Release date: March 28, 2003
Contact: Deb Hammacher, Associate Director, University Media Relations,
at 404-727-0644 or dhammac@emory.edu

Atlanta Serves as Living Laboratory for Studying Gentrification

Many of Atlanta's once-blighted urban neighborhoods are rapidly transforming as new residents return to the inner city to rebuild and revitalize struggling communities. One such neighborhood is providing a living laboratory for Emory students who are examining this trend in the freshman seminar "Gentrification in America."

Using classroom learning and hands-on field observation, the sociology class is exploring how dramatic changes in the race and class make-up of an urban neighborhood affect community life. Once a week, the class hits the streets of Kirkwood, a gentrifying neighborhood that's a short bus ride and a world away for many first-year students who haven't strayed far from the Emory campus, says instructor Karyn Lacy, assistant professor of sociology.

"The field trips allow them to see things in the real world that we've theorized about in class. By getting out and walking the neighborhood, observing what's around them and talking to residents, they're getting insight into an Atlanta they won't see hanging out in their dorm at Emory or just driving around," Lacy says.

Members of Kirkwood's neighborhood association and other community groups have visited the class to talk about the challenges and benefits of living in a changing community. Kirkwood, located on the eastside of Atlanta, is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods, where new or renovated historic houses can stand in sharp contrast to worn cottages next door.

In class, the students are examining the debate over gentrification, its causes and conflicts, and how neighbors from a variety of racial and class groups manage their interactions with one another, as well as what these trends mean for integration in the United States. Students also will write a paper, drawn from their field research, that examines an aspect of gentrification as it pertains to Kirkwood.

Lacy says a goal of the course is for the class to learn how to do research from a sociological perspective —and gain an appreciation for the field.

"A freshman seminar should teach you how to do something new, and provide learning experiences that are different from what you're used to," Lacy says. "I am very passionate about sociology, and I hope that the students see sociology as something exciting to do, a way to have an impact on people's lives and improve their conditions."

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