It was sought to understand murders through a complex systemic approach by applying the ecological model, which involves the individual and relational conditions of the subjects and context. Two cases were studied, with triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data. The municipalities selected (Paulista, Pernambuco, and Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina) showed opposite behavior in relation to homicide rates between 1980 and 2007. Qualitative analyses revealed the following, for each dimension of the ecological model: individual: low education level and drug use; relational: domestic violence and drug use by family members; social and community: work and unemployment; public education; public security; drug trafficking; and religiosity. It was concluded that homicides involve combinations of vulnerability, precariousness and breakage of bonds within the individual and social dimensions. These issues can be addressed through an inclusive, interdisciplinary and intersectoral perspective.
Homicide; Case study; Violence; Social vulnerability
