Prentiss Dantzler

Prentiss Alan Dantzler

Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Toronto

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About Prentiss

Dantzler's research examines how and why neighborhoods change and how communities and policymakers create and react to those changes. Overarching themes in Dantzler's writings include urban poverty, race and ethnic relations, housing policy, and community development. Dantzler's writings have appeared in popular media outlets including The Conversation and The Huffington Post. Dantzler has worked with a number of community organizations from local community organizations to governmental entities.

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In the News

"Racism as a Comorbidity," Prentiss Alan Dantzler, Georgia State University, April 29, 2020.
"What Ben Carson Doesn’t Understand About the History of Fair Housing," Prentiss Alan Dantzler, Colorado College/The Conversation, HuffPost, April 27, 2018.
"Housing Discrimination Thrives 50 Years After Fair Housing Act Tried to End it," Prentiss Alan Dantzler, The Conversation, April 20, 2018.
"African Americans in Times of War," Prentiss Alan Dantzler, Blackamedia, February 2, 2018.
"The Expectations of Junior Faculty of Color in PWS," Prentiss Alan Dantzler, Blackademia, February 1, 2017.
"Take the Best of Public Housing, And Make More," Prentiss Alan Dantzler, Shelterforce, December 29, 2016.

Publications

"Black Lives Matter: (Re)Framing the Next Wave of Black Liberation in Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change" (with Amanda D. Clark and Ashley E Nickels). ResearchGate 42 (2018): 145-172.

Content analysis is used of public statements and interviews of the founding members from October 2014 to October 2016 to discuss the ways in which the founders of BLM frame the group’s actions. We show how the founders of BLM have strategically framed the movement as one that honors past Black Liberation struggles, but transforms traditional framing of those struggles to include all Black lives inclusive of differences based on gender, sexual orientation, age, nationality, or criminal status

" In Community Development and Public Administration Theory" (with Ashley E. Nickels and Jason D. Rivera), in American Dream, Democratic Nightmare (Routledge, 2018), 107-128.

Discusses how the government has pushed homeownership as the central focus of the American Dream. The chapter discusses how discussions around poverty and self sufficiency have led to biased and even racists housing policies. 

"Neighbourhood Perceptions and Residential Mobility" (with Antwan Jones). Urban Studies (2020): online.

Considers the ways in which neighbourhood perceptions can differentially affect residential mobility, particularly in low-income areas. The results show that perceptions of neighbourhood context matter more than the actual neighbourhood setting. These findings highlight the continued importance of subjective rather than objective measures of neighbourhood conditions in understanding residential mobility.

"Reconsidering Poverty Dynamics by Analyzing Housing Spells" The Social Science Journal (2020).

Discusses how studies around welfare dependency should look at housing assistance instead of cash benefits as a source of debate. The paper shows that welfare dependency is not a big factor of government assistance, especially when it comes to housing subsidies. 

"Taking a Knee, Taking a Stand: Social Networks and Identity Salience in the 2017 NFL Protests" (with Clara Houghteling). Sociology of Race and Ethnicity (2019): online.

Analyzes the relationship between players' social status and larger sociopolitical events to understand activism within the 2017 NFL protests. These findings indicate that sociopolitical events can implicate different identities, changing their salience in the decision to join or abstain from a social movement.

"Settling In or Moving Out? Exploring the Effect of Mobility Intentions on Public Housing Exits" (with Jason D Rivera). Housing Studies 34, no. 4 (2018): 715-733.

Seeks to understand how public housing residents’ mobility intentions affect their actual exits. The results suggest that mobility intentions do have a significant effect on public housing exits. 

"Neighborhood Satisfaction: A Study of a Low-Income Urban Community" (with Patricia Ciorici). Sage Journals 55, no. 6 (2018).

Focuses on the reasons why people in North Camden, NJ like their neighborhoods. The results suggest the quality of social networks, neighborhood physical conditions, neighborhood safety, and quality of public services are positively associated with neighborhood satisfaction.