Urban education as a lever towards community Cedric Goossens

e
ssens@UGent.b
building: A historical perspective elgium - Tel: +329.264.62.95 -
e-mail: C.Goo

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 (progressive) 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 socio-pedagogical implications of this
relationship.
• What is the relationship between progressive 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 progressive 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 progressive 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
the causes and after effects of this relationship. 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 socio-pedagogical
implications of the aforementioned relation
in ‘public space’.

3 Examine the relationship between 7 Examine the socio-pedagogical

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

Planning

4 5 2 7

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Traditional school
Alternative school
1 3 6