Turf Wars – Discourse, Diversity and the Politics of Place

Turf Wars: Discourse, Diversity, and the Politics of Place is the fascinating story of an urban neighborhood undergoing rapid gentrification. * Explores how members of a multi-ethnic, multi-class Washington, DC, community deploy language to legitimize themselves as community members while discrediting others. * Discusses such issues as public toilets and public urination, the "morality" of co-ops and condos, and characterizations of "good" girls and "bad" boys. * Draws on linguistic anthropology and discourse analysis to provide insight into the ways that local activity shapes larger urban social processes. * Draws also on cultural geography and urban anthropology.