In Response: Blogging Social Difference in L.A.: Week2

This week, I went back and responded to Kei Komuro's blog about exploring downtown Los Angeles:

I want to first say that the pictures really help to illustrate the points that you make in your entry. The first thing I want to address is your point that inequality exists because of a gap in information. This is definitely a very valid point; if one doesn't have certain knowledge, he probably won't be able to achieve what someone with that knowledge can. However, contrary to what you say, I don't think it's so much that they don't advantage as much as they don't really have that option. It's often agreed that different groups have different access to resources - such as the information capitalism you mentioned - whether due to geographic restrictions, discrimination, or physical disability. For example, the subjects of many of your photos are of African Americans. Society still, to this age, discriminate against minorities. Schools are sometimes ignorant of special needs they might have and the disadvantages they might possess; I'm not just saying this applies to African Americans, but also Latinos and Asians, among other groups. So while it is true that they differ from the businessmen due to the amount of information they possess, I don't think it's because they don't take advantage of what's available to them; rather, I think it's because they simply don't have as much made available to them to begin with.

I really liked the picture of the bus with the advert covering its entire side you included. It does a really good job illustrating how prevalent consumerism really is in our daily lives. Even the most basic and simple things such as transportation has been touched by our consumer culture. Furthermore, it's also very true that it has far-reaching consequences; it not only affects what we buy when we go into a store, but it starts to shape the geography of our city. Many buildings in LA are actually multi-story parking structures that make it as convenient as possible for shoppers. It can also affect how stores or companies present themselves in order to attract customers; for example, it can affect signage or advertising method (putting ads on buses).

Lastly, I want to look at Robert E. Park's words as well. He certainly has a point when he says that the city can be made of many different pieces that touch but don't really interact. Going to different parts of the city, we can see that each little area seem to be catered to different groups of people. This can take the form of, for example, signs in Chinese for immigrants or brand-name shops for the wealthy. This creates an incredibly interesting city to explore, but presents problems as well. The inequality gap is increasing and it makes us reexamine the meaning of diverse. People say LA is diverse because many different groups coexist. However, we then have to ask, what good is coexisting if they don't interact? How much can different groups really learn from each other if they only exist in their own little circles, and just how much can we do if even the very geography of the city facilitates this division?