The project aims to advance understanding of how the knowledge economy is embodied in what are deemed “global cities” (New York City), examining how the push for scientific and artistic merit of an institution and city informs legal practices of housing and securitization, potentially at the expense of people living in the city deemed not to fit the scope of such an economy and at risk of displacement from their homes. Ultimately, this project seeks to examine and contribute to discussions surrounding fundamental issues of urban disenfranchisement of low-income residents by joint efforts of governmental institutions and powerful private interests in U.S. cities, particularly the role of race and the general push by corporations and institutions to perpetuate whiteness in and across city regions.
Cite as: Soifer, Isabelle. 2019. “Research Program Description" In a class project for “Ethnographic Methods,” Anthropology 215a University of California Irvine, Fall 2019. http://centerforethnography.org/content/research-program-description.