Mahesh Somashekhar

Asst Professor at @uicsoc, studying how economic development and social inequality affect one another in the U.S. Supporter of small businesses until the end.

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

Folks, now that you don’t need a code to join Bluesky, I’m switching to doing most of my posting there at https://t.co/7r8aVHDX2F. I’ll still be on X and Mastodon, just much less regularly. Hope to see you all there!

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

This paper is now out in print! Read it at the link below, or feel free to email me to get a copy. https://t.co/PRGm0h71IT

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

Excited to announce my forthcoming article at @socprobsjournal on what happens to White people displaced from gentrified neighborhoods. TL;DR: they are demographically similar to non-White displacees but end up in better neighborhoods https://t.co/UzqhycLVBF

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

Have you ever wondered where ZIP codes come from, and why they matter? I had a fun chat with @RachelStewart04 about this for an episode of her awesome podcast, Don't Drink the Milk. Check it out! https://t.co/zdjKuZXMVE @uicsoc @ComUrbASA @UAAnews @theAAG

[Rachel Stewart @RachelStewart04]

Who knew the ZIP code was so fascinating?! History, culture, pride, politics, discrimination, privacy… and some excellent music 🎶 Unpack it all with us in the latest podcast episode: https://t.co/JRE3CG4qow #dontdrinkthemilk

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

@smgaddis @socprobsjournal Aw, thanks. It took a long time to get over the post-pandemic funk, but I’m glad I made it. Maybe catch up at PAA?

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

Excited to announce my forthcoming article at @socprobsjournal on what happens to White people displaced from gentrified neighborhoods. TL;DR: they are demographically similar to non-White displacees but end up in better neighborhoods https://t.co/UzqhycLVBF

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

@bjrisman @socprobsjournal Thank you so much!

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

Displacement is jointly an issue of race *and* class. Arguments that reduce displacees to non-White people or poor people are overly simplistic, at least in the U.S. context.

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

White and non-White displacees are similarly renters, single, etc. But, White displacees are richer and leave wealthier neighborhoods. On average, their *destination* neighborhoods are richer than the *origin* neighborhoods of non-White displacees.

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

Come to #ASA2024 for the rain, but stay for my presentation on the growing infrastructure of retailers and other firms that cater to Christian Nationalist consumers. Saturday @ 4pm in Palais 517C!

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

@smgaddis @uicsoc @UICnews Thanks! Hope to see you at ASA!

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

How does the real estate industry try to get those first rich people to move in and gentrify a poor neighborhood? They emphasize the availability of home security, of course. For more, see my latest in @SociusJournal @ComUrbASA @UAAnews 🧵https://t.co/PYCKbOBxUd

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

@sjccorn @SociusJournal @ComUrbASA @UAAnews Agreed! Definitely reach out to my co-authors to learn more about the dataset. I was lucky they let me use it.

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

@SamLutzker @SociusJournal @ComUrbASA @UAAnews Please send your study my way once you've written it up! I'm glad our finding is resonating with you. I certainly see stuff like that all the time in Chicago too!

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

@zra_research @SociusJournal @ComUrbASA @UAAnews Thank you!

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

@AliciaMWalker1 @SociusJournal @ComUrbASA @UAAnews Will do, thanks!

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

And a big shout out to my co-authors, Chris Hess, Ian Kennedy, and Kyle Crowder for their work on the paper! @uicsoc @UICnews

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

Findings suggest that scholars have underexamined the strategies that real estate actors use to persuade homeseekers to live in diverse neighborhoods. Also, security rhetoric may encourage homeseekers’ fears of mixed-income settings and impede cross-class social integration.

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

@BediTarini Thank you! Don’t be a stranger the next time you’re on campus!

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

Excited to tell the world about my new NSF grant analyzing what happens to community organizations displaced from gentrifying neighborhoods. I'll be geocoding 50 years of data on organizations in the U.S. Happy to chat more with anyone who is interested! https://t.co/GV7TSBaAIH

[Mahesh Somashekhar @msomashe]

@ijuanathesaurus Thanks! I hope the findings live up to your superlative!