In Defense of Housing
A study guide of David Madden and Peter Marcuse’s 2016 book ‘In Defense of Housing.’
This study guide was written by Clara Mangali and edited by Kendall Wack and Katya Zabelski.
While the “housing crisis” is often thought of as a purely economic issue, in many ways it is the result of complex political conflicts within a class society. The book In Defense of Housing, David Madden and Peter Marcuse illuminate the social, economic, and political forces that have shaped and continue to shape housing. They make the case for the creation of a more humane housing system based on the function of housing as a home, not as real estate.
The authors begin by explaining the housing question proposed by Freidrich Engels in 1872. This question sought to uncover the root causes of the crisis facing working-class housing and what should be done to address them. Madden and Marcuse weave together historical and contemporary analyses of the housing question with case studies to help readers gain a “critical understanding of the political-economic nature of housing” that is needed to address the crisis (p. 13). Throughout the book, the authors continually refer back to the housing question by asking readers:
Who and what is housing for?
Who controls housing?
Who does housing empower?
Who does housing oppress?
The book contains five chapters. Throughout the first two chapters, the authors provide the necessary background to explain the economic, political, and personal dimensions of exploitation present in the current housing system. They then move on to address the dual power of housing to oppress and liberate, followed by an analysis of common misconceptions related to housing. Lastly, they take a deep dive into the housing movements of New York to illustrate the diverse, intersectional, and prolonged nature of the housing justice movement at large. In their conclusion, the authors make their final case for a radical right to housing.
Navigate our study guide using the table of contents below.
Source
Joe Macaré, Maya Schenwar, and Alana Yu-lan Price. (2016). Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect?. Haymarket Books.
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