A presentation given to the Big and Open Data for International Development Workshop at Manchester University (11 July 2016)

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Listening to the voices from (and about) the
slum
Using twitter to frame interventions
Isabella Rega
Ioanna Samakovlis
Alessandro Inversini
Nigel Williams
(irega, i7435094, ainversini, nwilliams)@bournemouth.ac.uk

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Rationale
Social media as information source…

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Social media as information source…
…to inform co-designed interventions aiming at
facilitating the insider-outsider encounter
Rationale

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Favelas and Social Media
Dramatic expansion of digital technology usage

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Favelas and Social Media
Dramatic expansion of digital technology usage
Favela residents are active social media users

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Our approach
Archive data
from twitter
(hashtag
favela)
Filter for
conversations
(@, RT, fav)
and location
SNA to
identify
communities
Similarity
analysis of
content in the
communities

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Research Objectives
The conceptualization of favela by different
groups

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Research Objectives
The conceptualization of favela by different
groups
The discourses generated by favela residents
and favelas’ visitors

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Research Objectives
The conceptualization of favela by different
groups
The discourses generated by favela residents
and favelas’ visitors
The structure of the network generated by
social media conversations

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Data Collection
PILOT STUDY
Search term: favela
2.557.992 filtered
Tweets (@, RT, fav)
over 18 months and
collecting…
Collection tool:
netlytic.org

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Social Network Analysis
Understand the overall structure of the
network

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Social Network Analysis
Understand the overall structure of the
network
Direct graph modeled by month and language

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Social Network Analysis
Understand the overall structure of the
network
Direct graph modeled by month and language
Calculate network statistics

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English Language Users Network
Characteristics
Dec-15
Jan-16
Feb-16
Vertices
7724
14190
11929
Unique Edges
6845
13703
11210
Maximum Geodesic
Distance (Diameter)
18
19
31
Average Geodesic
Distance
6.31158
4.83284
7.129438
Modularity
0.95676
0.907903
0.942048

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Portuguese Language Users
Network Characteristics
Dec-15
Jan-16
Feb-16
Vertices
151128
190547
149362
Unique Edges
176442
212826
154613
Maximum Geodesic
Distance (Diameter)
21
36
29
Average Geodesic
Distance
7.496
8.97
5.646
Modularity
0.848
0.88
0.925

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SNA insights
Users are segregated into distinct
communities (high modularity)

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SNA insights
Users are segregated into distinct
communities (high modularity)
Few users are visible and connect
multiple groups

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Semantic Similarity Analysis
Understand semantic relationships

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Semantic Similarity Analysis
Understand semantic relationships
Explore semantic clusters related to
civic engagement and social issues

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Exploring the clusters
BOUNDARY
A favela in Brazil the boundary between the rich and the poor
OLYMPICS
Olympic favela exhibition of rio eviction open 6pm studioxrio
Exhibition shows portraits of residents affected by Rio 2016 evictions
The favela fighting back against rio Olympics development
Right now a favela is being destroyed to make way for the Olympic park this
is someone home
RESIDENTS
The favela residents who won’t make room for the Olympics
Empowering favela residents in rio including through the use of technology
COMMUNITY
Back in casa amarela the cultural house I have opened 7 years ago in the
favela for the kids and the community
We support the viva favela_s community journalism course
MILITARY INTERVENTION
Military intervention already exists in the favela reflect on favela
pacification leading up to Olympics

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Exploring the clusters
Miséria
dinheiro pode tirar o homem da miséria mais não da dentro
de favela
Criança
A favela e lugar de paz e alegria pra criança
Humildade
A família eu agradeço de favela nunca esqueço a humildade
vem de berço e tenho que praticar

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SSA insights
Most of the content is about leisure and
entertainment

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SSA insights
Civic engagement content in the English Corpus
Most of the content is about leisure and
entertainment

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SSA insights
Civic engagement content in the English Corpus
Connectedness with the favela in the
Portuguese Corpus
Most of the content is about leisure and
entertainment

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Roadmap
Refine the analysis

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Roadmap
Work on the interpretation
Refine the analysis

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Roadmap
Work on the interpretation
Look at influential accounts
Refine the analysis

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Technical Issues
The hashtag

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Technical Issues
The hashtag
The noise: baile de favela

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Technical Issues
The hashtag
The noise: baile de favela
The amount of data: sw to manage it

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Underpinning Issues
Are Social Media the right way to capture
the voices of the underprivileged?

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Underpinning Issues
Are Social Media the right way to capture
the voices of the underprivileged?
Methodological Approach: Social
Representations

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Research Agenda
Quantitative Analysis of User
Generated Content: A Study on
Informal Learning and Slum
Tourism in South Africa,
Brazil and India
Digital Literacies and Host-
Guest Encounters: the case of
homestays in Malaysia