210 Index......Page 224 Fabian Frenzel looks at the growing phenomenon of 'slum tourism' and considers its limitations and potential in tackling inequality throughout the global south
