Now, why am I telling you this? Simply put, because everything about me and how I grew up can potentially affect how I perceive or describe my fieldsite. Since everybody is different and can see two vastly different things in the same picture, I hope to tell you about my biases before I take over to be your eyes.
In my opinion, the thing which I believe is going to affect my view the most, is my race. Since “National research shows that minority populations use transit to a much higher extent than non-minority populations.” Since I'm half Hispanic, I will be able to easily blend into this subculture. On the other hand, since I was 5 years old, I was raised by my Mother and two older siblings, who are Caucasian, and went to a predominantly Italian high school. So through socialization I may have a slightly different perspective than other riders.
The same study also says that lower income households use public transit much more commonly, which makes me an outlier in the group because I come from a family that more than gets by. I take the bus simply because it's easier than getting a ride and I never had the initiative to get my license, not because it is a necessity. Also, I am way under the age of average riders, so again that can make my observations different with all of the recent advances in technology and the change between generations.
But I hope after all this you still allow me to be your electronic tour guide through Kennedy Plaza and teach you the truth about Rhode Island's public transportation system. Sorry for the more serious mood of this post, we have to get all of the background information out of the way before we can start having fun, but I have something fun to share to make up for it. In my freshmen honors class, we passed around our paper so that our classmates had a chance to share their ideas or assumptions of what the people were like in our fieldsite, enjoy reading their thoughts!
Also, if you've ever heard anything about or been to Kennedy Plaza, please, feel free to talk about it in the comments.
Ryan: This blog post is fantastic! I applaud your demonstration of your understanding of subjectivities. This line tells me you get it! "I hope to tell you about my biases before I take over to be your eyes." I also like how you say you'll take over to be our (your readers') "eyes." Cool.
ReplyDeleteI like how you "own" your ethnicity and your socioeconomic status, as well as the way in which you are different from your mother and siblings and fellow classmates in high school. You must walk through life with a slightly different lens, being mixed race in a country that was built on a sturdy foundation of racism. You are often "the minority" in settings, which allows you to say things like that fact that you'll most likely "blend in" at Kennedy Plaza as you're doing your research. If I were you, I'd plan to pay special attention to how race and gender and public perception affect your research on the bus and at the Plaza. So interesting!
I'm also struck by the words and phrases on your in-class "social norms and perceptions" (aka stereotypes) sheet. WOW. Most poignantly, I am struck by the references to "poor" and "shady" or "dangerous." It is amazing how often and easily we associate the lack of money with danger, as though the wealthy people in this world are the perfectly safe and moral folk. HA! I'm also struck by the LACK OF rational, logical associations, except for "work in the city," which is a perfectly reasonable reason to ride the bus to work. Others might be: saving money on gas, no parking in the city, saving money on parking, environmental awareness, one-car family. This is great data, Ryan. Make sure you find a way to weave it into your writing at some relevant point along the way. Thank you!