Abitur Bayern Englisch 2025 · LK · Kern: It’s not all coffee shops and hipsters: what we get wrong about gentrification

Material

Leslie Kern: It’s not all coffee shops and hipsters: what we get wrong about gentrification

On a trip to Mexico City, a bus tour whisks me through neighbourhoods teeming with cool

cafes, elegant wine bars and stylish twentysomethings. Starbucks are surprisingly thick on the

ground. When I ask my Spanish teacher about these areas, he rolls his eyes and rubs his

thumb and fingers together: a universal sign for too expensive and full of unpleasant people.

5 You don’t need to be a gentrification researcher (although I am one) to read these signs and

immediately understand what is happening here. Gentrification feels, sounds and looks familiar

wherever you are: young hipsters transforming neighbourhoods according to a remarkably

homogeneous global code of taste and style.

As accurate as that narrative might feel, the story we tell ourselves about the changing face of

10 our inner-city neighbourhoods is far too basic. Vilifying the markers of gentrification alone fails

to get to the root of the problem – and trust me, it’s not as simple as pour-over coffee – and

lacks any useful ideas for countering the larger forces at play that have brought artisanal

doughnuts to your community.

It’s true that we can identify gentrification through certain styles and sites of consumption. This

15 has been the case since the slow creep of a neighbourhood “on the up” was first noticed and

named in north London in the 1960s. Since then, the tastes of gentrifiers – from what they

wear, to what they eat – has generated endless commentary. Their preferences have been

viewed as the harbingers of doom for working-class, minority communities in cities around the

world.

20 Sites that seem to embody these changes are easy targets. The now-closed Cereal Killer cafe

in east London is one such example. Viewed as a sign of everything that had gone or could go

wrong in this low-income, predominantly minority ethnic community, the purveyor of overpriced

breakfast grains was targeted by protesters, vandals, and graffiti writers who warned of a

gentrifier takeover. We love to hate these spaces and their seemingly oblivious owners. After

25 all, they put a face to what seems like an insurmountable problem caused by distant forces.

But the question we should be asking is whether closing a coffee shop is going to prevent

gentrification. The answer is no, even if we acknowledge that places such as this do play a

role. Today, however, the cultural capital of the avocado toast class is worth little compared

with the might of the billion-dollar, multi-national, real estate investment and development

30 industries – and their government partners – who now control our cities and neighbourhoods,

as well as their potential for social and economic transformation.

If we truly want to push back against gentrification, we are misplacing our energies by focusing

primarily on superficial markers of taste. They are little more than symptoms of much more

disruptive forms of urban change that are enriching the few at the expense of the many. The

35 destruction or market-led “regeneration” of council housing is one such form; luxury high-rise

development is another. Large-scale eviction processes, accelerated by the end of pandemic-

era protections, are overtly enabling gentrification, especially in minority neighbourhoods. The

rise of short-term letting through platforms such as Airbnb is helping to raise housing prices

beyond the reach of even the middle classes.

40 These processes are driven by the search for new ways to generate capital and wealth from

urban space. The developers, speculators and investment firms that push these changes are

able to do so because of government policy that not only allows, but often actively encourages,

such developments. Whether it is through tax incentives, rezoning 1, or government-led

“revitalisation” schemes, the state facilitates gentrification on multiple levels.

45 When your corporate landlord is trying to evict you so that your building’s units can be

renovated into luxury suites, a nearby coffee shop serving a £6 flat white certainly adds insult

to injury 2. Don’t get me wrong, the cafe is part of the problem: it’s capitalising on and attracting

the kind of changes that may be about to boot you from your community for good. However,

the seeds that created the conditions for that cafe to take root were planted long before it even

50 opened its doors, by actors with a tremendous amount of power. In other words, that expensive

coffee is certainly not helping you but it’s not the entity “renovicting” you, either.

Feel free to protest about the cafe, but your energy might be better placed organising the

tenants in your building to fight against unfair evictions. This lesson applies more widely to the

battle against gentrification. For all of us worried about the changes in our communities that

55 are displacing longtime residents, council housing tenants, senior people, people who are

immigrants, young people and many others, we must be strategic and focused in our struggle.

This means not letting governments and corporations get away with bulldozing (literally and

figuratively) our cities, while we’re distracted by annoyingly high-priced breakfast foods.

Admittedly, redirecting our attention to Goliath 3 – indeed, multiple Goliaths – is daunting.

60 However, one of the reasons these groups succeed with their agenda to remake the city for

profit, not people, is that we have come to accept the story that rampant capitalist interests

cannot be defeated, or even slowed down. But resistance is possible. It can come through rent

strikes, squatters’ movements and the growth of community-led models of development, such

as community land trusts 4 and cooperative housing 5. We can push governments to use the

65 regulatory tools at their disposal: eviction bans, rent stabilisation, community benefit

ordinances 6, zoning and taxation.

You don’t have to like the latest vegan bistro-pub in your neighbourhood, but let’s remember

to focus on the nefarious agents at play behind the trendy frontages. These powerful forces

are dismantling people’s ability to live and thrive in our cities today. A different kind of future is

70 possible, but only if we demand it and demand it from the right people.

976 words

Kern, L. (2022). It’s not all coffee shops and hipsters: what we get wrong about gentrification. The Guardian. 4 September, 2022.

1 rezoning – designating a zone or zones of a city for a new purpose

2 to add insult to injury – to make matters worse

3 Goliath – giant in the Bible; here: referring to a company

4 community land trusts – funds acquired through donations to the community that have to be used for its inhabitants

5 cooperative housing – principle of joint ownership of a building in which the residents are the owners

6 community benefit ordinances – tools to prevent harmful development and planning decisions

1 Describe the process of gentrification and the resulting changes in neighbourhoods according to the article. [30 %]

Material

Leslie Kern: It’s not all coffee shops and hipsters: what we get wrong about gentrification

On a trip to Mexico City, a bus tour whisks me through neighbourhoods teeming with cool

cafes, elegant wine bars and stylish twentysomethings. Starbucks are surprisingly thick on the

ground. When I ask my Spanish teacher about these areas, he rolls his eyes and rubs his

thumb and fingers together: a universal sign for too expensive and full of unpleasant people.

5 You don’t need to be a gentrification researcher (although I am one) to read these signs and

immediately understand what is happening here. Gentrification feels, sounds and looks familiar

wherever you are: young hipsters transforming neighbourhoods according to a remarkably

homogeneous global code of taste and style.

As accurate as that narrative might feel, the story we tell ourselves about the changing face of

10 our inner-city neighbourhoods is far too basic. Vilifying the markers of gentrification alone fails

to get to the root of the problem – and trust me, it’s not as simple as pour-over coffee – and

lacks any useful ideas for countering the larger forces at play that have brought artisanal

doughnuts to your community.

It’s true that we can identify gentrification through certain styles and sites of consumption. This

15 has been the case since the slow creep of a neighbourhood “on the up” was first noticed and

named in north London in the 1960s. Since then, the tastes of gentrifiers – from what they

wear, to what they eat – has generated endless commentary. Their preferences have been

viewed as the harbingers of doom for working-class, minority communities in cities around the

world.

20 Sites that seem to embody these changes are easy targets. The now-closed Cereal Killer cafe

in east London is one such example. Viewed as a sign of everything that had gone or could go

wrong in this low-income, predominantly minority ethnic community, the purveyor of overpriced

breakfast grains was targeted by protesters, vandals, and graffiti writers who warned of a

gentrifier takeover. We love to hate these spaces and their seemingly oblivious owners. After

25 all, they put a face to what seems like an insurmountable problem caused by distant forces.

But the question we should be asking is whether closing a coffee shop is going to prevent

gentrification. The answer is no, even if we acknowledge that places such as this do play a

role. Today, however, the cultural capital of the avocado toast class is worth little compared

with the might of the billion-dollar, multi-national, real estate investment and development

30 industries – and their government partners – who now control our cities and neighbourhoods,

as well as their potential for social and economic transformation.

If we truly want to push back against gentrification, we are misplacing our energies by focusing

primarily on superficial markers of taste. They are little more than symptoms of much more

disruptive forms of urban change that are enriching the few at the expense of the many. The

35 destruction or market-led “regeneration” of council housing is one such form; luxury high-rise

development is another. Large-scale eviction processes, accelerated by the end of pandemic-

era protections, are overtly enabling gentrification, especially in minority neighbourhoods. The

rise of short-term letting through platforms such as Airbnb is helping to raise housing prices

beyond the reach of even the middle classes.

40 These processes are driven by the search for new ways to generate capital and wealth from

urban space. The developers, speculators and investment firms that push these changes are

able to do so because of government policy that not only allows, but often actively encourages,

such developments. Whether it is through tax incentives, rezoning 1, or government-led

“revitalisation” schemes, the state facilitates gentrification on multiple levels.

45 When your corporate landlord is trying to evict you so that your building’s units can be

renovated into luxury suites, a nearby coffee shop serving a £6 flat white certainly adds insult

to injury 2. Don’t get me wrong, the cafe is part of the problem: it’s capitalising on and attracting

the kind of changes that may be about to boot you from your community for good. However,

the seeds that created the conditions for that cafe to take root were planted long before it even

50 opened its doors, by actors with a tremendous amount of power. In other words, that expensive

coffee is certainly not helping you but it’s not the entity “renovicting” you, either.

Feel free to protest about the cafe, but your energy might be better placed organising the

tenants in your building to fight against unfair evictions. This lesson applies more widely to the

battle against gentrification. For all of us worried about the changes in our communities that

55 are displacing longtime residents, council housing tenants, senior people, people who are

immigrants, young people and many others, we must be strategic and focused in our struggle.

This means not letting governments and corporations get away with bulldozing (literally and

figuratively) our cities, while we’re distracted by annoyingly high-priced breakfast foods.

Admittedly, redirecting our attention to Goliath 3 – indeed, multiple Goliaths – is daunting.

60 However, one of the reasons these groups succeed with their agenda to remake the city for

profit, not people, is that we have come to accept the story that rampant capitalist interests

cannot be defeated, or even slowed down. But resistance is possible. It can come through rent

strikes, squatters’ movements and the growth of community-led models of development, such

as community land trusts 4 and cooperative housing 5. We can push governments to use the

65 regulatory tools at their disposal: eviction bans, rent stabilisation, community benefit

ordinances 6, zoning and taxation.

You don’t have to like the latest vegan bistro-pub in your neighbourhood, but let’s remember

to focus on the nefarious agents at play behind the trendy frontages. These powerful forces

are dismantling people’s ability to live and thrive in our cities today. A different kind of future is

70 possible, but only if we demand it and demand it from the right people.

976 words

Kern, L. (2022). It’s not all coffee shops and hipsters: what we get wrong about gentrification. The Guardian. 4 September, 2022.

1 rezoning – designating a zone or zones of a city for a new purpose

2 to add insult to injury – to make matters worse

3 Goliath – giant in the Bible; here: referring to a company

4 community land trusts – funds acquired through donations to the community that have to be used for its inhabitants

5 cooperative housing – principle of joint ownership of a building in which the residents are the owners

6 community benefit ordinances – tools to prevent harmful development and planning decisions

2 Analyse how the author conveys her attitude towards gentrification. Focus on communicative strategies and use of language. [30 %]

Material

Leslie Kern: It’s not all coffee shops and hipsters: what we get wrong about gentrification

On a trip to Mexico City, a bus tour whisks me through neighbourhoods teeming with cool

cafes, elegant wine bars and stylish twentysomethings. Starbucks are surprisingly thick on the

ground. When I ask my Spanish teacher about these areas, he rolls his eyes and rubs his

thumb and fingers together: a universal sign for too expensive and full of unpleasant people.

5 You don’t need to be a gentrification researcher (although I am one) to read these signs and

immediately understand what is happening here. Gentrification feels, sounds and looks familiar

wherever you are: young hipsters transforming neighbourhoods according to a remarkably

homogeneous global code of taste and style.

As accurate as that narrative might feel, the story we tell ourselves about the changing face of

10 our inner-city neighbourhoods is far too basic. Vilifying the markers of gentrification alone fails

to get to the root of the problem – and trust me, it’s not as simple as pour-over coffee – and

lacks any useful ideas for countering the larger forces at play that have brought artisanal

doughnuts to your community.

It’s true that we can identify gentrification through certain styles and sites of consumption. This

15 has been the case since the slow creep of a neighbourhood “on the up” was first noticed and

named in north London in the 1960s. Since then, the tastes of gentrifiers – from what they

wear, to what they eat – has generated endless commentary. Their preferences have been

viewed as the harbingers of doom for working-class, minority communities in cities around the

world.

20 Sites that seem to embody these changes are easy targets. The now-closed Cereal Killer cafe

in east London is one such example. Viewed as a sign of everything that had gone or could go

wrong in this low-income, predominantly minority ethnic community, the purveyor of overpriced

breakfast grains was targeted by protesters, vandals, and graffiti writers who warned of a

gentrifier takeover. We love to hate these spaces and their seemingly oblivious owners. After

25 all, they put a face to what seems like an insurmountable problem caused by distant forces.

But the question we should be asking is whether closing a coffee shop is going to prevent

gentrification. The answer is no, even if we acknowledge that places such as this do play a

role. Today, however, the cultural capital of the avocado toast class is worth little compared

with the might of the billion-dollar, multi-national, real estate investment and development

30 industries – and their government partners – who now control our cities and neighbourhoods,

as well as their potential for social and economic transformation.

If we truly want to push back against gentrification, we are misplacing our energies by focusing

primarily on superficial markers of taste. They are little more than symptoms of much more

disruptive forms of urban change that are enriching the few at the expense of the many. The

35 destruction or market-led “regeneration” of council housing is one such form; luxury high-rise

development is another. Large-scale eviction processes, accelerated by the end of pandemic-

era protections, are overtly enabling gentrification, especially in minority neighbourhoods. The

rise of short-term letting through platforms such as Airbnb is helping to raise housing prices

beyond the reach of even the middle classes.

40 These processes are driven by the search for new ways to generate capital and wealth from

urban space. The developers, speculators and investment firms that push these changes are

able to do so because of government policy that not only allows, but often actively encourages,

such developments. Whether it is through tax incentives, rezoning 1, or government-led

“revitalisation” schemes, the state facilitates gentrification on multiple levels.

45 When your corporate landlord is trying to evict you so that your building’s units can be

renovated into luxury suites, a nearby coffee shop serving a £6 flat white certainly adds insult

to injury 2. Don’t get me wrong, the cafe is part of the problem: it’s capitalising on and attracting

the kind of changes that may be about to boot you from your community for good. However,

the seeds that created the conditions for that cafe to take root were planted long before it even

50 opened its doors, by actors with a tremendous amount of power. In other words, that expensive

coffee is certainly not helping you but it’s not the entity “renovicting” you, either.

Feel free to protest about the cafe, but your energy might be better placed organising the

tenants in your building to fight against unfair evictions. This lesson applies more widely to the

battle against gentrification. For all of us worried about the changes in our communities that

55 are displacing longtime residents, council housing tenants, senior people, people who are

immigrants, young people and many others, we must be strategic and focused in our struggle.

This means not letting governments and corporations get away with bulldozing (literally and

figuratively) our cities, while we’re distracted by annoyingly high-priced breakfast foods.

Admittedly, redirecting our attention to Goliath 3 – indeed, multiple Goliaths – is daunting.

60 However, one of the reasons these groups succeed with their agenda to remake the city for

profit, not people, is that we have come to accept the story that rampant capitalist interests

cannot be defeated, or even slowed down. But resistance is possible. It can come through rent

strikes, squatters’ movements and the growth of community-led models of development, such

as community land trusts 4 and cooperative housing 5. We can push governments to use the

65 regulatory tools at their disposal: eviction bans, rent stabilisation, community benefit

ordinances 6, zoning and taxation.

You don’t have to like the latest vegan bistro-pub in your neighbourhood, but let’s remember

to focus on the nefarious agents at play behind the trendy frontages. These powerful forces

are dismantling people’s ability to live and thrive in our cities today. A different kind of future is

70 possible, but only if we demand it and demand it from the right people.

976 words

Kern, L. (2022). It’s not all coffee shops and hipsters: what we get wrong about gentrification. The Guardian. 4 September, 2022.

1 rezoning – designating a zone or zones of a city for a new purpose

2 to add insult to injury – to make matters worse

3 Goliath – giant in the Bible; here: referring to a company

4 community land trusts – funds acquired through donations to the community that have to be used for its inhabitants

5 cooperative housing – principle of joint ownership of a building in which the residents are the owners

6 community benefit ordinances – tools to prevent harmful development and planning decisions

3.1 Taking the article as a starting point, write a letter to the editor of The Guardian, commenting on the effects of a globalised culture on urban neighbourhoods. [40 %]

3.2

Global Citizenship Education (GCED) is part of the UN agenda and based on the idea that all people have civic responsibilities on a social, political, environmental, and economic scale to the world as a whole rather than just to their local communities or countries.

Discuss the need to make GCED a higher priority in schools.