Sorry for the lateness of this post, I had some trouble finding a suitable article as Amazon are being slow in delivering the numerous books I have on order. However, I managed to find a suitable article on JSTOR which I ask you all to take a few moments to familliarise yourselves with prior to my presentation. The article is entitled The Edge and the Center: Gated Communities and the Discourse of Urban Fear by Setha M Lowe (2001). The article looks at gated communities and how a culture of fear has enabled such dwellings to become prominent in the American suburbs. Lowe outlines that Urban studies have traditionally focussed on the study of the city centre, and less on suburbia, an area which she intends to investigate. She uses primary research, in the form of the interviews with residents of gated communities, to attempt to answer questions on urban fear and reasons for moving to such residences. This article is relevant to my project as I intend to look at gated communities in the suburbs not only as an expression of fear of "otherness", but also as an expression of indiviualistic lifestyles chosen by many American citizens, and ingrained upon their mindests, think Jefferson, second ammendment etc..
I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday, and hopefully giving you all some insight into Gated Communities.
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Thanks Sam. Fascinating article, fascinating subject. I lived in exactly the kind of gated community which Low describes - and have also experienced other modes of residential, segregated space in the USA. As expressed through residential space, the USA is the most segregated environment I have ever encountered. However, Low fails to weigh the relativity of that segregation. Class is the big differentiator, race less so. Of course, there is a link between race and class in as much as racial minorities are under-represented in the higher socio-economic groups. However, in my experience, the fear expressed in this article is more related to the 'poor other' than the 'ethnic other'. The other residential form which Low fails to refer to is the 'invisible' gated community. The density of buildings/people in the urban areas ensures that class 'enclaves' exist in close proximity to each other. Having also experienced this mode of living, I observed that, despite the lack of physical boundaries between these enclaves, the homogeneity of the respective populations was such that any 'other' who crossed the 'line' was identified and closely observed. Again, this wasn't a racially-specific, but class-specific, divide. More a way of 'being' through class signs(dress code, vehicle, behaviour, etc.) than anything else. Low's references to the traditional gender roles played out in these communities is misleading though. Again, incidental observation applies, but this appeared to be the norm for middle-class, professional families -regardless of whether they lived in a gated community - so is more generalised than Low suggests.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cherie in the fact that Low adresses the fact that the gated community has evolved from the fear of the other whether that be class or race, it is interesting as i have been looking at it within my topic also.
ReplyDeleteIt deals with the "americaness" of trying to feel secure from outside dangers of which Low mentions including homicide, robbery, assault and so on. This then links class and race because it talks of how it is expensive to live in these gated communities so either the "poor" then have to deal with these fears or it suggests that the "poor" ARE the fear.
I think the whole subject of the higher classes anxieites and fears is fascinating and very american and this is why im dealing with it also in my FYP. It is enhanced through american media, film and television as Low mentions thorugh statistics, which puts the fear out there and we end up with these gated communities.
I'm going to be the third person that picks up the idea of 'the other' in this piece that gated residents want to get away from. It seems that if someone isn't "one of us" - in terms of perceived status or colour - then they are automatically characterised as undesirable and somehow a threat. I found it particularly horrific that one of the interviewees said that her daughter was scared of labourers. With the media planting the idea that there is so much crime everywhere, those who can afford to retreat to such places for safety which only makes things worse because in a way they become more paranoid and neurotic - for instance the labourers and wondering do the guards/does the wall, etc actually keep the "bad" out properly.
ReplyDeleteIt is the antithesis of the "American" in some way...probably living in lookalike homes (memories of Las Vegas on the field trip...)with the same facilities in a cross between Neverland and The Truman Show in your very own version of the successful American life as long as you don't look too hard and especially out of the gates. American individuality anyone? Also the whole idea of being so watched - isn't that Big Brother by any other name and don't Americans dislike that sort of thing?
I suppose you can say it is very American in one way - 'capitalism' is alive and well and living in a secure gated community because they can afford to....