Gentrifying San Francisco Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gentrifying San Francisco - Research Paper Example This involves poor residents being displaced by wealthy and resourceful people (Corbyn 1). Communities that experience gentrification are characterized by an increase in average income and a decrease in the average size of a family. Gentrification has the potential to affect the gay community in San Francisco through the displacement of people, economic shifts and social changes. One of the main challenges that the gay community in San Francisco, California is facing is gentrification. Gay leaders in influential gay neighborhoods such as Castro fear that these regions are quickly losing their identities. According to Associated Press (2007), these regions are being populated by heterosexual couples. An influx of heterosexual couples in these regions can be attributed to the forces of gentrification (Associated Press 1). Gay neighborhoods are increasingly becoming attractive to investors and developers. The gentrification debate is based on discussions around the uprooting of minority and poor individuals and families. These people are uprooted from their communities by government policies or developers. Different approaches or theories have been used to explain the cause of gentrification in San Francisco. There are five crucial factors that have been attributed to this trend. These are social-cultural, demographic-ecological, social movements, political-economic and community networks. In the case of demographic-ecological, gentrification has been attributed to demographic factors such as environment, social organization, population and technology. This approach explains the explosive increase in population of people aged between 25 and 35 years in the 1970s (Associated Press 1). As a result of this increase in population, demand for housing and amenities also increased. The second approach that is used to explain gentrification is the social-cultural approach. This approach expl ains gentrification based on sentiments, values, beliefs, ideas and