that's a wrap!

Well. We're done!

We just got back from Rotterdam, home of Erasmus Universiteit. We were up at 5h00, on the train by 6h30, in Rotterdam by 8h00 and presented our material at 11h00, and home free by 13h00. The presentations all went really well, with only a few minor technological issues (the projector decided to go into standby halfway through the New Media presentation and Ruben's laptop [Vista, of course] decided to freak out and not acknowledge the projector). Our session was somewhat sparsely attended, but the feedback we received was all positive, exceptionally cool because it came from experts in the field! I'm so relieved we're done, and I can't wait to get home tomorrow! One more trip to Vleminckx best-fries-in-the-city and we're good to go!

Putting The Pieces Together: Collaborative Research

As I mentioned yesterday afternoon, we hiked ourselves over to VKS once again (this time, without getting ourselves lost! VICTORY!) this time, to discuss collaborative research with Jan Kok, a senior researcher at VKS and IISH and Stefan Dormans, a postdoctoral researcher. Their lectures discussed the mechanics of collaborative research. Jan's presentation, "New Media in the Humanities: The Case of 'e-social History'" discussed the role of ICT in researching social history, defined by Jan as "the history of labor movements and social action". We know what kind of role new technologies play in scientific research, so what is the role of ICT in humanities research? First, with the advent and increased usage of online databases and archives for documents such as demographic or other municipal records from Paris in the 1930s, for example, research has become easier, in a sense, and the collective knowledge base has dramatically increased.

Another advantage of the digital age is the ability to collaborate with the guy at the next desk over, or across the world. With platforms like PBWiki (the platform we're using for this project) where you can create a wiki for your project and upload documents, pictures, multimedia, &c. for everyone to view and edit, together. Pretty cool, right? No more e-mailing, faxing or (g-d forbid) UPS overnight'ing documents back and forth - with the click of the mouse and a few keystrokes, you're working together: across the room or across the country. Anyway. Jan and Stefan's discussion on new media and technology in humanities/social science research was enlightening, and certainly helped us get a feel for how our projects will soon be assembled.

After their respective lectures, we were given a somewhat lengthy tour of a small portion of the IISH archives. Cold, drafty, musty archives. Not an experience I need to repeat. See, I'm all about old books and libraries and bookdust, but that's a little bit different than rotting clothes from 1980s squatters and decaying microfiche. Ew ew and ew.

1 + 1 + 1 = 4,200?!

Okay, so we all know that math isn't my favorite subject (despite my disgusting knack for the subject) but I promise, I'm not as bad as the title implies. Let me explain: 1 (me) + 1 (Jenny) + 1 (Mimi) = approximately 4,200 words = the length of our project's written deliverable.

In anticipation of our meeting with Jan Kok, senior researcher at VKS, to discuss collaborative research - what it means, how it works, and how to smoothly incorporate all of these various pieces and various people into one beautiful and intriguing, intelligent and informative presentation (or, what I hope will be, an A+ deliverable) - we have been asked to submit a question on collaboration. The problem is, I don't have any questions. The problem isn't that I know everything there is to know, rather, I have absolutely no idea where to begin. I am so completely ignorant of collaborative research projects (especially one like ours which is, in fact, three separate projects under one big, vague umbrella) that I don't even know which questions to ask. I guess I'm in trouble, aren't I?

I suppose I could ask how to take all of this qualitative data and turn it into something quantitative, concrete and interesting to anyone outside of myself. Fair enough?

So um, now what?

Conducting Research
(or Now That You Know What You Want To Know, How Do You Figure It Out?)

Our morning started off in its usual way: we got lost on our way to class, at the Virtual Knowledge Studio (VKS). Amsterdam is gorgeous city, but it could seriously benefit from some signage; none of the streets are particularly well labeled - this is definitely a city of landmarks, not street-names. We left twenty minutes early for a ten minute bike ride, arriving ten minutes late (that would be 10h10) because we missed the first, crucial turn because the street is apparently unnamed in reality, but has some long complicated Dutch title according to the map. Exciting, no? Six of us (yes, nearly half) eventually made our way there, on our bikes, in the rain (although I'd love to evoke some pity, it was actually quite warm), without being horrendously late (though we all felt terrible, to be sure), settled our drowned-rat looking selves our seats with a nice cup of tea (or coffee) and enjoyed a perfectly timed lecture from Sally Wyatt on data collection, through the specific example of her recent research project on the Internet and Healthcare in Brighton, England.

Dr. Sally Wyatt, Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Digital Cultures in Development at VKS, provided us with a fabulous insight into the realm of research within the field of health sciences. By explaining her project on the impact of the internet on healthcare and the informed patient in Brighton, she was able to take us through the step-by-step process of research: formulating a question, creating a project, (applying for funding), collecting data, processing and analysis, and a final presentation of your (team's) findings.

While she spoke specifically on her methods of data collection (surveys and interviews, primarily) she provided a thorough overview of the entire process of data collection, analysis and presentation, applicable to nearly every type of data. For those of us who had absolutely no idea what were doing, what our next step would be, and how we were supposed to take all of this STUFF and make it sensical, intelligible (and intelligent) and presentable - this was perfect. I know I have certainly benefit from this lecture, though I daresay Emily S and Lauren made off like intellectual bandits as their project, like Wyatt's, was related to healthcare/information access. I would be jealous, but then Dr. Leon Deben's lecture was pretty much a synthesis of my project, so I really shouldn't complain!

After returning from the lecture and grabbing lunch, Jenny and I spent the afternoon at the Waterloopleinmarkt, and picked up some last-minute groceries on the way home.

Progress: Data Collection

Googlemap, geotagged for our group:

View Larger Map

My Progress/Recent Activity:

1. Narrowed focus of research question: how does [the square surrounding] de Waag function as a conduit of social activity?
2. Researched history of de Waag to gain better understanding of construction/circumstances (physical and historical)
3. Observed (both actively and passively) the goings-on of the plaza surrounding de Waag
4. Recorded video and taken still photographs of de Waag and activities/events occurring there (weekend market, for example)

Jenny's Progress/Recent Activity:

1) changed my research question
2) decided on focusing Albert Cuyp and Waterlooplein markets
3) went to both markets at least twice
4) conducted a few interviews at each market & attempted to contact the organizers of the Albert Cuyp market
5) taken videos and observed the function of space in the markets
6) observed both markets after they've closed

Mimi's Progress/Recent Activity:

Gay Pride Festival
Jul 31st--Attended Manoeuvre (Gay Pride Chorus), Lutherese Kerk; Photographed the performance.
Aug 2nd—Attended Gay Pride Parade; Photographed and videotaped the event.
Aug 3rd—Attended “Geloog, Hoop en Liefde” open-air church service; Photographed the event; Interviewed with the organizer from Evengelische Roze Vieringen (ERV) and the organizer from Gay Business Amsterdam.
Aug 6th—Visited Gewoon Anders! (Just Different!) at the Cobra Museum, photographed the exhibition.

Kwakow Festival
Aug 9th – Attended the festival from 3pm to 7pm; interviewed the information stand staff; interviewed with one NGO worker at the cultural shop; had casual talks with participants of the festival; tasted traditional Surinamese food; photographed various food stands, dances, singing, religious ceremony, soccer match, and etc.

De Parade
Aug 11th – Attend De Parade theater festival; photographed the setting in the park; recorded show schedule; photographed show ads and theater tents.

Bijlmermeer: Defining Public Spaces

Researching Public Spaces: Streets, Pavement, Sidewalks & Parks



Our final morning lecture, given by Dr. Leon Deben, senior university lecturer and associate professor of sociology and anthropology at UvA and part of the research team "Urban Geographies and Social Interactions".



What is public space?



Public space is defined as "space that is not privately owned and cannot be claimed by one person, or group of persons, exclusively," according to Dr. Deben, it is "a reflection of how a society is organized." You do not need to obtain permission to enter this space, spend time there, conduct business, &c. Day or night, man or woman, you are free to use this space as you choose.



Semi-public spaces are just that, 'semi-public', they are do not afford the same freedoms as a truly public space, but they are certainly a part of the public domain. They are characterized by time restraints, membership requirements perhaps, tacit (or perhaps not) rules governing behavior and conduct. Shopping Malls, therefore, will forever remain semi-public.



Three Domains of Space



The private domain is the home; characterized by the intimate interactions of a specific group/individuals, a freedom of behavior, attitude and ideas not available elsewhere. Interaction with strangers is extremely limited.



The next step out is the parochial domain, or the neighborhood; a familiar community network of friends and family, the people you ride the tram with to work every morning, the baristas at the cafe on the corner. Interactions with the unfamiliar occurs, but there is some sense of ownership and pride in this space, you have some vague idea of who belongs or who doesn't.



Of course the public domain is a realm of strangers; while locations are largely familiar, the sea of faces endlessly shifts and changes.



Diversity and Freedom



“In a village, when you look out the window, you are looking in the mirror. In the city, when you look out the window, you see the world."



By forced meetings (in public spaces), tolerance becomes a part of everyday life, developed more and more each day. It is impossible to exist in a city environment, interacting (if only briefly and superficially) with individuals from every walk of life on a daily basis, and remain intolerant. It may not always be the most pleasant experience, but if you were to remain completely intolerant, you would either never leave your house or leave the city and move to a gated community where you never have to see anyone outside of your fixed social stratum and environment.



Theoretical Perspective: Erving Goffman



Dr. Erving Goffman: former president of the American Sociological Association and professor of sociology at the University of Chicago, University of California - Berkeley and University of Pennsylvania. He was awarded Doctor of Hebrew literature/language from the University of Chicago and Doctor of Laws from University of Manitoba, a Guggenheim Fellowship (1977-78), In Medias Res (International Communication Award, 1978) and the Mead-Cooley Award (social psychology life achievement award, 1983).



Dr. Goffman developed the idea of "symbolic interactionism" which focuses on the constructive, creative aspect of human behavior: not passive, but based on interpretations of the environment. He stresses the strategic, calculating aspects of social interaction. Sees the world as backstage (your language/vernacular) and main stage; in each situation there is a seen and unseen component. Backstage is the difference in behavior in public spaces versus private spaces; how you behave at home versus how you behave in Dam Square. Backstage is more informal and familiar; the 'true you' so to speak. You conduct yourself differently in the privacy of your own thoughts and home than you would in a shopping centre or public park. Dr. Goffman also notes the "anonymous privacy" afforded by public spaces and the concept of "civil-inattention and nonpersons", you don’t see the homeless or the crazy pigeon lady, you turn away. If you give everyone attention, you will not be able to walk through the city, or keep your sanity.



Territories of the self applied in research of the public area and domain

Used Space

The Turn

The Sheath - the skin that covers the body, the clothes that cover the skin

Possessional territory - purses, bags, umbrellas

Personal Space

The Stall - establishing your space. Setting a bag on the chair next to you on the tram to prevent intrusion of others into your perceived 'bubble'

Information Reserve - things that are always present, even in public, but are still unknown to others. The contents of your pockets, for example.

Conversational Reserve



Privatizing Public Spaces: Symbolic Transformations



According to Dr. Lyn Lofland, a student of Dr. Goffman and research professor of sociology at University of California - Davis, you cannot cope with thousands of strangers, you must develop strategies for existence and survival. By reducing the complexities of an anonymous life and by turning public spaces into a private place, so as to avoid this ‘world of strangers’. By knowing a city, by filling in our mental maps, we become more comfortable with the city/world around us. Privatizing public space is an individual act; a locational transformation to avoid the world of strangers.



Home Territories are places where you are among your compatriots. A piece of public space that is taken over by people who want to maximize encounters with the personally-known. A “home away from home”, which makes the urban world safer and easier. Invites "host-like" behavior towards strangers.



1. Casual knowledge (customer)

2. Familiar knowledge (patron)

3. Intimate knowledge (residents)

4. Public Space knowledge (colonizers)



The customer has a casual knowledge of a place, looks at it as somewhere to meet friends, to see and be seen. The Patron has familiar knowledge based on a regular relationship; a privileged link with employees, which also contributes to the spatial segregation of strangers. Upperclassmen always know new students, and there is some discrimination based not on socio-economics, but sheerly on the amount of time you have spent in a space or set of spaces. Residents know everything via permanent relationship; can recognize strangers. An alteration which transforms a world of strangers into ‘home’.

Finally, colonizers turn public spaces into home; a ‘full-time job’ for seeking private purposes. An action which depends on the approval of other people and authorities; unlike the privatization of public space, which is an individual action, this is a group act.



Villages



The Urban Village is a personal world in urban anonymity, based on solidarity and/or security. The Concentrated Village (neighborhood) a mix of unity and autonomy which remains fictional. A way for inhabitants to avoid the adaptations to the ‘world of strangers’; an extreme example is a gated community. 10-15 million people in the United States live in gated communities, turning their backs on society; an anachronism in our cosmopolitan world.



Amsterdam is an important mix of all of these spaces and territories: there are 80-85,000 residents in the city itself, and on any given day between 80-100,000 people living and working in the 8 square km of the city.



Now, onto Bijlmer and a short history lesson...



Bijlmermeer



History:

1622 - Reclamation of Bijlmer lake

1672 - Marshy polder flooded

1678 - Drained again

1702 - Flooded during a storm

1825 - Drained again

1846 - Owned by Weesperkarspel

1960 - Cooperation with Amsterdam. To realize housing plans (to combat post WWII housing shortage), began discussions on building up Bijlmermeer.



Bijlmer was designed to be a "Functional Town": a town in which living, working, traffic and recreation are separated (like old German industrial town) The Bijlmer was designed by Le Corbusier and based on his "Voisin Plan" for Paris (1925). He founded CIAM, in 1928, and invited 28 European architects to join this international congress for the design of modern architecture. In 1934, they wrote the Charter of Athens (1942) which dictated the planning of new cities based on the proceedings of CIAM meetings from 1933-1941. While the Bijlmer project was conceived in the 1930s, it was not realized until the 1960s.



The Potential Plan

High-rise Apartment Blocks (8 floors/each)

18,000 apartment units, 13,000 in the High-rise

Deck access apartment blocks

Honeycomb Pattern

Large green spaces in between



The Effective Plan

Budget Cuts

Remained incomplete

The "covered street" or raised highway was set at 1st floor-height

Storage at the Ground Floor (a bad thing; must have watching eyes on street level to reduce crime)

Number of floors was increased (10/11 stories)

Number of lifts decreased

Galleries were too long

Cavernous spaces in car parks; from day one, they were not used properly because there was a fee. Residents removed the gates and parked for free, only to find their wheels missing the next morning.

Subway realized later; initially it was a bus system connecting Bijlmermeer to the city.



Reasons for failure

Too expensive; the idea was to build the Bijlmermeer, and then be able to renovate the 19th C girdle of the city. Never happened.

Unsafe carparks.

Insufficient shops/retail locations

A menacing atmosphere in the public area: because all of the highways were elevated, underneath them, these cavernous spaces were no-go areas at night and are the ultimate in sketch.

Nuisance in the Blocks

Rapid Turn Over

Faulty Social Structure; in a way, this became the place where, if you could not get a home in Amsterdam proper, you moved to Bijlmermeer.



Further problems caused by external forces

National policy created ‘overspill towns’

Slower population growth than anticipated,

Relatively high rent throughout the country,

Combined with this situation: negative residential climate around the Blocks, too many units left empty,

Fewer families living in the blocks (single parents, partners without children, individuals)



1975 Surinam (Dutch Guyana) gained its independence, and these immigrants like to live in the same communities, this filled the empty Bijlmermeer.



1992 El Al freighter crashed into one of the apartment blocks; unfortunately, there were so many illegals living in the area that the actual death toll is unknown. There is a memorial erected in Bijlmerpark to commemorate this tragedy.



Census of Resident Participation:

25% liked the High Rise Blocks

25% wanted to leave

25% wanted the Bijlmermeer to be renovated



Buildings have been torn down and rebuilt, others renovated, others still remain unchanged. The campaign for a new Biljmer: clean, whole and safe: restoring the quality of life.



Population:

Surinamese - 25,000

Antillians - 4,500

Turkish/Moroccan - 2,000

Non-Westerdn - 16,500

Dutch - 22,500

Western Origin - 6,500

-----

Total: 77,500



The Bijlmer Renewal Project



To be completed by 2010, the Bijlmer Renewal is hailed as the "Society of Tomorrow" and anticipated to increase the population in Amsterdam Zuidoost (southeast) from 77,500 to 90,000. They'll be removing the raised highways, renovating or rebuilding the remaining apartment blocks from the 1960s, and have renovated the extremely sketchy metro station (now a clean, aesthetically-pleasing, contemporary structure of glass and steel). They will also be constructing a new music dome and entertainment center with hotels, shopping, a discotech/club, and 3D/IMAX cineplex, in hopes of turning Bijlmer into Amsterdam's new center for the arts and entertainment.















Religion is extremely important to residents of Bijlmer; while there is no official church, all of the protestants (the majority of the inhabitants) attend services and whatnot in a shared building, where all communities peacefully coexist. Bijlmer, too, is the largest employment center in Amsterdam, filled with skyscrapers: the symbol of modern industry.



A few of us hung around Bijlmer for a few hours and explored the city center before returning to Amsterdam proper where a few of us went out for dinner and re-explored the city at dusk.

In Short...

A summary of my project, thus far-

The Exterior as Interior:
public space in amsterdam

Investigating Form and Function:

Objective: Determine the role and/or purpose of public spaces in Amsterdam. In what ways does the exterior function in the same way as the interior?

Context: While the United States is sadly devoid of public squares, open markets and other public, exterior (architectural) spaces that have a social component or function, Amsterdam is not. These spaces, despite their nature as exterior, outdoor spaces, function in much the same as interior spaces. These are the spaces where we meet friends to "hang out" in and around shopping malls, I am interested in finding the Dutch equivalent of these spaces, as manifested in public squares, markets and plazas.

Conceptual Framework:

Following Mieke Bal in “Telling, Showing, Showing Off”

- Connecting Culture and Space
- How the design / form of a space affect its cultural role / function

While I have been sitting atop the proverbial fence for some weeks now in regard to incorporating Benjamin and the Arcades project, I have ultimately decided that while I will keep it in the forefront of my mind, I do not think I will formally include it in my framework at this point. Of course, once I cross the Meridian, all bets are off.

Methodology:

Observation
- a la Jacobs: detect clues to the nature of activity in a space and the level of intensity
- observe the use of space, noting relationship between form and function, design and culture
- is there an aspect of a space that is ineffective, misused or under-used?

Survey
- Brief, informal surveys (positive/negative)
- Ex. Do you often visit this space? Why/Why this space over another? What makes this space unique? Would you change anything about this space? Why/Not?

Th-th-th-that's all folks!

Public Scholarship & the Academic Lexicon

First, I would like to verbalize my absolute excitement about my enrollment in Professor David Domke's class fall quarter - I was unsure what to make of him as, prior to reading this article, I had no previous connection to him; now, I am stoked beyond belief. Talk about a passionate professor!

Publication Methods:
-Digital Media (YouTube, this blog [or another dedicated to research])
-Print (Submitting an article to an academic journal, but more likely, to a 'lay publication' like Architectural Digest, or more importantly, writing a book designated for the general population; a publication of this nature will reach a much broader audience than a simple academic essay/article/book) This is public scholarship, it should be accessible to everyone from third graders (although I doubt they'd be interested) to doctoral students to your grandma.

In terms of my presentation, it is most important for me to be mindful of jargon; when you are so familiar with a subject and its associated terminology, you often forget what is jargon and what is not. It is important to keep the audience in mind (even at a scholastic conference).

Armed with this knowledge, I hope that when it comes time to present my findings from this project, I'll be able to assemble a presentation that is engaging, informative and humanistic. The Academic Paradox: you may have just had the most brilliant and mind-blowing idea in the history of mankind; but if you cannot effectively communicate your thoughts to others, it is as if the idea never existed.

(re)Search Me

"Social research is one among many ways of constructing representations of social life... and these representations tell us something about society." (Ragin, Constructing Social Research)

First, let's define:
concept: a general notion
intersubjective: existing between conscious minds; shared knowledge

With that in mind...

Concepts: Tools of Intersubjectivity
a la Mieke Bal

- facilitate discussion via comnon language
- abstract representation of object (reminiscent of a synecdoche)
- neither simple nor adequate, in and of themselves
- function to distort, unfix and/or inflect object
- not a metaphor, but rather a miniature theory

Using these definitions as an aid, my hope is that these tools will find their way into my arsenal, knowing that once I touchdown in Amsterdam, my entire project will shift into something wholly new. With this in mind, I have tried to keep my project and malleable as possible, in an attempt to avoid total devastation while walking the canals.


- an analysis of objects situations and other theories

I've been framed!

The Exterior as Interior: How are specific functions of a space defined in design? Specifically, how do you create the sense of being inside, when out?

The framework I'd like to use for my research is from one of the latest articles I've read, one that I have absolutely fallen in love with: Telling, Showing, Showing Off by Mieke Bal; she explicitly discusses space and how it is used, how to changed the connotation of a space by specific elements and/or the way in which a feature is presented and explained. I feel like this framework would fit best for my very physical and spatial project. While the Arcades project may appear to be the most appropriate, and this may turn out to be the case, Bal's writing had much more of an impact on me. On the flip side, I still harbor an absolute infatuation with de Certeau, and I would like to work in both the notion of the synecdoche and urban semiotics. Further, how these spaces actually exist and the relation to arcades. Too many frameworks, too little time.

Having chosen Bal's article and principles as my framework, the next step was methodology. Likely, I'll be using both 'close reading' of an environment (much like de Certeau) but also Zeisel's observation methods inasmuch as both acting as removed observer and participant observer as well, though likely steering clear of examining traces.

Happy Birthday, Karl Marx

[...and a rollickin' 'Viva Cinco de Mayo!' to all the rest of you. There is this common misconception that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day (Grito de Dolores), it's not. (Grito de Dolores is actually 16 September, and the most important patriotic holiday in Mexico) Cinco de Mayo in fact celebrates the initial Mexican victory, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín, over French forces in 1862 at the Battle of Puebla.]

In any case, the Frankfurt School: Marx and Freud contributed to this gestalt of the Frankfurt School, leading to a focus on both [alternatives to] capitalism and fantasy, as a means to understand culture. Why do I? Walter Benjamin studied here, and he is our lovely subject of discussion (read, lecture) today.

"There is something quintessentially modern," says JB, "about Paris." Introducing the concept of the Flaneur: acting as a man of the crowd - not readily extinguishable; acting in a public urban space to observe the world as culture. The Flaneur is not immersed in the environment which he is observing, he does not participate. The Flaneur does not have a destination; he is an idler. "He consumes the city, visually," noted JB, "You have no connection to society. Flaneurs don't have families. Where they get their clothes? Doesn't come up." "The crowd is his domain," says Baudelaire, "...his passion and his profession is to merge with the crowd." There is still detachment: he is 'of' the crowd, but not 'in' it.

How is a metropolis different from a large town? What is the 'urban experience'? Crowds, street life."You are experiencing things at every level of the body sensorium," (JB) Textual fragments, unexpected juxtapositions: the important commentary provided by Benjamin. "The [visual] fragmentation of the text," notes JB, "is a metaphorical rhyme... These textual fragments rhyme with the fragmentation of the [Parisian] arcades."

Convoluted 'Konvolutes'

Really confused by this assignment. Very much unpleased; bear with me.

[Individuals/Spaces]

As this most literally deals with space and the influence/affectation therein, this seemed like the most appropriate/logical/likely choice.

- 1a -
“All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space."
Philip Johnson, American Architect


- 1b -Johnson most eloquently describes how I feel about architecture as a whole. Architecture is possibly the most influential aspect of a space: it absolutely affects a space with its appearance, form, function and presence (or lack thereof). Architecture has, in its unmoving and silent way, an amazing amount of control over individuals in its presence.


- 2a -
“Architecture is a social act and the material theater of human activity.”
Dr. Spiro Konstantine Kostof, Turkish-American Architect


- 2b - Directly related to Johnson and my implicit definition of architecture, is Kostof, who takes an even more unique approach to the role and participation of architecture in culture. This concept of a social act is especially striking: while we are all acutely aware that architecture is an artificial concept/act/object, it is not often considered social or in any way personal (disregarding, of course, the happy and absolutely non-exemplary, in fact quite inconvenient, that is simply: homes) and for no particular reason. Architecture is by, for and about social creatures (ie us).


I am still working on exactly what it is I want to study; I'd like to focus on the design - material & visual, implied & explicit - and how this affects the function, use and individual behavior within the space, how these spaces relate to individuals and each other.

Critical Critique

Conversations in Religious Spaces: The Role of Religion in Amsterdam
Ruben & Emily Cernak

"What is the role of religion in Amsterdam?"

Methods:
- "Close Reading" of textual materials provided within churches/synagogues/mosques
- Interviewing these spiritual leaders
- Attend and Observe services at a church, mosque and synagogue

While Emily and Ruben have developed fantastically appropriate research methods to answer this question (for example, the close and critical examination of publicly distributed materials), however, I find the topic incredibly open-ended (not a bad thing!) a potential problem. It would appear to me that they will have to be very aware that they are only examining a single church/mosque/synagogue and, if Amsterdam is anything like the US, these specific institutions will not be representative of each religion as a whole - these are specific examples, which may or may not be exemplary.

Availability of Dutch Healthcare for Islamic Women:
Emily Sands & Lauren

Since the healthcare system has transitioned from a nationalized system to semi-privatized; how has this affected the availability of healthcare to specific minority groups (Islamic women) based not necessarily on financial barriers, rather cultural ones.

Methods:
- Surveys and focus groups to collect data

This group will certainly be facing the greatest challenge: both from the IRB and through the very nature of their project. It will be exceptionally difficult to find appropriate questions that do not compromise/pose risk to the individual or their family, but that will also be able to actually get at the heart of the issue and provide relevant information. I also see a potential issue related to the time constraints of the program: we only have a month to complete these projects, and while this is certainly a very intriguing topic, I am uncertain as to the feasibility of completion.

The Culture of Squatting: Culture vs Subculture vs Counterculture
Fiona, Isaac & Cassie

Squatting is the legal (in the Netherlands, but not the US) occupation of an abandoned space for habitation.

Fiona: Investigating the aesthetics of the squat: how do you personalize these spaces? How does this affect the culture/subculture/counterculture of squatting?
Isaac: Examining the gastronomy of squatting (the study of food and drink) and how does this affects the culture/subculture/counterculture of squatting?
Cassie: Exploring the socioeconomic background of squatters

This topic is really interesting and I will be curious to see how Cassie, Isaac and Fiona will execute this project. While squatting does not appeal to me in any way, shape or form, this seems like a really unique topic to be explored.

Blah blah Ethics blah blah Morality blah blah BLAH

Just kidding. I'm keeping it simple today; and by 'simple' I mean 'blunt'.

Preliminary Research Question:
How do people interact with architecture? How is behavior dictated or influenced by the physical design of a space? How is space used/misused?

Mmm. Yummy.

Methods:

Observation:
-Who uses this space?
-How do they use it?
-Does this comply with the original intent?

Survey/Interview (anonymous):
-(After observing how an individual uses this space) Why?
-How do you feel you should behave in this space? Why?
-Does your actual behavior reflect this perception? Why or why not?

Online/Library Research:
-Investigate original purpose of space/architecture. Is this reflective of present use? I.e. does function follow or deviate from form?

Toodles. I'm exhausted.

Online Manifestation: Dutch Architecture, Public Spaces, Form & Function

Resources:
Architecture of Amsterdam
Amsterdam Centre for Architecture
Social interactions in urban public places
Netherlands Architecture Institute
CENTRE DE CULTURA CONTEMPORÀNIA DE BARCELONA

Research Topics

I changed my mind. Most importantly, I want to look at people + spaces. Namely, how do people interact with physical spaces/architecture? How do they use these spaces? Is this use different than the purpose for which the space was designed? I still really like how individuals interact in public spaces, but I am, I think, more interested in how these individuals interact with their environment first, and each other within that environment, second. 

Action on the Ave: Studying Environmental Behavior

       My research partner, Katherine, indulged me an adventure to the Ave - the affectionate nickname for University Way. Last Thursday evening from 7:00 - 7:30pm, as the sun faded beneath the flat gray blanket of clouds, we sat on the patio outside Starbucks, in the drizzle, camera and soon-to-be-soggy notepad in hand. We selected the Ave for several reasons: its busy nature, diverse population, and unique opportunity for interactions between individuals and their environment.

      The intersection we selected, NE 41st Street and University Way, houses several 'typically U-district' features: a Starbucks on the SW corner, Cafe on the Ave on the NW corner, a copy and print center on the NE and an Indian restaurant, Shalimar, on the SE. We observed in a removed, but not hidden, Zeiselian manner: we sat right outside the Starbucks entrance, notepad on the table, camera flashing, and documented our surroundings. On a more specific note, we conducted a 'continuous scan' for thirty minutes, documenting all of the behaviors on our impromptu ethogram. Certainly some perverse part of me was annoyed that no one approached us to inquire as to what we were doing: on the corner, beneath the portico, in the rain, taking pictures and notes on innocent pedestrians. 

       In any case, we noted individuals carrying umbrellas (even after it had stopped raining), individuals wearing Husky gear, with backpacks (or bags used to carry textbooks and notepads), using iPods and cell phones (texting versus speaking) and eating (while walking, not just escaping with takeout), smoking and, of course, a staple of a near-campus location: bicycles.  We noted, by tally, how often these (inter)actions occurred and have drawn several different conclusions. While perhaps half of the individuals walking the Ave were in not alone, more than half were 'plugged in' via cell phone or iPod, even though they were physically engaged with other individuals. We also noted that most of the traffic seemed to be composed of students (not an uncommon notion in an area so close to campus) but I was still somewhat surprised by the sheer volume of apparent students - not to mention those who were not as easily identifiable (visually) as 'STUDENT'. 

       Potential research questions: how do people interact with an intersection? What does this say about them/their relationships? How do people interact with each other in a movement-oriented public space such as this? Who uses the Ave? What are they doing there? Why? 

       My specific research interests lie in the public interactions between individuals, how people express themselves in public: through interactions with other individuals and the environment, and their physical appearance or even emotional 'appearance' via projection and body language. How I will carry this out in Amsterdam,  I do not yet know. 

Close Reading

While in the past I have enjoyed the close reading and analysis of both poetry and prose, I have never thought to apply this tool to my written communications. Given this assignment, I was (and still am, to some degree) apprehensive about the close-reading of such a casual exchange.

This e-mail, from my RA on behalf of HFS, is a simple check-in regarding those effervescent red emergency packs given us at the beginning of the Fall Quarter. The tone is casual, noted not so much by the somewhat inconsistent punctuation, but primarily by the witty side-comments included in parenthesis throughout the message. The message conveys her speaking-style quite clearly, using typical Michelle-vernacular, from her habit of saying "Hey guys!" to the intriguing subject line 'Remember that red backpack...' and opening line '...you were given?' that is just so English major, she uses her casual tone to invite us to respond to a rather dull question which, if otherwise presented, probably would not have elicited any sort of response. 

Acting as HFS messenger (a dangerous task) she was able to turn one of those horrid ‘Please visit this link and respond regarding ’ messages into a simple correspondence from our almost-friend asking for a quick response which may be as brutally honest as we choose. Because of its casual and friendly nature, typical Michelle-style language and tone, this message was infinitely more effective. From her tone, however, you also gather that she knows this and is almost trying to make the best of a bad situation: you can tell she is obligated to send this message, not entirely thrilled about this prospect, but wants to elicit a widespread response instead of a few non-committal replies.

Though I do not think I could misread this message or misinterpret the subject, this is likely due to the very straightforward, unembellished nature of this correspondence.