Comparative ruralism and 'opening new windows' on gentrification

Area of Science:

• Rural Sociology
• Urban Studies
• Human Geography

Background:

• Gentrification studies often exhibit metrocentricity and urbanormativity, overlooking rural contexts.
• Existing research inadequately addresses displacement dynamics in rural areas.
• The relationship between gentrification, neoliberalism, and human-nature interactions requires further exploration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To broaden the understanding of gentrification by including rural perspectives.
• To critique the urban-centric biases in current gentrification research.
• To analyze the multifaceted nature of rural gentrification, including displacement and scale.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of rural and urban gentrification processes.
• Critique of existing theoretical frameworks in gentrification studies.
• Exploration of concepts such as metrocentricity, urbanormativity, displacement, and scale.

Main Results:

• Gentrification studies are frequently metrocentric and urbanormative.
• Displacement occurs in rural settings, and gentrification can be a response to neoliberalism.
• Scale in gentrification is socially and materially constructed, not natural.

Conclusions:

• Challenging urbanormativity is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of gentrification.
• Rural gentrification involves complex issues of displacement and adaptation to neoliberalism.
• Future research should focus on the material and experiential production of scaled geographies in both rural and urban gentrification.