Gabriel Feltran

Gabriel Feltran is a CNRS Research Professor at the Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics (CEE) at Sciences Po, Paris. He is a leading scholar in urban sociology, focusing on crime, violence, and governance in marginalized urban contexts, particularly in São Paulo, Brazil. His research bridges ethnography, political sociology, and criminology, with a strong emphasis on transnational criminal networks and informal governance.

• Education: While specific degrees are not listed in the text, his doctorate was recognized with the Best Thesis Award from Anpocs in 2009, indicating a PhD in Sociology or Anthropology.
• Current Affiliation: Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics (CEE), Sciences Po, Paris.
• Prior Academic Positions: Former researcher at CEM (Centre for Metropolitan Studies), UFSCar (Federal University of São Carlos), and visiting roles at Oxford, Goldsmiths, and Humboldt University.

His research interests revolve around urban conflict, illegal markets, criminal governance, normative pluralism, and the political dynamics of marginalized urban zones. He investigates how criminal organizations like the PCC co-govern urban peripheries alongside or in opposition to the state. His ethnographic work explores the intersections of violence, inequality, and everyday life in Brazil’s favelas and urban margins.

The 15 most recent articles reflect a consistent focus on transnational crime, urban governance, ethnographic methodology, and the sociology of illegal markets. Key trends include the global expansion of Brazilian criminal factions, the political economy of stolen vehicles, cocaine trafficking networks between Brazil and West Africa, and the coexistence of state and non-state normative systems in favelas. His work increasingly adopts a comparative and transnational lens, involving collaboration across Europe, Latin America, and Africa.

Scientific Awards:

• 2009: Best Doctoral Thesis Award (Anpocs)
• 2017: Jabuti Prize Finalist (for co-edited volume on homelessness)
• 2018: Paraninfo Award, Federal University of São Carlos
• 2014: Awarded Professor by Students, Federal University of São Carlos

Advising and Grants: Gabriel Feltran has supervised numerous PhD and master’s students through projects like the NaMargem Research Group. He has led major funded research initiatives, including the ANR-FAPESP funded GLOBALCAR project on transnational stolen vehicle economies, and investigations into cocaine trafficking and debt in illegal markets. His work has received support from FAPESP, CNRS, AHRC (UK), British Council, and private foundations. He frequently collaborates with international teams across France, Brazil, the UK, Germany, and Mexico.

Labs and Teams: He leads or has led several research collectives, including the NaMargem Research Group at UFSCar, the GLOBALCAR transnational team (16 researchers), and collaborative projects with CEM, CEBRAP, and Sciences Po. His work is deeply collaborative, involving interdisciplinary and cross-institutional teams focused on urban marginality and illicit economies.