Questões teóricas e metodológicas na pesquisa recente sobre as grandes cidades: notas para reflexão

This paper discusses the main theoretical and methodological assumptions of a research concerned with the impact of globalization and economic restructuring on social and spacial inequalities in the Greater Porto Alegre region. This research is part of a larger institutional network that includes several Brazilian metropolitan areas. In order to understand the current changes, three aspects were specially focused. The first is the hypothesis of social polarization contained in the notion of "global city". The second are the concepts of social space and of social division of space — viewed as useful tools to explain the social inequalities that grow within the great cities. The discussion has in mind the Marxist social class view. And finally, the problems involved in the setting up of social-occupational categories that are the empirical base of this investigation as well as the difficulties related to the use of the data.This paper discusses the main theoretical and methodological assumptions of a research concerned with the impact of globalization and economic restructuring on social and spacial inequalities in the Greater Porto Alegre region. This research is part of a larger institutional network that includes several Brazilian metropolitan areas. In order to understand the current changes, three aspects were specially focused. The first is the hypothesis of social polarization contained in the notion of "global city". The second are the concepts of social space and of social division of space — viewed as useful tools to explain the social inequalities that grow within the great cities. The discussion has in mind the Marxist social class view. And finally, the problems involved in the setting up of social-occupational categories that are the empirical base of this investigation as well as the difficulties related to the use of the data