Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography
An Annotated Bibliography is a descriptive citation paper that details how the sources of a particular topic fit in to the paper.
These sources are ones that compound the topic of gentrification in the Horry County area. Gentrification is a growing issue in South Carolina but in the Horry County area most of the industry is based off tourism rather than internal industry, which makes the county overly reliant on foreign enterprises for economic security. This, along with the influx of relatively wealthy northerners, has caused massive issues in the region especially in housing costs and crime. The largest complaint levied against the county government is the lack of resolutions against the terrible sex-trafficking and drug epidemic which although have been minorly decreasing the past decade, they are still a massive problem. Another problem is the rise of suburbanization in the Carolina Forest area specifically where huge swaths of trees and wildlife are destroyed for construction which also drives up the cost of housing for the locals who aren’t as affluent as the migrants from up north. Focusing on Myrtle Beach, the areas of living are dismal, crime is still rampant, yet the vast majority of the money taxed from the citizens go into tourist attractions rather than affordable housing. This bibliography serves the purpose of giving information on this topic from both local and national sources in an unbiased manner.
This source is an academic paper detailing in a very mathematical way the effects of gentrification on both larger urban areas and small urban areas. One of the more important aspects of this paper is that it says that the gauge to measure the effects of gentrification is not universal. In America, for example, the majority of migration of rich folk is to suburban areas rather than urban areas but in Paris is flipped. The poor live in the outskirt suburbs and the rich live in the downtown cities. Another important thing to note is the fact that there is evidence that in smaller urban areas (like Myrtle Beach and Conway) gentrification greatly widens wealth disparity. “Central-city/suburban differences in economic status will widen somewhat in smaller cities but narrow sharply in the largest American cities as they become more gentrified” (in the abstract before pg. 1).
This is a great source for understanding the broad implications of gentrification. Although there are not that many direct sources detailing gentrification in Horry County, having a source like this that details a more general outline of it helps a lot. This source is essential for understanding the effects of gentrification generally using mathematics.
This source is the only one that is local paper news, and it describes many of the economic hardships of Myrtle Beach residents, in particular, detailing multiple issues with the cost of living and the lack of wage increases. This is said in the article: “From 2011 to 2019, there was a 112% increase in households making at least $150,000 annually. The report cited the attendant rise in property values as a challenge for workplace housing within the city, explaining, “Higher income households can put upward pressure on prices and rent, placing housing further out of reach for those with more modest incomes.” This source gives an intimate look at the effects of gentrification on locals
This source is integral to the understanding of the argument against local gentrification as it provides evidence that supports the massive negative effects of gentrification. Instead of it generally, it looks at the multitude of effects that migration from rust to sunbelt has on us specifically, which is a perspective that is largely unknown and hard to find. It also helps reader find local organizations that talk about these problems and understand the history and complexity of the issue further.
This source is the official plan of the Horry County Government for 2040 regarding construction and rezoning. It gives a lot of pure data regarding population demographics and changes throughout the decades. It also gives vital economic data and the development of the economics of Horry County. Some data includes the poverty rate steadily decreasing when the cost of living and rental prices increase. The population of Horry County is also projected to be half a million by 2040 (pg. 2.1) not from high birth rates but from migration from the Southwest and North (the North specifically as they are the ones responsible for a majority of the gentrification in the county) (pg. 2.2).
This source helps project a lot of the reasoning behind my opinions and observations. It also provides plenty of data to draw from for specific issues that are prevalent in Horry County like drug use and gang activity. When it comes to local sources of information, there are not many that can detail as much as this one.
This source details the sociological elements relating to suburbanization. It talks about the effects that suburbanization economically on a given area and nationally as well. They also talk about the psychological and historical implications of suburbanization and how that reflects on our idea of culture and identity. This quote sums up the last part perfectly: “This phenomenon has encouraged researchers to study suburbanization as a mirror on the social mobility of minorities. Consistent with classical ecological theory, suburbanization often has been portrayed broadly as a step toward assimilation into the mainstream society and a sign of the erosion of social boundaries. For European immigrant groups after the turn of the century, residential decentralization appears to have been part of the general process of assimilation.”
This source is more of a learning one than one that is about a specific event or place. It is not a source that is meant to be looked at through the lens of a practical source, but more like a benchmark source to get multiple different definitions and explanations as to why things are happening in Horry County. It’s not one that presents evidence, but an explanation. It helps further understanding of suburbanization wholly so the reader can understand is on a local level as well.
This is a video that gives a brief introduction of sorts to the actual happenings (broadly) of the South where there is massive migration to the Sun Belt from the Sun Belt. It’s more of a simple, easy-to-understand video that gives key info without getting too deep into the nitty-gritty of the issue. This quote illustrates this point: “A decade after the worst recession in modern history froze many Americans in place, the number of people with enough economic security to move is starting to rise once again, according to new population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau (0.00).”
This video gives a good introduction to the own topic as it is one that many are not well-versed in. Its an issue that is difficult to grasp to most Americans and one subtle enough to pass off as a non-issue. But the video, contrasting from the previous sources which require previous understanding of the topic, is simple and to the point. It allows for the viewer to ask questions for themselves on why people are moving from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt, which also allows the readers of the bibliography to further understand the causes of gentrification nationally and locally.