Life at the
Bottom
William Julius Wilson speaks of the Truly Disadvantage
in his novel he addresses the numerous issue that all play a definitive role in
identifying those who are indeed disadvantage. The Census definition, or rate,
determines poverty by comparing pretax cash income against a poverty threshold
dollar amount that is adjusted for family size and composition. 
From a Wilsons prospective if you continuously clump
individuals with a lack of resources in one concentrated area at one time without
providing them with a means to progress it will end in poverty. So I’m going to
use Detroit as an example, Two-thirds of Detroiters can't afford basic needs
like housing and health care, even when family members who are employed,
according to a new reports form article “Most Detroit Families Can't Afford
Their Basic Needs: Report”. Detroit's poverty rate is 38 percent, but the
United Way study but when you factor in housing, child care, food, transportation
and health care compared to income by county to identify families that are
above the federal poverty line people are struggling. The question is why this
is, and what shifts caused this poverty line to increase so dramatically?
Here’s the answer from my prospective Detroit as a
state was best known for its motor industry success! Here is a timeline of
major events in the motor industry over the past millennium according to
article, “ Raise and fall of Detroit” In, 1899
Ransom E. Olds opens Detroit's first auto manufacturing plant. Ford opens his
second car company, Henry Ford Co. Ford leaves the company in August 1902, and it becomes the
Cadillac Motor Co. Detroit is America's 13th biggest city, with a population of
about 286,000. Sept. 16, 1908
William Durant and Charles Stewart Mott found General Motors in Flint, Mich.,
as a holding company for Buick. (Today, GM is now the only one of the major
U.S. automakers headquartered in Detroit proper.) June 6, 1925 Walter Chrysler starts the Chrysler Corp. in Detroit.
It is now headquartered in Auburn Hills, a Detroit suburb. 1950, Detroit's population hits 1.85 million, making it America's
fourth-largest city, with 296,000 manufacturing jobs. 1973-74 The gasoline crises help give smaller, more
fuel-efficient foreign-made cars a toehold in the U.S., signaling a long period
of crisis for Detroit's Big Three automakers. December 2008 President Bush gives a provisional $17.4 billion
bailout to GM and Chrysler. May-July
2009 Chrysler and GM declare bankruptcy, and the Obama administration
provides financing and guides the automakers through expedited bankruptcy
proceedings.
https://youtu.be/KNYfVPWP4mY
Detroit was a
once thriving city that collapsed when the motor industry crashed it effected
the entire dynamics of the city. Now
that motor industries are closed let’s look at what’s left. First, poverty
filled community, because there are a lack of jobs in the market. Second, a
lack of resource within the city those with resources leave to follow weave of industrial
growth. Lastly, those who are immobile become boxed in by the pressures and
lack or resource surrounding them. The fact is that this reality could have
happened anywhere. Even if someone one was to pump millions of dollars into
restructuring of homes in Detroit nothing would change until a new system of
revenue on a city level is created. Let’s not forget that industrial crisis also
effected state budgeting which includes school funding, governmental
assistance, grant mobility, and healthcare if any city is lacking in all these
areas the city will surly die.
I will also like to point out that those who are most
disadvantage in cases like Detroit are minorities who were at a disadvantaged
even when cities thrived. The people
with resources who was able to following moving industrial careers were
typically upper and middle cases Caucasian families. That didn’t have to suffer
against add disadvantaging factors such as blockbusting, racial discrimination,
and employment biases. All of these things combined together answers the
question of why Detroit is in its current state.
This is a great example of what Wilson was trying to argue. Detroit is a prime example of what we were discussing in class, so great choice of a central city. Wilson argues that in the long haul, urbanization is what truly effects the living conditions of its residents. You highlighted Detroit’s timeline very nicely. I liked the data that you used. The articles were very informative and did a great job at explaining the current situation of Detroit and its very unstable history. I especially liked your statistical sources. The U.S. Census is a great viable and trusted source and I kff.org is also credible. The video link was a good touch too. I couldn’t see your images so that is the only thing I can’t comment on. Also, your title is captivating and straight to the point as well.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side, there is information from your articles that could have been used to get your point across quicker and connect to others at a deeper emotional level. Specifically from the article “Most Detroit Families Can't Afford Their Basic Needs” you could have put “More than 60 percent of all jobs in the state pay less than $20 an hour, or $40,000 annually for a full-time employee.” I feel like this would get straight to the realization of how difficult these times are in Detroit. Another pointer would be to add in a little more of minority data. Wilson focuses on societal issues as a whole, but at the same time he talks about concentration effects and social isolation. I would have added a few facts or a paragraph on the minority demographic across Detroit and how severe it is. I understand that you used the poor as a reference, but maybe break that down to show how much this has affected the black population in Detroit.
Overall, the site you selected, Detroit, is a great example of how urbanization and innovation can leave the poor behind. Your summary was very helpful at the end. The shift to the Sun Belt has really impacted cities like Detroit along with Buffalo and other rust belt cities. This is a topic that will be a hot one for a long time.