Response 8

Anti-homeless spikes

“If some take more than they need, others go without. We obsessively focus on the external: carbon emissions, recycling, charity work, social security, saving the snow leopard — all of them excellent goals– while doggedly refusing to look inwards and make the adjustments that might allow us to coexist more equitably.” -Alex Andreou

This particular quote reflects the overall idea of the article because society fails to deal with problems locally and focus on the global issues first if not always. Because of this, there is a lack of awareness of how problematic homelessness is therefore, homelessness is out of sight and out of mind. Defensive architecture enforces social division between those who are well off and those who are  homeless who clearly need help getting off the streets. Cities are engaging in defensive techniques, discouraging the homeless from habitation and making spaces more comfortable for others. Andreou argues that the dehumanizing effects of these harsh gestures affect everyone, acting as physical manifestations of society’s intolerance and making public spaces that bit less welcoming for all of society; homeless or not.

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This photo depicts the Cadman Plaza building where both the U.S Bankruptcy Court and post office is housed. You can see the slant of the ground purposely built to look like that in the case that the homeless would want to rest their bodies on but that would make it impossible and uncomfortable. Because the federal district court is located among those steps, keeping the homeless away is top priority.

Dada Manifesto

“…I am against systems, the most acceptable system is on principle to have none. To complete oneself, to perfect oneself in one’s own littleness, to fill the vessel with one’s individuality, to have the courage to fight for and against thought, the mystery of bread, the sudden burst of an infernal propeller into economic lilies.” -Tristan Tzara

I think this piece plays on his emotions because he has inspiration and his reason for living. I think he wrote this piece of literature to show that he is human to contradict himself and put blame on the inhuman acts that has taken place. In a world full of chaos in which has been brought upon by mans greed,  hypocrisy of modern society; where majority of society is nothing under legalities and the thirst for power and while corporations, institutions with government approval are above the lower class.

How Computers Change the Way we Think 

 “I began to study not only what the computer was doing for us, but what it was doing to us, including how it was changing the way we see ourselves, our sense of human identity.” -Sherry Turkle

The affordance of owning technology in this day and age allows society to be better equip to communicate with one another and knowledgeable about various things. However, it also has its constraints when it comes to individuals’ cognitive thinking. As technology continues to make advances and society continues to utilize it, emotional and cognitive effects will only become worse in the near future. Society utilizes computers as a way of thinking and viewing the world and in some form or another everyone uses technology to their advantage making us all “computer people” as Turkle calls us.

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2 Responses to Response 8

  1. Ahmad713 says:

    Job well done, your writing style is very clear and just well written overall. The one piece that I had real trouble with was the Tzara piece, which you seemed to grasp in a way that I failed to. Your reference to the connection between the madness that exists in the world and the greed of men and the corporations that exemplify that greed is a very strong point. Your understanding of the work is very clear, and tat is reflected in the writing.

  2. Michael P. says:

    The law is for all but a place rest is for the few. That was a great picture and illustration defensive architecture. But what are they really defending??

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