oh...everyone is so interested in my academic pursuits (well, all 2 of you) anyway, my independent study is just a review of various squatter movements worldwide (great book on that topic by Anders Corr, No Trespassing) and I'm doing research with a bunch of squatter kids I know here in the city, and putting their movement/idelogies in a context of resistance to the corporatized/entrepreneurial postmodern city. Yeah, i'm an urban studies major, my interests are globalization, postmodern cities, exclusion and polarization, social justice, intersections of race, ethnicity, and gender in the city.
Anyway, I'm totally wrapped up in my final projects right now, all of which have to do with the squatters here in the city. It should be really good, but I have a lot of work to do in the next two weeks. Anyway, I'll be somewhat in touch!
Anyway, I'm totally wrapped up in my final projects right now, all of which have to do with the squatters here in the city. It should be really good, but I have a lot of work to do in the next two weeks. Anyway, I'll be somewhat in touch!
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Anyways modernism is all like, logic, rationality, science can make everything knowable and okay....think enlightenment ideals. In terms of urbanism, it means the secret to social unrest is providing box-like, 'banal' in the words of Jane Jacobs, buildings that rationally circumscribe space. It's all about rationality and planning. Post-modern is fragmented, ephemeral, playful, ironic, situated on difference, etc. There are no universal truths in the post-modern way of thinking. I praise neither, but inevitably we are in a post-modern era, marked by an almost obsessive consumer mentality, in which cities are completely obsessed with growth via outside capitalist investment. This is all in terms of urban things though, post-modern can refer to our general culture, art, etc.
I agree that we are becoming, if we are not already, a "consumer-obsessed society". However, I think that human institutions in general are unsustainable because part of what makes us human is free will. We have the ability to choose and are therefore flawed. Anyway, that is just my two cents worth.
You seem passionate about your studies and I admire that. I am currently working on my undergrad degree and am interested in pursuing graduate studies in Philadelphia or Northern California. I like learning as much as possible. I'm a dork that way
ciao.