Case study: Changing places, Detroit Flashcards
1
Q
What is the locale of Detroit?
A
- in the state of Michigan
> Northeast - was part of the steel belt, which has now turned into the rust belt
- population of 6,390
2
Q
What is the location of Detroit?
A
- Detroit river runs through the city
- part of the great lake system
> connects a lot of America - mixed climate with very cold winters and pleasant summers
- landscape has been shaped by glacial processes
3
Q
How has Detroit’s past lived experience influenced its flag and quote?
A
- colonial history
> French and English past
> upper right for UK
> lower left for France - great fire in 1805 and rebuild its shown in the moto of Detroit
> ‘ we hope for better days’
> ‘it shall rise from the ashes’
4
Q
How has racism effected the past lived experience of Detroit?
A
- great migration in 1910-1970 had many people (majority of them black) move to Detroit to escape racism
> caused a population of over 1 million - in 1967 racism reached a breaking point resulting in riots
> gave rise to a very segregated city
> with a white insider population and a black outsider population
5
Q
How has industrialisation shaped Detroit’s past lived experience?
A
- large amount of industrial growth due to car manufacturing
> high employment rate which led to a higher quality of life and a positive sense of place - industrial decline
> due to globalisation causing car manufacturing happening overseas
> high rates of unemployment which led to high rates of crime and violence and a negative sense of place
6
Q
How did industrialisation affect the economic characteristics of Detroit?
A
- manufacturing was the secondary economy?
- Detroit was good for manufacturing as it was able to take advantage of the good trade routes
- booming manufacturing centres lead to high employment
> general motors, Ford, Chrysler - high employment allowed the city to expand and build highways which linked the city to the suburbs
7
Q
Why did deindustrialisation happen in Detroit?
A
- the world became more interconnected/globalisation increases
- it became cheaper and easier to manufacture cares overseas
> cheap labour, land, tax - NAFTA allowed car companies to move their manufacturing to Mexico/South America
8
Q
How did deindustrialisation affect the economic characteristics of Detroit?
A
- unemployment led to large amount of building abandonment
- population went from over 1 million to 6,390
> steal buildings left to rust - high levels of crime: arson/murder
- sense of place shifted from positive to negative
9
Q
How did Detroit try to improve its economic situation?
A
- in 2013 Detroit went bankrupt
> unable to provide city services - in 2014 there was a federal bailout
- Detroit downsized by moving people back into the city centre as it costs less money
> moving people from their homes and community decreases their place attachment - city tries to rebrand itself
10
Q
What are the racial characteristics and inequalities in Detroit?
A
- very segregated
- riots gave rise to the ‘White Flight’ to the suburbs
> brought money with them, so the businesses and better services left too - two very different cultures in Detroit with a large poverty ridden city centre
11
Q
What are the economic characteristics and inequalities in Detroit?
A
- black population were poor and remained poor
> left behind in the city centre - white population had their wealth which let them improve
> could be surrounded by other wealth after the flight
12
Q
What has Detroit done to rebrand itself?
A
- trying to myth bust the segregation
>visit Detroit ad
> one nation under a grove, ‘together not separated’
13
Q
How has Detroit’s character been shown in film?
A
- 8 Mile
> shows segregation and high levels of crime
> vacant lots - Detroit
> shows events of the 1967 riots
> racism and treatment of people in Detroit
> shows income disparity - compare movies with dot maps to get a sense of place
14
Q
How has Detroit’s character been shown in the news?
A
- shown as negative
> resentment from the expensive bailout
> exemplify drug use and crime rather than any good happening in the city - will confirm outsider perception of Detroit
15
Q
How has Detroit’s character been shown in music?
A
- Eminem from Detroit
