Posted: June 17th, 2015

Gentrification

FORMAT: Your essay should be at least 4 pages, typed, double-spaced. 1” margins, 12-pt font (like
this one). It should include a Works Cited page.

We have read several essays and op-eds about gentrification (and you have heard presentations about several more). Each one of these pieces has taken a position. Now it’s time for you to stake out your own. Drawing primarily on the reading in this course, you should make an argument about gentrification. In this paper, you should choose a position and argue for it persuasively.

This does not mean that you need to choose a position as simple as being “for” or “against” gentrification. Indeed, as we have learned, the concept of gentrification is complex and not everyone agrees what the word means. A good argument will recognize and acknowledge this complexity. You may find yourself agreeing or disagreeing strongly with one of the articles that we have read. Alternatively, you may find yourself staking out a ”middle ground” or even challenging the terms of the debate as it has been staged. You may consider one specific aspect of the phenomenon (like, say, race). Keep in mind that a strong opinion doesn’t have to be a simple opinion.
Whatever position you argue for, you should support your argument with evidence from at teas three
other text from this class (including the essays that were presented on our “Gentrification Day”). You
should quote from these texts as necessary. You might find Mike Davis’s article on “tropicalizing” to be relevant. Or Malcolm X’s account of race and urban immigration. Or Rebecca Solnit’s map of SoMa or the Mission District in San Francisco. In other words, there are many texts that can help you–beyond the op-eds that explicitly deal with gentrification. You may also potentially use your personal experiences from living in your neighborhood.
A good essay will:
–use the first person (“I”) when necessary. Graft & Birkenstein agree with me on this!
–take a clear position about gentrification. The position and argument in this paper should be yours, even as you rely on other authors to help you make it.
–recognize and be attentive to the complexity and subtlety of the issues here.
–develop an argument to support your position over the course of the paper. You should not make the
same point in every paragraph.
–provide snong summaries of ideas from at least three sources that we have read and make clear how your own argument relates to or relies on them. This essay should include quotations from these three sources and the quotations should be explained clearly (and in detail) and cited correctly (using MLA style).
–be organized in a way that makes sense. There should be an introduction and a conclusion. There should
• be smooth transitions between the ideas throughout. The paragraphs should be focused on speci$c ideas or points.
–be clear and interesting. Grammar should be correct throughout. It should be proofread for errors/typos.