Richard Kirk: Necropolitics and inequality

In this episode, Therese Markow and Richard Kirk discuss the rise of inequality and homelessness, highlighting the lack of access to healthcare and resources for marginalized populations. They delve into the myth of trickle-down wealth and the downsides of gentrification. Richard also discusses the impact of large projects, such as stadiums, which increase property values and rents, exacerbating homelessness. He emphasizes the need for better regulations and policies to address these issues. 

 

 Key Takeaways:

• There is no adequate tracking of the fates of people displaced by gentrification, large-scale projects, and other circumstances. 

• Gentrification sometimes starts informally with young professionals, artists, or students moving into an affordable area with new businesses following. Other times, it is intentional with cities and developers targeting an area for development, but this is often done without protections for those original community members. 

• People in displaced communities often don’t have the knowledge and energy, due to the roadblocks placed by those in charge and the need to work, in order to fight back against the gentrification and aggressive acquisition of their property. 

• Since the 1970s, the government has stepped back from providing affordable housing and robust social safety nets, prioritizing private investment and large development projects.

 

"It's really, really hard to combat something that is a global phenomenon without major reforms at the federal level. But elections at every scale matter, and voting still matters." —  Richard Kirk

 

Episode References: 

• SAJE - https://www.saje.net/ 

• Necropolitics by Achille Mbembe: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/39984/summary 

• Neoliberal necropolitics and the global competition for urban dominance by Richard Kirk - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016718524001684?via%3Dihub 

 

Connect with Richard Kirk:

Professional Bio: https://geog.ucla.edu/person/richard-kirk/ 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/richard-kirk-49110024a 

 

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

 

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