Being somewhat of a military kid coming from a small town in the Midwest, the issues of race relations and geopolitics are somewhat removed from my experience of life. I found this reading on these issues to be enlightening, much akin to the growth of perspective I found with the Mind of the South reading.
The author moves through both a local history of geopolitics and Jim Crow laws and the formation of the legal base ultimately chosen to fight the civil injustices. It was interesting to see how the author used the prevailing groves of the legal system to trace out the contradictions in that system. It was also interesting to see how the willing suspension of reality seen in the Mind of the South reading allowed such practices to exist (the happy black servant - Jim Crow, and the 'Separate but Equal' ideal).
Beyond these direct observations from the reading, I was interested in thinking through the current social implications of geopolitics. For instance, I notice the prevalence of income based housing arrangements, rich in one area and poor in another. What are the implications of this today? A difference in services, a change in crime rates, a separation of opportunity... This idea seems to have a connection with the move towards suburbs and gated communities and the middle class. -With a move towards a service based economy in America, combined with growing Internet based work environments, will this stratification increase (more suburbs and good/bad neighborhoods) or will it allow for a more heterogeneous village?
In all of this, I am struggling to understand how to parse limited resources. I am eager to see if supplying the opportunity for Bamberg will only lift a few or if it will affect surrounding towns. I think we will be heading in the right direction, but I don't have much of a basis for comparison. Perhaps this moves beyond the focus of the course, but I wonder about the social and economic principals we are aiming for. In this, I suppose I am curious about the end goal of this work. Not in an accusing way, I simply don't fully understand the implications. What are real world examples of removing geopolitics (i.e. where has it been successful)? Is it possible to remove them, or only to acknowledge and work around them? How much of this responsibility falls on planners?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Tapping the Spring
Hope is a strange thing. I don’t often know what it means to be without it nor trying to find it, but even less do I know how to describe it.
On our trip to Bamberg this week our team went door to door asking people to fill out surveys. Of the first twenty people I spoke with, only one was willing to fill out the survey. Interestingly, he was only willing to talk with me due to an introduction I received from one of his neighbors. It seems that trust is built in small towns much the same as anywhere else – by recommendation and countenance. Due to the gentleman’s weak eyesight I was required to read him the survey. Though this undoubtedly tinted his answers, it also allowed me to more quickly acquire the pulse of the town. Through this interaction and conversations with other residents I began to notice a few things. First, I actually found myself enjoying the complaints and thoughts of this small piece of the town – to the point where I became rather interested in the well being of the town as a whole. Second, I began to notice a few themes running through my interactions with residents.
Theme 1 – Bamberg is proud of its independence and self-sustaining infrastructure (part of the utilities are locally owned). In this I noticed the phrase “pretty good, compared to most towns around here,” which gave me the impression of comparative contentment and simultaneous complacency. The mentality seemed to say, “as long as we are doing better than the next man, we’re doing ok.” I found this interesting in relation to the Mind of the South reading, which spoke on this line of reasoning. I wonder if would be helpful to expand the ring of reference, perhaps in a factual way.
Theme 2 – the roadwork done to downtown Main Street was not helpful. As one resident noted mentioned, this would have been helpful before 95 was built, but it doesn’t serve much purpose now. Several residents referenced the expansion of the street as wrong minded and saw a connection between this bluster and city planners in general. I feel like this will be an obstacle to both overcame, and to avoid fixing.
Theme 3 – residents have a good grasp on how to help the town. People understood the importance of good schools, the folly of abusing downtown, and the need for a spread of employment. It seems like Bamberg only needs a little outside explanation of different methods/goals to move forward. This point is especially interesting when combined with the latter half of the first theme. It seems that once they are motivated towards some goal, Bamberg residents will quickly grasp the value and merit of whatever they march towards.
It will be interesting to see how these observations hold up to the actual data collected and with the community workshop next month.
Hope seems to be running somewhere under the surface in this town. They may not be in the best of places, but they have certainly not given up. I am hopeful that we will be able to work with the town to accomplish something which brings that hope back to the surface.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Mind of The South
It is amazing to think of an entire civilization which was born, flourished, and died in the span of only a handful of generations. It is even more amazing to realize that this civilization occurred in America. This book opened my mind to a new understanding of the American South - a complicated, paradoxical, convoluted, brutal, and romantic South.
In this book, the Cash walks through the social, psychological, and economic development of the Old South. He describes it primarily as a series of frontiers, which gives perspective on the various idiosyncrasies that occur in Southern culture.
The leadership of the South grew out of tenacious agriculturalists, people who worked the land just as all of their neighbors did; only their drive and luck served them better. This produced a kinship between the rulers and the general population. Also considered is the social impact involved with the huge success of cotton plantations. These somehow coexisted with the ‘poor white,’ less successful farmer. Finally, the issue of slavery and racism was introduced into the argument. Cash suggests that much of this was connected with the previously mentioned idea of social solidarity between rich and poor whites.
Along with several other factors, this produced a unique social situation in the history of the world. It was a culture that was communal in its fierce individualism. It was a story based, Romantic, realist culture. A politician (or preacher) need only produce a fiery speech to win constituents. I found this to be a very interesting contrast to the industrial northeastern history/culture of America which I am more familiar with. This reading also helped me to see many of the roots that continue to grow in the New South of today.
Beyond these pieces, it prodded my thinking on the subject of race in the south. Its roots run much deeper than simple arrogance against another man; it is something more like a crutch for self-worth. Below this level, I noticed the frontier machismo which finds self-worth only in bettering the other man. What are the social implications of this mentality today? What changes have occurred in the culture of the South since the civil rights movement, since the reemergence of a stable economy in the South, since 9/11? It will be interesting to see how all of this relates to issues in Bamberg as we prepare to engage the community. What will all of this look like in a modern context?
In this book, the Cash walks through the social, psychological, and economic development of the Old South. He describes it primarily as a series of frontiers, which gives perspective on the various idiosyncrasies that occur in Southern culture.
The leadership of the South grew out of tenacious agriculturalists, people who worked the land just as all of their neighbors did; only their drive and luck served them better. This produced a kinship between the rulers and the general population. Also considered is the social impact involved with the huge success of cotton plantations. These somehow coexisted with the ‘poor white,’ less successful farmer. Finally, the issue of slavery and racism was introduced into the argument. Cash suggests that much of this was connected with the previously mentioned idea of social solidarity between rich and poor whites.
Along with several other factors, this produced a unique social situation in the history of the world. It was a culture that was communal in its fierce individualism. It was a story based, Romantic, realist culture. A politician (or preacher) need only produce a fiery speech to win constituents. I found this to be a very interesting contrast to the industrial northeastern history/culture of America which I am more familiar with. This reading also helped me to see many of the roots that continue to grow in the New South of today.
Beyond these pieces, it prodded my thinking on the subject of race in the south. Its roots run much deeper than simple arrogance against another man; it is something more like a crutch for self-worth. Below this level, I noticed the frontier machismo which finds self-worth only in bettering the other man. What are the social implications of this mentality today? What changes have occurred in the culture of the South since the civil rights movement, since the reemergence of a stable economy in the South, since 9/11? It will be interesting to see how all of this relates to issues in Bamberg as we prepare to engage the community. What will all of this look like in a modern context?
Why do I participate?
As my prelude suggests, I am interested in learning what it means to serve a community as an architect. I hope to learn how to communicate with a community effectively, how to work within the boundaries of the current sociopolitical system in order to enact change, and how to determine the most beneficial course of action we can take as future architects to help a community. My background is in music and arts management (read non-profit business management). The specific skills I will bring to the team will be largely based in my education and experience in working with non-profits, including the collection of quality data, of community dialogue and involvement, and of larger issues in event management and community focus. I am eager to see what this process produces, both in the community and in the team.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
For the Name of the Blog
Razos de Trobar was written c. 1210 by Raimon Vidal de Bezaudun. He was a Troubadour - a medieval, traveling poet-songster. Razos was a poetic tract - the first such work to be written in a romance language. In this work, Vidal describes the role of the audience relative to his art. He introduced three important ideas into the experience of music:
1. The audience should be quiet during the performance.
2. The audience should comprehend the lyrics.
3. The audience should ask questions if they do not understand the lyrics.
These principals are important when listening to music, because music, like all art, is primarily a means of communication. It is important in any form of communication to first pay attention and then to work towards understanding the intended thought. In architecture, the audience becomes the user and passersby of the built structure. Vidal’s principals would apply directly to them. Although architects have a responsibility to write and sing well through drawings and buildings, they also have a responsibility to listen and understand the needs of the user. This is the point where Vidal’s principals most affect the architect.
This semester we will be working in the community of Bamberg, South Carolina. It is my hope that we will learn how to be quiet, how to comprehend, and how to ask questions as we learn what it means to serve a community with architecture.
1. The audience should be quiet during the performance.
2. The audience should comprehend the lyrics.
3. The audience should ask questions if they do not understand the lyrics.
These principals are important when listening to music, because music, like all art, is primarily a means of communication. It is important in any form of communication to first pay attention and then to work towards understanding the intended thought. In architecture, the audience becomes the user and passersby of the built structure. Vidal’s principals would apply directly to them. Although architects have a responsibility to write and sing well through drawings and buildings, they also have a responsibility to listen and understand the needs of the user. This is the point where Vidal’s principals most affect the architect.
This semester we will be working in the community of Bamberg, South Carolina. It is my hope that we will learn how to be quiet, how to comprehend, and how to ask questions as we learn what it means to serve a community with architecture.
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