"In
speaking of poverty let us never forget that there is a distinction between
this and pauperism. The former is an unavoidable evil, to which many are
brought from necessity. . . It is the result, not of our faults, but of our
misfortunes . . . Pauperism is the
consequence of willful error, of shameful
indolence, of vicious habits. It is a misery of human
creation, the pernicious work of man, the lamentable consequence of bad principles and morals."
 |
| A Ludlow Tenement by Jacob Riis (1905) |
"Housing conditions were evidence of every failing of
character, the cause of every social problem, and the surest path to
improvement. "Home improvement for the urban poor, like "home
improvement" for the middle class itself, was considered the direct route
to virtue; bad home environment were the inevitable road to despair."
--Gwendolyn Wright (1981)
To what extend do perceptions of our home environment have an impact on individual and communal action?
9 comments:
My initial response to this video is it wasn’t that creepy. Although in the past The Twilight Zone has scared the heck out of me. Although I can relate to the show because it seems like I get nightmares all the time and generally my nightmares are a little bit unusual. I think the environment one is raised in affects them as individuals. There’s also scientific evidence that backs this, children who are raised in a family where a divorce occurs are more likely to get divorced. It has been said it takes a village to raise a child and children who are raised in worse conditions will generally be less productive members of society. For example children who don’t graduate high school earn much less money and are significantly more likely to end up in jail. Also communities as a whole are dictated to take certain actions by the demographics of the community. Children of parents who make smart financial decisions tend to make good financial decisions.
Houses are an identity of yourself in a sense. I can see it here in Winter Park where the house are huge and well-kept alluding that you hold yourself in a high standard. Those who don’t live in a nicer/bigger home are not has wealthy and considered a middle class or poorer family. Stereotyping someone based off their home is common i.e. if someone comes from a broken home in a dingy neighborhood most people will assume they aren’t much better as a person. Which is not accurate but the description given of a pauper and poor is exactly that except it aims more toward the person than the environment they’ve established in a home. A damaged and old home isn’t as great for a community as whole in a sense that it loses its charm and beauty if all the houses were gorgeous then right next door is a dull dingy building with mold and a terrible lawn. I am sure a house like that in an upscale neighborhood would be removed if possible.
Ones home, especially in small communities built originally around the "social" aspect of society, like Winter Park define a person. People around the lake for instance are constantly trying to one up the other houses. The home in this case is what lets the outsider know your status. You can look at the homes that have fallen into slight disrepair, one subconsciously assumes that household is suffering a hard time, economically or otherwise.
Home environments and housing conditions reflect social status and are the surest way of telling whether not an individual, or family is wealthy, middle class or poor. Individuals that have the ability to mirror their success will do so by building an impressive, expensive and detailed house in a well to do clean, structured, well landscaped neighborhood. A struggling family will most often opt for the cheapest home available-usually an apartment building. Communal action is constantly focusing on improving living conditions for the very poor members of our society in order to reflect an overall positive image, when for example tourists visit an area. Poor neighborhoods are not excellent places to sell for tourism, therefore the community should be extremely concerned about the issue. People are “turned off” by urban blight; by homes, apartment buildings, or any structures that look dirty, abandoned, smell, and have no garbage or sewer system. The image of a place is reflected by the homes that people are living in. People want to live and see beautiful, organized and clean places since it makes a place seem more upscale and noteworthy.
A person's home, that sense of space, is one of the main things defining a person or a family. When a house is disorganized, it shows the on the go lifestyle of its owners, when it's organized it shows off their meticulousness. A home is a personal space where the people do as they please. Humans have a tendency to judge people based on the appearance of their home and maybe it's because of this reason that my mother always makes sure our house is clean whenever there are visitors. In a way, an organized,, well kept home is synonymous with the harmony and relationship of the family inside it. Guests feel more comfortable, safe even. A home is the haven of the people living in it, and it is a reflection of who they are as people and how far they've gotten in life.
The outside appearance of the home is extremely important to many families today. This is especially true in small, upper end communities. The head of each household gets the chance to show off what they see as the perfect home. This outside appearance does not convey anything that actually happens inside the house, rather shows an aesthetically pleasing exterior. I see this kind of behavior in my neighborhood in New Jersey. Some houses have a beautiful outside color scheme that compliments their manicured lawn, but once you go inside the house, it is a completely different environment. The inside is messy and unorganized, showing how the family only truly cares about the outside appearance of their home. I think the perception of a home environment in upper end communities is incredibly competitive and bragging oriented. Everyone wants to show off from the outside, but hide everything away on the inside.
Fixing our home environment gives us an uplifting attitude. When I am down or negative, I will look towards changing and improving my environment in order to feel better. Not only does it change the feel of the room but also gives me a sense of achievement. When people enter my room or house, they sense that feeling that I am trying to display through the arrangement of the furniture to the color of the walls. This also happens when a house is 'turned upside down'. People receive a bad vibe and perceive the owner in a negative manner. Thus, home ownership has a lot to do with the individual's internal attitude.
To what extend do perceptions of our home environment have an impact on individual and communal action?
To the average person living an average life, the perception of ones home environment shouldn't have much of an impact on communal action. But to those, like what Helen said, live around the lakes of Winter Park feel the need to show off their wealth and knock down old decrepit homes to build what the boat tour guide called "McMansions". The home environment has more of an impact on the individual level, the owner, with exceptions of course, like Casa Feliz. I agree with Brittany in arguing that the external features of a house is extremely important to families today. With advertisements in the media and the social taboo of having a neat clean yard with a perfect lawn, one could be considered a lazy and indolent person with an unkempt yard.
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