summary due on September 29 2011

Summary p.157-169 & p.171-184

Pardue talks about how cities were analyzed by their spaces. People living in different parts of the cities often use different methods or transportation, which also relates to people’s social class and access of wealth. People with less money flow and less options usually get less privacy and lowest types of transportation. Therefore, Pardue uses the types of transportation to understand the people in the Sao Paula, Brazil. People with less money use trains and busses and people with money own a car and also have a private driver. Pardue interviewed three different people and their modes of transportation.

1.      Robson was one of the people Pardue talked about transportation. He was from a working class family and thought that trains were lowest form of transportation. He liked travelling in the busses and though that it gave people “view of life,” even though the price for bus and trains were the same.

2.      Second person was a woman named Edilaine, who grew up in a working class family. But later in life she became a journalist and then an editor of a professional news release for medical doctors. She used busses and trains before but now has a car and a private driver. She also move to an upper-class neighborhood.

3.      The last were hip-hoppers. Who used public space for greater accomplishments in gaining recognition from society. They used downtown subways to prove themselves.

I think sometimes in NYC people use subways and trains because they can not afford anything better. However,  people with cars also public transportation because there are times they wont find parking. Then there are people who use a cab because they don’t have to worry about parking or being pushed around in trains and busses.

Lewis talks about cultural poverty and poverty. He says in the record of history and literature, people look at poor people in 2 ways. 1) poor people are characterized as blessed, virtuous, honest and kind. 2) poor people are characterized as evil and violent.

Lweis says its not the people’s fault they are poor. No one desires to be poor. He also says sometimes it’s the governments fault that the poor are poor and have to use illegal methods to survive and make their place in the society.

Summary 2. Due 09/22/2011

Neema Khan

09/21/2011

Summary 2: p.101-118 & p.119-130

 Wirth talks about how city influences social organization, attitudes and personality of their inhabitants. In order to call a place a city, you have to take the following characteristics in account; size, density, transportation, communication, facilities, and cultural. All these characteristics make up an urban community. According to Wirth a city influences a person’s social life, because it is the “controlling center of economic, political and cultural influences.” Wirth also says, we meet new people all the time and the only reason we make friends is due our own selfish needs. Cities are a very competitive place; we compete for everything with each other. However people with the most money will obviously get better resources. Wirth also mentions that there is not enough trust in the cities and the only thing that keeps cities together are laws. Most people won’t brake the laws due to the consequences, which can disturb their daily lives. Wirth also talks about how city people are more reserved and protected and don’t have enough trust.

 In the Urban Dangers, Merry conducted her own research and chose a high-crime housing project in the Northeast to carry out her research. Merry studied many different culture and people in Northeast. Since she was researching on the dangers of the city, she studied how people in that community behaved towards their protection. Merry also interview people on how they handled the high rate of crime, which surrounded them.  According to Merry the borders between ethnic groups provide “opportunity for crimes.”

People only communicated with people from the same ethnic group and did not even bother getting to know other people.

 I agree a little with Wirth, it is true that people in the cities don’t trust easily; however, I also agree with Merry about once we get to know people there will be less crimes. if people just stayed and communicated to people in the same ethnic group, there will be no intercultural. Life would be boring. To me meeting new and different cultured people is what make life a little interesting. There are good and bad people in every ethnic group; however, the entire group should not be judged on what ONE person does or says.

neema

       It’s not easy to research an urban society, especially one far from home. Sometimes you have to learn to talk a new language and not to judge society on your own perspective, which can be a problem, since we tend to look at things in our own way. But using proper research methods and asking the right people for help can limit difficulties.

Summary: p5-19 & p20-35.

              Anthropological research on city life started after WW II, and evolved in 1960s and 1970s, when Urban Sociology was already a developed fieldwork. Anthropologists have recently “settled upon the most appropriate research strategies.” When Anthropology first came out as a science it was only concerned with illiterate people, which later changed to bigger societies and different cultures. In the beginning the Anthropologist based their assumptions on descriptions of missionaries, later however, had better choices with research methods and information to base their hypothesis on. Fieldwork in the 20^th century was restricted, since it was hard to travel and due to the lack of money and time. The ways of the British to study societies and culture were becoming better, because of Malinowski. However, 10 years after Malinowski, American Anthropologist were also stepping up their game. Later anthropologists learned; good data- gathering techniques, importance of observing and the significance of witnessing a special event. Research was done in rural areas and urban areas. However, research  in urban anthropology can be challenging because anthropologist tend view urban populations from a rural view, which can lead to few problems. In the future there will be better research materials, opportunities and money to make urban research happen in better ways.

   

        In the “Fieldwork in Tokyo,” Bestor explained his research in Tokyo. He had to be a part of the community to actually understand them and their ways. First he had to learn Japanese, so he can communicate and travel easily. Finding a field site wasn’t easy due to vast communities. But him and his wife went to different communities that might have been suitable for research. Bestor was advised to “find a network not a community.” He started his research in Miyamoto-Cho and later Tsukiji. His had connections and asked them to introduce to other people, which they in outing and in festival celebration. To observe people in his field site better, Bestor moved in the same neighborhood and became a part of the community. He was introduced to local leaders, activists and the vice president of the neighborhood. His “network” increased and he had more variables for his research. He attended local festivals, where he could observe an entire neighborhood together. Once he started new research he still asked help form old connection. In Bestor’s later research he was introduced to officials of major trade federations and got access to their documents and was introduced to many more people.

     As the first writing described research method and opportunities have gotten better than before when Anthropology was new. It is still difficult since its hard to get people talking, especially now when people have to finish many tasks in one day and do not want to be disturbed.