ABSTRACT
In Latin America, the concept of marginalization emerged in the 1950s as a term used to designate the inhabitants of slums, alternately known as favelas, colonias, and asentamientos, which emerged as a result of mass migration to cities. The residents of such neighbourhoods represent a growing majority of the population that is not part of the formal and central economy, because they are not systematically integrated into the structure of the labour market. As a result, their living standards are very low, their participation in the consumer economy is much reduced, they have high unemployment and underemployment levels, and they are not involved in the political system, nor are there prospects for their possible inclusion in the short term (Stavenhagen 1974).
