Gentrification on our doorstep!

In this article I will be exploring the term “gentrification” and analysis its real meaning in the real world. I will be also exploring the causes and damages gentrification causes in today's society. The term “gentrification” was coined by British sociologist Ruth Glass in 1964 to describe the influx of the middle class displacing lower class worker residents in urban neighbourhoods.The term was published in Ruth Glass’ book ‘London: aspects of change’ she stated that “One by one, many of the working class neighbourhoods of London have been invaded by the middle-classes—upper and lower” she also claimed that “Once this process of “gentrification” starts in a district it goes on rapidly, until all or most of the original working-class occupiers are displaced and the whole social character of the district is changed.” Many sociologists have tried to explain the causes of gentrification, sociologists Bruce London and J. John Palen came up with a list of five explanations these were: demographic-ecological, socio-cultural, political-economical, community networks, and social movements. These explanations were published in a book in 1984 called ‘Gentrification, Displacement, and Neighborhood Revitalization’. These are seen as the most accurate causes of gentrification.

The first cause of gentrification (according to ‘Gentrification, Displacement, and Neighborhood Revitalization’), is demographic-ecological, which endeavors to illustrate gentrification by the means of analysing demographics, such as: population, social organisation, environment, and technology. During the “baby boom generation”, the demand for housing increased substantially (as it was theorised to). Supply at the time couldn’t keep up with demand and therefore the only option was to “recycle” cities to meet soaring demands. The “baby boomers” in the hunt for housing