Building upon previous debates surrounding the English-language term slum, this article argues that slum stigmatizes spaces and subjects it refers to not only because evokes nineteenth-century imaginaries of pauperism crime but also for sweeping gesture implies; its refusal observe in depth experience those who inhabit at stake interests associated. Intended as a universal term, “slum” can refe...

Our understanding of settlement conditions and the nature of poverty across urban slums is limited. Using three simple frameworks, we create a meso-level portrait of poverty and living conditions in the slums of Dakar, Senegal and Nairobi, Kenya. While slum residents in both cities share the challenge of monetary poverty, their experience diverges significantly relative to employment levels, ed...