Challenging educational inequalities in gentrified neighborhoods: the role of grassroots activism in Milan

Carlotta Caciagli

Chapter 10 in Gentrification and Schooling in Global Cities, 2026, pp 217-233 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Urban transformations are not only drivers of socio-spatial inequalities but also catalysts for new fields of social participation. In recent decades, grassroots resistance has emerged to counter the effects of gentrification—such as displacement, privatization of public space, and the erosion of local services. While much attention has been given to housing struggles, fewer studies have addressed how collective actors respond to educational inequalities at the local level. This chapter contributes to that gap through an ethnographic study (2021–22) in Affori and Bruzzano neighborhoods, a gentrifying area in Milan, Italy. Drawing on participant observation in a self-managed after-school program and in-depth interviews, the research explores how experiences of “urban commons” can challenge educational inequalities. It addresses two main issues: (a) the role of grassroots activism in countering socio-spatial inequalities at the base of educational deprivation; and (b) the alternative paradigms of educational inclusion emerging from social actors beyond the school realm.

Keywords: Gentrification; Educational Inequalities; Grassroots Activism; Urban Commons; Collective Actions; Ethnography (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035346677
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