Resisting gentrification: The theoretical and practice contributions of social work

Abstract

Summary Gentrification is changing the landscape of many cities worldwide, exacerbating economic and racial inequality. Despite its relevance to social work, the field has been conspicuously absent from scholarship related to gentrification. This paper introduces the dominant view of gentrification (a political economic lens), highlighting its contributions and vulnerabilities, then introduces four case studies that illuminate the distinct contributions of social work to broaden the ways in which gentrification is theorized and responded to within communities. Findings When gentrification is analyzed exclusively through a political economy lens, researchers, policy makers, and practitioners are likely to focus on changes in land and home values, reducing the adverse effects of gentrification to a loss of affordable housing. A singular focus on affordable housing risks paying insufficient attention to racial struggle, perpetuating damage-based views of poor people and neighborhoods, and obfuscating political, social, and cultural displacements. Social work practice—including social action group work, community organizing, community development, and participatory research and planning—offers a holistic approach to understanding, resisting, and responding to gentrification and advance equitable development in the city. Applications By exploring social work practice that amplifies residents’ and change makers’ efforts, advances existing community organizing, produces new insights, builds inter-neighborhood and interdisciplinary collaborations, and facilitates social action and policy change, this paper helps community practitioners to reimagine the role of social work research and practice in gentrifying neighborhoods.

Equity in sustainable development: Community responses to environmental gentrification

“…Further, Anguelovski (2016) proposed that a third wave of environmental justice organizing has emerged to address issues related to self‐determination, the defense of place and culture, and resistance to environmental gentrification. For example, in Chicago’s predominately Mexican‐American Little Village neighborhood, environmental justice organizers mobilize for the right to place in response to concerns about environmental gentrification as well as xenophobia and anti‐immigrant practices (Kern & Kovesi, 2018; Thurber et al, 2019). Anguelovski (2016) suggested that the first and second waves of environmental justice organizing were grounded in an assumption that residents, particularly those who are poor or people of color, cannot move away from contaminated and divested neighborhoods; thus, community organizations worked to improve the quality of those places.…”

“…How do they manage tensions between fighting for neighborhood environmental improvements and indirectly attracting wealthier and, often, whiter newcomers? These questions matter because although gentrification is driven by global political, economic, and social forces, its impacts − and opportunities for contestation and resistance − frequently manifest at the local level (Lees, Slater, & Wyly, 2013; Thurber, Krings, Martinez, & Ohmer, 2019).…”

Mixer le social ? Intervention et exercice de la parentalité dans un contexte de gentrification à Montréal

“…Bien que les effets de la gentrification fassent partie de la pratique quotidienne du travail social dans les quartiers comme Sainte-Rita, la littérature sur le sujet reste encore peu développée, si on exclut les champs du logement (Thurber et al, 2019) ou du contexte scolaire. La contribution de cet article est de documenter le rapport des mères à la mixité sociale en regardant leur circuit au-delà de l'enceinte scolaire.…”

“…(Ball, Bowe et Gewirtz, 2004). Toutefois, comme le soulignent Thurber et al (2019), peu de recherches se sont intéressées à l'influence de la gentrification sur l'intervention ou le travail social de proximité. Cet article propose de contribuer à répondre à ce manque en analysant de quelle manière la mixité sociale est mise en oeuvre dans les services publics et communautaires 1 destinés à l'éducation à la petite enfance et au soutien à la parentalité.…”

“…Étant donné son parti pris singulier en faveur des personnes plus vulnérables ou marginalisées, ainsi que son implication dans le développement communautaire des quartiers, le travail social peut fournir un apport singulier aux études sur la gentrification (Thurber et al, 2019). En particulier, les organismes communautaires, tout désignés pour être des espaces de prise de parole et d'exercice démocratique qui favorisent l'implication des individus et la création de liens sociaux, pourraient représenter l'espace sur lequel fonder les espoirs de la mixité sociale.…”