·
Pedestrian
vs. car movement;
·
Types
and number of pedestrians whom you see walking in the busiest part of the
square (age, race, nationality, etc.),
·
Include
in your analysis reference to the gender, age, ethnic type, of the people you
see. Record whether they are in clusters and how large the clusters are. What
kind of dress they are wearing, if uniforms (what kind), evening wear? Are the
carrying parcels? In what direction are they walking? Why?
·
What
types of people—and how many—shop at specific stores on a corner, etc.
·
Also
record any idiosyncratic behavior.
·
Include
reference to at least 200 people in your composite. (See the Tally Sheet in the
Appendix).
Sit back and soak in the scene
before you. Watch the people. Who did you see in the square? What are they
feeling? Let them speak to you. Reflect on what you observed.
·
Did
the people concentrations in the square differ at all with the census
demographics for this zip code?
·
Was
there anything I observed, that might help my church to reconnect?
·
Was
there any place where people would stop, relax, and have conversation with
people from complex culture? Starbucks? Sports Bar? Pub? Where might Jesus be
found?
Is there another square where
you can do the same thing? If not, choose a different set of criteria, and do
the same exercise over again. Concentrate on the new criteria. You will be
astounded at how much more you will see.
REFLECTION: Here is one example of what you
might find. One of my students spent two hours at the corner of 3rd
and Vermont Streets in Los Angeles. Third Street goes East and West; East goes
into downtown LA, and West into Beverly Hills. She sat at a bus stop, and
observed the human traffic on both sides of 3rd Street from 5:00pm
to 6:30pm.
The first thing she noticed was
the bus passengers on both sides of the street. Those getting off on the
East-bound bus often wore various sorts of uniforms. Those disembarking on the
West-bound bus, most often wore the attire of professionals.
She then checked the signage
(billboards, light post advertising, literature vending machines, etc.) in the
Beverly Hills direction, and saw that it included ads for things like Avian
water, theater, luxury cars, etc.. In the direction toward downtown, the ads
were for products like movies, cigarettes, beer, etc..
The most important question
when doing this kind of exercise is, “Why?” Why the clothing, why the signs,
why in these specific directions? To answer these questions, one needs to know
that there is a large working-class neighborhood between this intersection and
downtown. Armed with this information, one can conclude that the professionals
are heading home to Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Those traveling in the
opposite direction are trade people, domestics, housekeeping, drivers, and
other hard-working people.
The advertising people have
done their homework, and are suggesting the kinds of beverage and evening
entertainment each of the passengers should enjoy. It is interesting to note
that stereotypes and politically incorrect activity is part of the advertising
and marketing techniques. Yet, no one seems to notice.
Next, my student noticed that
there were two supermarkets on the corners, one on each side of 3rd
Street. The store on the side heading toward Beverly Hills was more upscale.
The store on the side heading for downtown catered to their working-class
customers. Each of the supermarkets was perfectly situated to serve its
respective customers.
Neither
of the two groups seemed aware of what was happening. It was just part of their
everyday routine. My student, however, discovered two worlds, separated from
each other by the centerline of 3rd Avenue. They were passing each
other in the late afternoon on their way home from work. They were so close,
yet so far from each other. And it was all happening right on the front step of
the church.
Where
else might you look to discover another dynamic of your community?
[1] Adapted from: J. Timothy
Kauffman. Reconnecting the Church:
Finding Our Place in Complex Culture. Bloomingdale, IN: Xlibris, 2010.
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