Economia e estilo de vida criminal: reflexões a partir de uma investigação sobre os mercados varejistas de drogas ilícitas no Ceará

Abstract

This work investigates forms of socioeconomic inclusion promoted by the retail drug market in peripheral communities of Ceará, seeking to understand its economic, cultural, and moral dimensions. Through a qualitative and ethnographic approach, the research was conducted in five municipalities – Fortaleza, Maracanaú, Caucaia, Paraipaba, and Itapajé – involving 58 interlocutors from 12 communities. Based on a combination of interviews, participant observation, and sociocultural analysis, the study proposes the concept of paradoxical socioeconomic inclusion, according to which the crime market offers immediate opportunities for income and belonging, but without long-term social or economic sustainability. Supported also by a robust literature review, the analysis indicates that the retail drug market operates as a space for the reproduction of vulnerabilities and inequalities, regulated by the Transgressive Intensity and Soft Power of crime, which can manifest itself through criminal culture and aesthetics. It is concluded that, although this market functions as a palliative mechanism for inclusion and identity in the peripheries, it does not represent an effective alternative for inclusion or socioeconomic development, reinforcing the need for integrated public policies that expand real freedoms and reduce dependence on the Criminal Economy.