The everyday spaces of our lives express and reinforce certain understandings of
different aspects of identity such as race, class, gender, age, etc. The special construct of spaces
tell us, both discreetly and indiscreetly, what types of people and activities are welcome, and
what types are not. Spaces are habitually designed with the purpose of eliciting a certain kind
of behavior from people. By looking at the build environment as well as the everyday practices
of spaces, we can interpret them. This paper will document a “mini-ethnography” of Marshall
street in Syracuse, New York (Winders, 2011). It will look at how the built environment of
Marshall Street, as well as people’s daily practices at this site, produce a consumer space,
exploring the relationship between the built environment and the utilization of the space.
Furthermore, it will examine how these two components encourage consumerism and
discourage non-consumerism. Lastly, this paper will argue the understandings of class that are
embodies in and reinforced through this space (Winders, 2011).
Walking along Marshall Street it is clear from observing both the physical design of the
space and the activity it embodies that this is a space of consumption. There are some very
explicit indicators of the physical layout that target consumption. For instance the street
is plastered with advertisement for consumption from the lampposts to the signs on the
sidewalks. There is advertisement for the Marshall Street businesses on the street on the
sidewalk signs, advertisement for various Syracuse sites such as the local bowling alley on the
streetlight signs, as well as many advertisements for Syracuse University. This is the more
obvious ...
... middle of paper ...
...hall Street it is clear that the everyday spaces of our lives
influence us in ways that we do not consciously perceive. The physical design of a space
influences what we do in that space, and perhaps just as importantly, what we do not do. The
design of Marshall Street encourages consumerism. Seemingly insignificant design features
such as parking or benches play a part in how people “negotiate” spaces (Winders, 2011). The
physical design, as well as the activity it helps to instill, express and strengthen in us powerful
ideas of different aspects of identity, such as class. However, the physical design of a site is not
the sole producer of space. The activity of its occupants plays an equal part. The two
determinants influence each other and the product is a space.
Works Cited
Winders, Jamie. 26 October 2011. “Economic Geographies, I”. GEO 171.
Although the concept of identity is recurrent in our daily lives, it has interpreted in various ways.
Frank Lloyd Wright is widely known and is considered to be America’s greatest architect. He is considered, in the eyes of many, to be the most consequential American architect of the 20th century. “Strongly individualistic, flamboyant, and arrogant, Wright designed and built more than four hundred structures that reflect his architectural genius. Directly and indirectly, he heavily influenced twentieth century architecture with his diverse use of geometry in his designs” (Eisenman).
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As stated by Rockquemore (1998), identity is defined as a self-understanding that positions and describes a person; in social terms it establishes the what and the where for a person. This not only places individuals in a position where they can understand themselves and others but also where they can assess themselves relative to others. Thus, an individual can’t have a fulfilled identity without others who authenticate that identity. This bec...
Given restricted access to public space as a manifestation of socially produced fear that is constituted by the way space is perceived and imagined. Tanusree
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As a result of social classification, the individual's recognition of himself as a member of certain groups affects the identity. According to SIT, there are two different types of identity, namely social and personal identity (Ashforth and Mael, 1989). The social identity includes the meanings and feelings of values that come from the groups in which the individual is included as a result of the social classification, while the physical attributes that distinguish the person from the other group members include characteristics such as individual experiences (Ashforth and Mael, 1989).
What is identity? Identity is an unbound formation which is created by racial construction and gender construction within an individual’s society even though it is often seen as a controlled piece of oneself. In Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum’s piece, “The Complexity of Identity: ‘Who Am I?’, Tatum asserts that identity is formed by “individual characteristics, family dynamics, historical factors, and social and political contexts” (Tatum 105). Tatum’s piece, “The Complexity of Identity: ‘Who Am I?’” creates a better understanding of how major obstacles such as racism and sexism shape our self identity.
Identity is an abstract, multifaceted concept, which plays of an essential role in intercultural communication interactions, because of globalization and diversity around the world. In this paper I will describe the basic types of identity, such as human, social, and personal.
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