Gentrification, Race, and Romantic Relationship Quality among Young Adults

• In Event: 40821 - Community and Urban Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 5. Gentrification I

Abstract

The growth of gentrification— the process whereby urban neighborhoods experiencing long periods of disinvestment and economic decline undergo rapid (re)investment— across U.S. cities has received increased attention from scholars studying social policy and inequality. Alongside these neighborhood changes, we have seen increasing racial and class inequality in young people’s transition to adulthood. These two trends – the widespread proliferation of gentrification and changes in the nature of the transition to adulthood – are typically examined independently, yet they implore an exploration of how young people form and sustain romantic relationships amidst neighborhood change. Although there is a vast literature on the ways that neighborhoods affect young adult development and family and/or relationship formation, stability, and well-being, this literature focuses primarily on disadvantage and does not attend much to processes of neighborhood change. In the current study, we use two waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to examine how one aspect of neighborhood change – gentrification – may matter for young adult romantic relationships. In particular, we ask two questions: (1) How is gentrification status associated with romantic relationship quality among young adults? and (2) How does this association vary by race, gender, and education?

Authors

• Ashley B Barr, University at Buffalo

• Rachel Zhang, University of Tampa

• Sophia Olsinski, University at Buffalo