Neighborhood Transformation and Gentrification

Using narrative inquiry, forty participant's narratives about home and its meanings are examined under the context of neighborhood transformation and gentrification. Gentrification is a process in which upper- and middle-income earners buy and improve homes and small businesses in deteriorated urban areas, often resulting in displacement of low-income earners and small businesses. Participant's notions of home served as the fondation for narratives. Preservation of Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo-American history and culture continues, while transformation into a modern and metropolitan city progrsses. Thus, the issue of gentrification has emerged. The primary goal of this study was to describe how people perceive neighborhood transformation, within the context of how they view their home, as a way of gaining insight into the specific issues surrounding such change. The research identified conflict revolving around individual identify in relation to the public social space, the role of insiders and outsiders, and the implications for this community. Furthermore, from this research process emerged a Model for Analyzing Neighborhood Conflict.