I posted this on James Lee's blog because I thought the post was pretty bland. It seemed like he wanted to describe things but ran out of time and just stated instead of delving into the topics of the class.
"This was a good post man. The only thing I have to say is that I really
wanted you to elaborate on the things regarding our class. I thought a
lot of things you said were just touching the surface of what could've
been said. You stated you were amazed by the layout of the city but
failed to elaborate on it. Perhaps you could've talked about how
Downtown is laid out. Does it abide by the Chicago school model?
Centralized business? I've never been down there so what you wrote gave
me a good visual perspective of what it was like but I really wanted to
know more because it is an interesting place.
Another thing I
think you could've elaborated on was how Latino Americans were prevalent
in China town. Is that because it seems like China town is
disrespectful to China as a whole? Is this an example of the great
diversity Los Angeles has? And does this difference play a role in
China town?
Good work man. Keep it interesting"
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Blogging Social Difference in L.A. Week 3
Hey guys,
I wanted to talk about this beautiful scene here in Long Beach. When I first moved to Los Angeles 6 years ago, I thought one or two things about Long Beach, Snoop Dogg and Sublime. I got a good picture of what life in the LBC was through their music, so I decided to check it out.
One thing that I did not know about Long Beach until this week was that it is a huge man made port. Ships come in and out of there all of the time, and while it ruins scenic walks on the beach, it provides support and plays a major role in the growth and stability of Los Angeles as a whole. Another thing I realized while down by the harbor is that this is a central part of Los Angeles even without being the actual center.
We talked about in class on Wednesday about how in the post-metropolis cities like Los Angeles, there is no centralized place. L.A. is completely decentralized because of the rise of such technologies like the automobile. Long Beach harbor wouldn't have a job if we couldn't transport materials that are shipped in to the outer reaches of the city. Los Angeles was greatly effected economically by the automobile but it is also definitely the city that live and dies by the single passenger auto commute. What mesmerized me was the fact that here, on the southern tip of the Los Angeles county line, was this city in its own right. There is a downtown Long Beach, which is in L.A., and that blows my mind.
One more thing I noticed while driving down to the harbor is that though Los Angeles as a whole does not abide by the rules of the Chicago University definition of a city, Long Beach does, in a way. The Chicago model of a city was centralized by the CBD (central business district). In L.A. this is not the case, but in Long Beach, there is a downtown where business is centralized with the port being right there, and the residential housing follows the model. Near downtown Long Beach is lower income housing, and if you go East before the 405 there is very middle class/upper class neighborhoods. Also, if you go South, there is a few really wealthy neighborhoods. So, even if ALL of Long beach's business isn't downtown (which a lot of it is), the residential neighborhoods follow the Chicago model where the lower income housing is closer to the CBD and as it spreads out the wealthier people begin to settle.
Thank you and I leave you with links to the music that told me to come visit Long Beach:
Again; WARNING; some of the lyrics are vulgar...if you don't like curse words, DON'T LISTEN!
I wanna tell you about a little trip I took in my 97' Toyota Camry this Wednesday before class had started. I went to what is commonly accepted as "the hood". I went from the 405 S to 105 E and kept going East until I hit Alameda St., went south on Alameda St. and went straight through the heart of Compton, CA.
I didn't go to Compton just to check it out, I went there to buy a t.v. That's right, a 50 inch, old school flat screen with HD that a guy was selling on Craigslist for 250 dollars. He lived in NE Compton right by the 105 and said it was a good t.v. but he was too old to lift it up and get it out of his house. So, naturally me and my roommate were inclined to try and see if we were big enough and strong enough. This train of thought landed us in the heart of Compton, in a 50 y.o. African-American's living room. His living room floors were purple shag with a shiny gold stripper pole right in front of his fireplace, with only a t.v. to accompany the pole. This was a clear sign of cultural differentiation. And I want to delve further into this differentiation.
After talking to this man for a little while, I realized I had seen living proof of what Durkheim said about man being double. According to Durkheim, "Man is Double", and there are two beings in him. 1) An individual that goes his own way; and 2) a social being. This man said he was born and raised in Compton, from a low income house and went to schools growing up where there were gangbangers and thugs. I could tell by his stripper pole and his whole vibe of the living room that he was a social guy. But, he also stated that he never got into the gangs, and I think it's because Durkheim is right in saying man is two beings in one. This man was a very friendly, personable and had two kids in the Cal State university system, which he even stated was a huge deal around his parts. You could tell he still like to hang out with old friends and be around people like him, but had obviously went his own way in life. He had a good job at one of the factories in West Compton and had raised his kids well enough to get them into college.
After we got the t.v. and said goodbye to our new friend, we head back west on El Segundo Blvd. to see the other side of Compton and simply to travel somewhere in which we have heard a lot about but had never seen. We hear about Compton through such folklore like hip hop and gangster rap. They imitate a Moral Society in the way have symbols and stories synonymous with the surrounding culture. A culture much different from the culture around UCLA. The difference between UCLA and Compton were extraordinary. The billboards didn't have a model with Gucci shades on, they had numbers for bail bond companies, for example. It is a good example of the cultural diversity Los Angeles has. I also noticed that there it was an extremely populated with what looked like 1 or 2 bedroom houses, all with very little backyard. I can see this causing a problem, and from what I've heard through music and film folklore the Modern Differentiation and Material Density have definitely created social complexity through spacial issues, and crime.
What I saw in Compton was cool because it truly showed Durkheim's cyclical interpretation of a city filled with differentiation like we have here in Los Angeles. It starts with density, which brings on complications, which leads to differentiation. Because Los Angeles is so densely populated there are parts with major complications with crime, pollution, and space (traffic). This is part of the reason why it is a city with so much differentiation, which is also why I love it here.
Here's some of the music that made me want to see what Compton was like in the first place. Head up though some of this is really vulgar and descriptive.
Eazy E- Real Compton City G's
Guerilla Black- Compton
N.W.A.-Straight Outta Compton
Kendrick Lamar- The Relevant
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Blogging Social Difference in L.A. Week 1
Hey guys,
Welcome to my blog! This is the first time I have even considered doing a blog, and I'm happy to say it is about the city where everyone wants to be, Los Angeles. I'm also excited to tell you I'm doing this blog for Geog. 151-Cities and Social Difference, a course in which I show much interest. I have been living in Southern California all of my existence, and in Los Angeles for the last 5-6 years, so I am very aware of the operations of a major city. I have always had a thirst for human interests and cultural geography. Therefore, it is my pleasure to give you, whomever you may be, a written description of who/what this city is all about. I feel like in the next 10 weeks you will get a clearer understanding of the landscape and the people who occupy the city of angles.
In this course, and in this blog, I am going to explore the questions: What difference does difference make? How does diversity play a role in landscape and cultural cohesion within a city? Los Angeles is a city with so much cultural, economic, and racial diversity that it is compared to none. It is what makes this city so great, and what makes us want to explore ways to make it even better. It's the diversity which gives Los Angeles so much life in the world of arts such as film and music (where it is and always has been ahead of its time). It is also the diversity of landscape, from the ports of Long Beach to the Eastern Mountains that has allowed Los Angeles to thrive and be a leader in a country that has also been ahead of its time. Still the question arives: How does a city with such diversity as Los Angeles continue to be productive? And what difference does all the diversity make?
I am looking forward to exploring the social difference in the L.A. metropolitan region and trying to find answers to these questions.
