Poverty Safari
April 2020
Overall verdict: ★ ★ ★ ★
To buy this book, click here.
Why this book?
Why do some communities feel ignored by decision makers? Why do some people feel so powerless that they’ve given up participation in democratic processes? What are the multiple reasons for anger in many of Britain’s poorest neighbourhoods? Darren McGarvey tells his story, and the stories of many others, in this relatively short book which is incredibly readable and engaging.
For students:
In this book, Darren gives a voice to the communities that are too often ignored in decision-making and it’s an excellent read. If you’re exploring regeneration or gentrification for your coursework or simply want to read more about the topic for a greater understanding, this is a good start. The book is full of powerful quotes- you might even use one of these are a starting point for your investigation.
For teachers:
When teaching regeneration, gentrification and other forms of urban or rural change, we all recognise that balance of viewpoint is important but how good are we at articulating this? In particular, how well do we explain the perspective of deprived communities- without making assumptions or generalisations? This book seeks to explain the anger of Britain’s underclass through Darren McGarvey’s firsthand experiences of poverty.
This book is eye-opening and hard-hitting in equal measure. Whilst the stories that Darren tells are what makes the book so powerful, there are ample quotes that could be used to stimulate discussion when teaching Changing Places.
Some of the most thought-provoking of these are below:
“Gentrification is cool when you’re watching from a safe distance, but when it’s your cultural history that is being dismantled, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth.” (p.59)
“The term ‘gentrification’ simply means people with more money than you, but not more than people with money, are being invited to set up shop in your area on the cheap, in the hope that their presence will lift you a little out of the gutter. When you’re sitting in an artisan café called Soy Division, in the middle of a slum, and there is a toddler called Wagner eating tofu off the floor, that’s gentrification. It’s the new word for regeneration, or rather, it’s the gentrification of regeneration.” (p.74)
“Given how unceremoniously the icons of their lives are wiped from local memory, it’s not hard to see why so many people roll their eyes whenever they hear the word ‘regeneration’. The very homes they grew up in and played around as children, perhaps before raising families of their own, are often remembered only as terrible mistakes; embarrassing blemishes which had to be erased from the city skyline.” (p.75)
“Regeneration exposes the ravine between the people who see this community as a ‘project’ or a ‘scheme’, an ongoing expertise or a problem to solve and the people who actually live there.” (p.76)
“There’s a feeling in sections of these communities, among those who want to actively participate, that things are not done with the community, but to it.” (p.76)
“The term ‘regeneration’ has become a byword for opportunism, mismanagement and exploitation, a fancy word of no real consequence.” (p.77)
“Truth be told, much of the work carried out in deprived communities is as much about the aims and objectives of the organisations facilitating it as it is about local needs. And notably, the aim is rarely to encourage self-sufficiency. Rather the opposite, each engagement and intervention creating more dependency on outside resources and expertise, perpetuating the role of the sector as opposed to gradually reducing it.” (p.80)
“In these areas, poor people are viewed as a form of capital; containers from which data and narrative are extracted to justify and perpetuate the roles of the organisations charged with managing their lives.” (p.80)
“This is the poverty industry, where even the good guys make a mint from social deprivation. Where success is when there remain just enough social problems to sustain and perpetuate everyone’s career. Success is not eradicating poverty but parachuting in and leaving a ‘legacy’. And, when you up and leave, withdrawing your resources and expertise as you go, if a legacy hasn’t materialised, one is simply fabricated.” (p.83)
To buy this book, click here.