Category: Reading Summaries

Reading Summary 6

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The article “Color Walking” by Phia Bennin and Brendan McMullan is an article that tells a little bit about where colors can take you. They begin by explaining where the idea of color walking originated. A long time ago, a man named William Burroughs came up with the idea of a color walk. He thought of color walks because he wanted a way to inspire his students. A color walk is basically exactly what it sounds like. A color walk is simply choosing a color and going on a walk that is influenced by that color. The places the walk will take a person is based off of the the things of that color that catch the person’s eye. The idea is to have a color picked out that you like or catches your attention and as soon as you step outside, you let that color guide your way.

In this instance, Phia Bennin and Brendan McMullan decided to do a color walk for themselves. Bennin and McMullan decided to do the color walk differently though, by not having to stick to only one color like the original color walks did. They began their walk on a Sunday afternoon at the WNYC radio station which is in the lower end of Manhattan, New York. Their color walk was only about fifteen minutes long, but they saw a lot in those fifteen minutes. Bennin and McMullan started off their color walk by following the color blue, until they went to the color purple, and then they ended their color walk with the color pink. Many things caught their attention during their short walk through lower Manhattan. The first item that caught their eye was a woman’s blue scarf, then they went on and were taken by a girl’s chipped blue nails. Next they followed the blues to the basketball court, and after that their eyes began to follow the color purple. They then spotted a gay couple, one wearing purple leopard print leggings and his partner, who was the end to their walk, was wearing the color pink.

After Phia Bennin and Brendan McMullan’s color walk, the colors that they had seen remained fresh and vibrant in their memory. After experiencing the color walk, Bennin and McMullan walked away taking notice of the colors that they see more than ever before. They realized how full of color the world truly is.

At the end of their article, Phia Bennin and Brendan McMullan give advice to readers who might want to take part in experiencing a color walk. They suggest to take an hour out of the day to focus solely on what can be seen. Another suggestion of Bennin and McMullan’s is to follow a color that is not just a color, but is excited and makes the heart race. The last piece of advice they have to offer is about getting lost. They say to just pick a different color if lost and that it is going really good if very lost.

 

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Reading Summary 4

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The article “His & Hers: Designing for a Post-Gender Society” by Suzanne Tick speaks on the topic of design and its relation to gender and the somewhat new lack of separation between male and female. Tick starts off by pointing out how there are no longer distinctly defined genders, but instead there is male, female, and everything that lies somewhere in the middle of the two. She believes that it is a designer’s duty to promote acceptance and change where it seems necessary in society to accommodate all of the people who identify between male and female..

Suzanne Tick continues on with her views on today’s designs. Landscapes are still very modern, which she says is driven by men’s perception. Offices and such, where it has typically been a man’s place of work, are designed in a way to appeal to a man’s wants and needs for that space. Tick says that even the designs in the world of technology are affected by there being male dominance in that industry.

Then she goes on to talk about the movement for gender sensitivity and equality, the He for She Movement. It is a movement that entreats men to help work towards gender equality around the world. Another related movement towards equality is the LGBTQ rights movement that has made it legal for same-sex marriage. Suzanne Tick says “Masculine and feminine definitions are being switched and obscured.”(Tick, Line 57).

With women becoming more prominent, treatment in the work place has become more equal. This means designers have to figure out how to design layouts that are more gender sensitive now. Including making alterations in the work place such as letting more light in and adding more softness to the layout. Building designs have to accommodate males and females now.

Suzanne Tick says that fashion and beauty are the first areas to undertake the changing trends that come from gender roles becoming unclear. Clothing items are becoming more gender neutral because of the changes in self-identification, and some designers have already taken a step in that direction. Tick recognizes Alexander Wang for his women’s winter coat for it having a masculine edge to it, and she also recognizes Annemiek van der Beek’s for her primal skin makeup because it was made so men are be able to use it too. These two examples show how easy it is to accommodate people who identify as male, female, or anything in between.

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Suzanne Tick points out that androgyny is very familiar to most people today. It is not uncommon to see a person and not be sure if he is a he or if she is a she. It used to be that transgenders were not accepted in society. Now, schools are allowing students not to put their gender down if they would not like to. Some accommodations are being made for transgenders because they are no longer as rare as they used to be and are no longer such outcasts. The lines between men and women and between masculine and feminine are slowly fading away as people identify themselves differently.

Gender neutrality has become very important with today’s society. Designers are now creating less gender specific clothing, schools are making accommodations for transgenders, and some places are even getting unisex bathrooms. Suzanne Tick believes accommodations should be made so every person can feel like they belong, and that people should not be forced to choose a gender.

Suzanne Tick. “His & Hers: Designing for a Post-Gender Society”. Metropolis. Metropolis Magazine, March 2015. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.

Reading Summary 3

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“Making Bathrooms More ‘Accommodating'” by Emily Bazelon explains some of the troubles of transgender people. She also questions why our society has separated males and females in the ways that we have. Emily does this by using the simple main example of specific gendered bathrooms by pointing out the unease people have or would have if they had to share restrooms with the opposite sex. She mentions how many people do not agree with the idea of mixing both genders in restrooms. Some people have gone as far as campaigning against men being allowed in women’s restrooms and vice versa. Bazelon also adds how schools handle the issue when it comes to transgender students. Majority of schools call transgender students by the names they ask to be called by, and they allow transgender students to be on whichever gender of a sports team they identify with. Even with both of those accommodations, there are remaining issues on if transgender students should be allowed to use the same dressing rooms and bathrooms as the gender they identify with. Emily Bazelon gives an example of an issue that came up in Illinois where a transgender girl was not allowed to change with the girls because of lack of privacy for the girls. The solution that came about was a curtain being put up to give more privacy. This way transgender students can be accommodated and the mixing of genders becomes less problematic.

Emily Bazelon then goes into talking about accommodations or rather the lack there of. She speaks on how accommodations have been made for the people who have disabilities and even for peoples’ religions. Yet accommodations for transgenders have not been made. Bazelon points out how it seems that people who are transgenders are the ones who have been making changes to accommodate others instead of others trying to help accommodate them. Not only do people who are transgenders fall short when it comes to being accommodated, women are slightly looked over also. Bazelon makes note of women having to wait in lines for the bathroom, which is not a rare occurrence, while men move quickly in and out of the bathrooms because urinals help them to do so. Accommodations for men are more frequent compared to accommodations for women and especially transgenders.

Brazelon continues making her point by stating how the separation between men and women as far as using the restroom is something that was created by society a long time ago. It began when women stopped being housewives as much and began joining the working community. Women were looked at as more fragile so they needed their own restroom that they could retreat to at work. Since the bathrooms have been separated for so long, women also see their restroom as somewhere they can go and chat or freshen up away from men. Many women are uncomfortable with the idea of a transgenders being in their restrooms because then the restroom will not be specifically for them. This view on the women’s restroom discourages any movements toward limiting the separation of sexes and accommodating transgenders. Brazelon states that adjustments are necessary for coexistence. Everyone needs to feel like they belong.

Reading Summary 2

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In Margaret Morton’s The Tunnel, life of the people who live in the tunnel is described by many of the inhabitants to give an idea of what it is like to live there and what living there has done for them. A man named Bernard explained the life that he goes through in a way that he does not seem homeless at all. He has a home even if the common person would not live there. He lives there and lives a life that does not perceive his homelessness as a problem. Rather than a problem, Bernard is simply trying to find himself, and being isolated in the tunnel is helping him do so. Bob’s story is another example of the tunnel being an opportunity to find oneself. Bob was a traveler and very free spirited, he gave it all up and moved to the tunnel. While living in the tunnel, he was able to find out who he really was. A guy named Manny was able to escape his dysfunctional family by going to the tunnel. The tunnel is used by many to escape from hard home life situations. Ria’s story points out how it is more difficult for women than man because they can be easily taken advantage of. All of these people who live in the tunnel, one way or another, have reasons to be there.

The tunnel is an opportunity for many to start over or retreat from the unwanted lifestyle that they live. The majority of the people in Margaret Morton’s The Tunnel, mention the freedom that they experienced by not having to pay rent or any other bills they had before living in the tunnel. This freedom takes away stress that the average person carries. The tunnel can easily be named as an escape route for many people who have problems in their life. Countless people who live in the tunnel have had a difficult time growing up which has created their desire to get away from the life that they once had above ground. Grief from losses and traumatizing events, such as abuse, has driven them away from their old lives. A lot of people who live in the tunnels left their families behind to start over underground. The people who live in the tunnel make their own space into a home using anything that they can find that is interesting to them. Inhabitants of the tunnel work together sometimes to help provide for others who also live in the tunnel. Normal life is possible in the tunnel, there are even married couples like Cathy and Joe who live in their home underground together. Many of the people who live in the tunnel find ways to make money. For instance, the people collect cans and look out for money laying around carnivals or other tourist spots. A lot of people lived on the streets before they moved to the tunnel, so the tunnel became a home for them because it is a big change from no shelter on the streets of a city. Also, a bunch of people could support themselves before the tunnel, but they spent their money on alcohol and other substances that led them to the underground lifestyle. Not all of the people who live in the tunnel are drug addicted or alcoholics though, there are some who live there just because they have no other place to go.

The lives of the inhabitants of the tunnel might not be as fancy as ours, but they manage to make it day by day with what they have. They are able to survive and continue living even if it is not in the best conditions. Margaret Morton uses these stories and photographs to show the importance of this space to this specific group of people.

Reading Summary One

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Irina Nersessova’s “Tapestry Of Space: Domestic Architecture And Underground Communities In Margaret Morton’s Photography Of A Forgotten New York” analyzes Margaret Morton’s photographs and perception of the homeless in New York and makes a connection between urban space and one’s behavior. This article emphasizes the true meaning of being homeless, what can come of it, and what can drive you to it. It shows the real reasons behind being homeless and the reality of living as a homeless person.

Having a home, no matter what type of home it is, is necessary to humans because shelter is a necessity in one’s life. Not having a stable home is the true idea behind being homeless, because they have a home even though it is not consistent. Not owning a home does not make a person homeless, because many people who have a place to live do not own a home. Instead, it is the fragility and susceptibility of a home that makes the person living there homeless. Nersessova points out the relationship between human identity and space when commenting on how the homeless put their items together in an organized manner to try to form a sense of identity.  The way the homeless work to survive in their way of living helps them gain more self understanding. One man that Morton interviewed was able to focus more on himself with being away from all of the worldly things of the city. Life in the tunnel is portrayed as a place a person can find themselves rather than solely as a symbol of poverty. Another man that was interviewed used the tunnel as his safe place because the average person was afraid to enter because of how dark the tunnel is. Nersessova highlights the fact that Morton clarifies that life in the tunnel is not ideal by letting an interviewee explain how it can take over a person’s life. The people who live in the tunnel gain a specific bond with the city; because of the knowledge they had of the city before living in the tunnel, they already know how to get supplies such as food. For many residents of the tunnel, it has become their home because it is too chaotic above ground in the city. Not only is the tunnel a place to live, but it also provides opportunity for creativity for the people who live there. Not all of the people who lived in the tunnel that were interviewed by Morton stayed in the tunnel. Some of the people who once lived in the tunnel left to try again above ground. The tunnel is not glamorous by all means, but it seems to provide opportunities, such as finding yourself, that may not be easily found somewhere else.

There is also a relationship between space and social justice. The architecture of the city can prevent certain classes of people from being included, and it can segregate different types of people. Psychogeography in the city has created social classes and the division between those people in each class. It is created from urban space’s influence on the people’s behavior. Capitalism in the city has forced the homeless out of sight in order to attract more consumers. Even with being pushed out of sight, the homeless still manage to find a way to live in the system that has failed them.

The main arguments made by Nersessova in this analysis that i picked up on are that homeless people are very similar to people who have stable homes, and that the tunnel is not all bad, good does come from it. Homeless people have the same needs, everybody needs to get away to find themselves sometimes. People just have different ways of going about this.