These topics have blown my mind! I am very thankful to this class and the professor- Stephen Klineberg (in case you're wondering) because the class has provided me with a unique pair of goggles- so that I can be aware of what is going on in society more. I will most definitely be talking about this class more. But for now, I want to discuss two presentations from the class today about gentrification.
Background:
Gentrification is when a low income housing area exists near downtown area, and bohemians and others looking for cheap housing move in. Soon after, more affluent people move in. And as a result- there is a great transformation of the area. Older houses are generally struck down, there are more shopping areas, more restaurants, better trash pick-up, better schools, and better built roads.
Issues:
But there are several dangers to gentrification as well:
- Often, there are many people who rent homes or apartments, and they are forced to move out because of the higher rent prices due to higher property values.
- Home owners have to pay more for mortgage monthly- again because of rising real estate values- and often that higher amount is very difficult to pay.
But the issue that I realized was a major issue, is that the people who have lived in these areas for decades- their homes look exactly the same, and their roads look exactly the same as before. What happens is that in the middle of this area, which is very low income, with houses that are 70-80 years old, some houses are chopped down- and new "beautiful" houses are put in. These new houses get the benefits, while the old homes continue to deteriorate. And slowly, all the old houses get broken down- and a majority of the people who lived there, get displaced. The problem is that these historical homes are lost from society- the culture and beauty they provide is lost.
Why We Should Care:
And my two main concerns are:
- What happens to the people who get displaced? It seems that slowly we are wiping away any historical buildings left- due to "advancement and beauty" claims, and these new areas are much more expensive to survive in. So where will these people go? If they have no money to get shelter and no food- doesn't that mean we will get more homeless people on the streets, more crimes, and more robberies. And in such as situation- can you really say that such a robbery is unjustified?
- I am obviously not saying that I would welcome the robbery. Actually- what I would probably say that I personally did not cause the robber's issues. Therefore- that person is the criminal. But I think we often forget that this is a public issue, and each of us- even if we are simply bystanders, are still part of the issue.
- I think it is so important to remember that we are world citizens. What happens to my fellow man or woman is something that should be a concern to me, because it is a consequence to me. Everything is interrelated- we just need to get those "sociology goggles" and observe our society a bit more.
- What sort of society are we creating for ourselves where all the homes in the future will look the same- as if they were taken off of a shelf- and placed around streets all over the US. Everything is new- everything is the same. Driving from one city to the next, or one neighborhood to the next- it becomes very difficult to point out exactly where we are just by looking outside. All we can tell is- how affluent that area is according to how many stories a particular home is- or how paved the roads are. Why do we not fight to stand out? Why do we not choose to create a society where we are proud of where we live, and want to continue living there? Life is mobile is guess.
Well- that is all for now. Thanks for reading my blog! :)
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