The Cultural Life of Large Urban Spaces

Thesis: This chapter in Rethinking Urban Parks by Setha Low and Dana Taplin outlines the use of public spaces in New York City. It is an introduction to the various spaces discussed in the book.

The begining of this chapter discuses how Urban space is used in the modern sector. Setha Low explains that in the modern respects there is a new threat to public space as we know it. "In this new century,we are facing a different kind of threat to public space-not one of disuse,but of patterns of design and management that exclude some people and reduce social and cultural diversity"(Low pg1). These changes are due to an increase in security after 9/11 more Americans feel unsafe in the public space. And those that do feel comfortable, their expression of themselves in the public space is hindered due to increase in security. More and more their is a increase need foe public safety. This increase need for public safety negatively effects the amount of money used for public spaces.
Globalization also contributes to the changes in public spaces. The increase in immigration creates changes in the way public spaces are used. More immigration create more social diversity in the inner cities. This shows up in public spaces as well.
This increase in cultural diversity is the groundwork for this chapter. Social sustainability is a technique that is used to "maintain and enhance the diverse histories,values, and relationships of contemporary populations"(Low pg 5).
I think it is especially important to sustain the growing diverse population. Because the urban sector is a melting pot so to speak the people that use the public spaces have different reasons for using public space, therefore different needs.

The Ellis Island Bridge Proposal

Ellis Island historically is the site of immigrant entry into the United States. All hopeful immigrants looking for a better life in the United States passed through Ellis Island. Because most of the inhabitants of the United States are immigrates, or decendents of immigrants Ellis Island is a historical site for them. As the chapter explains Ellis Island is a jointly owned by New York and New Jersey and it sits in the harbor where it is 400 meters from the shore of Liberty State Park. After its official closing and period of abandonment it began to be resorted as a National Treasure. In that time frame a bridge was constructed, however it was only used for construction workers and personal only. The question that is posed in this chapter is if the bridge should be accessible to the public?

A REAP study was conducted and constituency groups were formed. The workers in Battery Park and The Circle line were not in favor of the bridge. Their main reason was because of the loss of revenue from tourist. On the contrary, those whom were apart of the Liberty State Park Constituency group had mixed feelings of the bridge. One interviewee whom is a school teacher "thought it was an excellent idea"(pg.86) Their favor of the bridge was mostly due to the increase access to Ellis Island. While workers of Liberty State Park had some concerns about the increase in crowds and what that would do to the environment. " They feared it would create more litter"(pg 86). Others thought that the bridge would just create more traffic as well as an increase in taxes.

Regardless of the feelings of the bridge being accessible to the public the main concern here is money. While some individuals whom were interviewed were concerned with losing money others were concerned with having to pay more in taxes. If Ellis Island is a historical tourist attraction it should then be accessible to the public. And while it is more realistic taking a boat to the island, by having a bridge more individuals would be able to visit the island. With that said, I think that the Ellis Island bridge is a good idea. Because it will give people access to a historical site.

Prospect Park

In this chapter the author is trying to get us to understand that their is a quality in Prospect Park that is worth preserving. She describes the park as the "last forest in brooklyn"(pg.38) And so their is ethnographic research that is conducted to find out who uses the park and why. Throughout the interviews that were conducted in the park. Researchers found that people use the park for many different reasons. Some of those reasons being "relaxation/tranquil, enjoying of wildlife, an escape from the city life and place to spend time"(pg.52) These reasons for being in the park were different amongst ethnicities and educational levels. For instance those whom enjoyed the wildlife were common amongst "bird watchers and those whom feed the ducks"(pg.50) On the east side of the park there is more cultural activites that take place. These events in comparison to everyday usage of the park discussed earlier involved specifically West Indian Immigrants. It is here where Hatian Immigrants hold concerts and festivals. On sundays there are drummers who come out and use the space of the park to drum and entertain the people.The call this area drummers grove. These people being African American and West Indian called this drumming event a " cultural tie to the park"(pg 56).

Another usage of Prospect Park is picnicking and barbecuing, this is also familiar to African Americans and Hispanics. And like the drummers there is a place that is designated for that as well. Families come from all around Brooklyn to do a number of things. This includes " eating, taking walks, listening to music playing ball and fishing"(pg. 57)

Whatever the space is used the research conducted in this park shows a clear distinction as to whom is using the park and what they are using it for. "Afro-Caribean music and dance were common amongst blacks, picnics were common amongst all people of color while whites who were shown to have higher incomes and educational levels used the park as a place to escape and relax" (pg. 64).

Prospect park seems to be a diverse cultural meeting place, regardless as to what it is being used for. It is somewhat disappointing that people of different race and ethnicities cannot blend and become apart of the different activites that go on in the park. It seems as if each group of people stay with their own kind. I think it is important to do research like this because of what it provides us. Such information as who takes advantage of public space such as Prospect park and what they are utilizing it for gives us information as to how people use their spare time. It also gives information on how people relax and what they find enjoying.

Officie Work and the Crack Alternative among Puerto Ricans Drug Dealers in East Harlem

Thesis: The area of East Harlem or "El Barrio" is riddled with drugs and drug dealers. This primarily being because inhabitants are not able to find sufficient work and if they do, the often have difficulty with the people in charge.

The article "Office work and Crack Alternatives among Puerto Rican Drug Deals in East Harlem" by Phillip Bourgious is an account of what it is like to live in the poverished neighborhoods of "Spanish Harlem". He speaks about how the area in which he lives is a marketplace for all different types of drugs. " My tenements block was not atypical, and within a few hundred yards' radius I could obtain heroin, crack, powder cocaine, hypodermic needles, methadone, Valium, angel dust, marijuana,mescaline bootleg alcohol and tobacco". (Bourgois pg 203)Not only was this type of enviroment influential on the people that lived there. Bourgois also points out that as a child growing up where everywhere you look there are drugs being used or sold, that at some point in your development you are going to make a choice. He also illuminates the fact of going off to work in a poorly paid industry is almost overshadowed by the idea of selling drugs and making the same salary just in a shorter time.

Bourgois also speaks about the high incidences of children dropping out of school and finding work. According to Bourgois " for poor adolescences to drop out of school and become a marginal factory worker is attractive." Not only does it allow the teenager the opportunity to make money for the things they want, but often times these teens are using the money for things they need. This idea in the early teens is attractive, however once these teens become adults it become almost impossible to survive off the salary and even more impossible to get a better job with no education. " .....upon reaching their mid 20's they discovered themselves to be unemployed high school dropouts."

The article also speaks about respect, it compares and contrasts respect in the work place and respect in the street. For Primo who has experienced both he finds it easier to related to the guys on the street because they are both on the same level educationally. His response to the supervisor in the office has a negative connotation. "His direct supervisor is a receptionist", Bourgois' suggests that in some cases like Primos you have to know how to play the different roles.

Understanding this life in which these individuals live in and the conditions that they are subjected to goes beyond theory and stigma. It is real life for these individuals. My reaction to this piece is somber because not only do know individuals who live this life but I have been a witness to it. Its very difficult understanding this life and trying to explain it. Because its something that has to be lived.

How Urban Anthropology Counters Myths about the Poor-Judith Goode

Thesis: In this article Judith Goode is using ethnographic research to bring some humility back to the poor.

In this article Judith Goode explains that too often in a capitalist society are the poor forgotten. Not only are they forgotten they are also treated sometimes as less of a citizen. By constructing ethnographic research she is able to " rehumanize" poor people. Goode also challenges some other theories of poverty, thoes set forth by Lewis in his " Culture of Poverty." One of the main challenges that Judith Goode had with Oscar Lewis's "The Culture of Poverty" was his idea of people in poverty keep themselves in poverty, "by lacking a male presence, coming from broken homes, and flawed personalities". (Goode 187) She seems to disagree with the fact that poor people are poor because of their characters. It is her belief, that people are not poor because of their character but because of their "location and nature of local industries." (Goode 187)
She also attributes the status of being poor to the different levels of racism that exist in the industrial world.
She goes on to explain how the findings in the ethnographic reports done show many more contradicitons to Lewis' theory. For example, some ehtnographic research done on welfare shows some significant contradictions to the common ideology of the system. "People on welfare want to work and the average time on welfare is short." (Goode 194) This is a direct inverse to what society thinks of welfare recipents that they are lazy and do not want work. In short Judith Goode is associating poverty with circumstance rather than a flaw in character.

After reading both articles again for I am using quotations and ideas from both for my ethnography report. I think poverty is a combination of both the character of the individual and they way they perceive their circumstance. Im studying the effects of poverty on individuals and from my findings it is evident that individuals are able to overcome their circumstances and in some other individuals they fall victim to their environment.

The Culture of Poverty-Oscar Lewis

Thesis: Oscar Lewis' article is a description of the "Culture of Poverty" how other classes perceive the poor and what it means to have this class in society.

Oscar Lewis is trying to understand poverty, he describes the poverished as being a "subculture". A subculture that is viewed differently by people of the society. Some view the poor in positively and some view them negatively. Despite the differences in views one thing that Lewis found is that poverty tends to be founded in enviroments " 1. cash economy, wage, labor and production for profit 2. a persistently high rate of unemployment and underemployment for unskilled labor 3. low wages 4. the failure to provide social, political and economic organization, either on a voluntary basis or by government imposition for the low income population. 5. the existence of a bilateral kinship system than a unilateral one and finally 6. the existence of a set of values in the dominant class that stresses the accumulation of wealth and property, the possibility of upward mobility and thrift and explains low economic status as the result of personal inadequacy or inferiority." It is Lewis' belief that if a society has these strict guidelines embedded into their way of life and daily runnings of their city poverty is inevitable. " the way of life which develops among some of the poor under these conditions is the culture of poverty.

Lewis believes that it is the standards of the culture that creates the low class "poor". These people that fall into this category clearly do not ask to be there. Even though some become content with their lives and create "their own rationale, and structure." Lewis also speaks about how the idea of poverty once in place is "perpetuated from generation to generation."

I honestly do agree with everything that Lewis is stating in this article "The Culture of Poverty." It is very important to understand this even in the economic times that we face. As we see the disappearance of the middle class and we see the rise in the working poor, we can relate to what Lewis is saying in his article. It is because of the mortgage crisis and the bank bailout that we are experiencing this economic downturn. I believe the overall idea of Lewis' article is to enlighten us on how the culture of poverty does not affect society but society affects it.

In Motion -Derek Pardue

Thesis: This article is a model for understanding urban live by way of transportation. It is a description of how people move around the city in respects to their social and economical class.

Summary: Derek Pardue's article opens up a new way of understanding life in the city of Sao Paulo. One way is understanding the differences between "centers" and "peripheries". Pardue states " this model dictates that there is a historic and commercially vibrant downtown. As one moves father away from the center basic services and social status significantly diminish........it is more accurate to discuss Sao Paulo as a complex network of centers and peripheries".

He then speaks to a young kid by the name of Robson whom works as a administrative assistant in a hospital. Robson comes from a middle to low class family. His father is their primary source of income and he has gaps in his employment. The significance that Robson story brings to the article is his personal preference to ride the bus rather than the train. he explains this by saying he likes to be able to experience the city. However, because of his economic class he had no other choice to get around the city. Another person that Pardue speaks to is a woman by the name of Edilaine. Her story is much different in comparission to Robson in that she is a professional. She explains how it was taking the train when she was in the beginning of her career. And how she wondered what life was for people who lived in exclusive neighborhoods like "Higienopolis". She was later able to buy an apartment in that neighborhood. She was also able to afford a private driver. However, she explains how she enjoyed taking the subway. Her reasons being it gave her a feel of "modernity." She enjoyed being in the midst of business people , she considered these people modern.

I believe that Pardue's essay was a hit and miss, I think his initial discussion of centers and peripheries somewhat lost focus towards the middle of the article. I do think he was successful in explaining the differences in his subjects perceptions of riding the bus and train. I cant necessarily relate to this because in New York City the subway system services everyone from low class to middle class. However, different neighborhoods exhibit differences in socieconomic class. For instance you will see an influx of businessmen of middle to upper class in the east side lines of the 4,5 and 6 trains. However in contrast on the same subway lines you will see a few homeless people who ride the trains as a means of shelter.