Peace, Bread, and 50 Years of (No) Housing

Abstract

This study aims to critically analyze how the communications and images produced in housing protests in Portugal can demonstrate the transgenerational nature of the housing issue. Over the past 50 years, Portugal has experienced various housing crises. The question arises: is this a series of isolated crises, or a continuous, underlying issue? Despite progress made, there may be evidence that the housing problem is deeply rooted and transgenerational. Through a visual ethnographic analysis and the activist observation of images and communications produced during protests between 1974 to 1977 and 2019 to 2024, this study seeks to identify persistent discourses, symbols, and elements, understanding how visual communication has been used as a tool for social mobilization and pressure to guarantee the right to housing. A comparative examination of the images reveals the persistence of unmet demands, even though the right to adequate housing has been enshrined in the Portuguese Constitution since 1976. By making the struggle for housing visible, this study contributes to the dialogue and strengthening of social justice and movements, equality, and the well-being of the population.