THE RELATION BETWEEN GENTRIFICATION CEDRIC GOOSSENS

e
oossens@UGent.b
AND EDUCATION elgium - Tel: +329.264.62.95 -
e-mail: C.G

tlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, B

Dunan
l Welfare Studies - Henri
Socia
niversity - Department of
Ghent U

Goal ? Research Questions

First: To gain insight into the relationship between gentrification
and (alternative) education. In fact, the aim is not only to asses
if and how education can have an influence on gentrification but
also if and how education can be affected by gentrification. In
order to nuance and contextualise the latter, also other factors
influencing education systems will be explored.
Second: To explore the pedagogical implications of this
relationship.
• What is the relationship between alternative education (i.e.,
the initiation, the initial development and the intensification of
alternative education) and gentrifcication?
• What are the socio-pedagogical implications of a relationship
between alternative education and gentrification?
Background/relevance

The relationship between gentrification and education has been

Methods
This PhD study will focus on a diachronic analysis of three
or four urban primary schools located in Ghent who were
traditionally established as traditional schools but who were later
on transformed to schools providing in alternative education (see
figure). The analysis will specifically make use of oral history and
resarch in school archives.
explored by several scholars. Despite the fact that this research
has proven extremely valuable, it has mainly been confined to
the taking of ‘snapshots’ (i.e., focusing on one moment in time).
As a consequence, up to now research hasn’t been able to
portray evolutions in the relationship between gentrification and
education. Furthermore, the pedagogical implications of this
relationship have seldom been explored. This PhD study aims to
overcome these gaps, exactly by focusing on the aforementioned
relationship from an educational history perspective.

De Boomgaard Het Trappenhuis De Feniks De Mandala

1985 1996 2000 2008

Studies
1 Examine the correlation between the
presence of ‘middle-class’ (sub)groups and
the presence of alternative education.
2 Examine the relationship between
gentrification and the initiation of alternative
education through a case study of De
Boomgaard
4 Examine the relationship between
gentrification and the intensification of
5 alternative education through a case study
of de Feniks and De Mandala.
6 Examine the pedagogical implications of
the aforementioned relation for ‘public
space’.

3 Examine the relationship between 7 Examine the pedagogical implications of

gentrification and the initial development of the aforementioned relation for schools.
alternative education through a case study
of Het Trappenhuis

Planning

4 5 2 7

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Traditional school
Alternative school
1 3 6