Suburbia

Article written by: Wayne Fortin Segregation in suburbia During the 1950’s a great influx of people began to populate the suburban areas of the city. According to Cohen in A Consumers Republic growth in the city was around 1% percent while the suburban neighborhoods would grow by an outstanding 45% This new trend taking place brought about great economic growth in the economic market, according to Cohen “The health of the American economy and society depended on the vitality of mass consumption markets.” On the other side of the great urbanization spectrum we have segregation upon various socioeconomic classes. We will venture into why the developers of these neighborhoods created such strict, racial, religious and class segregations as well as what the motivations of the homeowners were and how suburban segregation influences our society today. The prices of houses in the real estate market were one of the main factors of segregation in American suburbia. House developers knew that new home buyers in the real estate market would associate how the appearance of a property in terms of style and size would mark own socioeconomic and market identity. As developers geared the neighborhoods towards a specific class such as towards the middle class, they knew that conserving and catering to those interests also meant the preservation of property values. Mortgage companies were even known to have a racial policy which advertised them to be the “protectors of the white neighborhoods.” Race played a big role in the developer’s motivations in the economy. Whites moved out because they feared that blacks were criminals and did not want to live next to a class that embodies poverty and crime. Race,

Religion and Class played a huge role in the developer’s blueprints therefore structuring rigid segregation. Home buyers would in the fifties wanted things very homogenized and there by wanting to move in to neighborhoods with people that were just like them. This form of homogenization determined where a family would purchase a home when it came to market concerns and socioeconomic class. A passage in the A Consumers Republic stated by Ralph Bodek reads “it is interesting to note that people prefer to live near others as much like themselves as possible.” Segregation among suburbia still exists in today’s modern world. For example if you were to go to a ghetto located within El Cajon and then visit a prominent street in La Jolla you will find a huge socioeconomic class difference. You will notice that there are more elites located in La Jolla, such as doctors, business administrators, and engineers. If you were to visit the ghetto you will find more people surviving off minimum wage and making a rent payment as opposed to a mortgage payment. Prices among housing as stated before was a major factor in class segregation as it still holds ground and proves true today. In conclusion I believe money is the real class segregator and so long as money exists a strict social segregation will be in effect in today’s society. I believe that racial and religious segregation will become non existent in the future, but money will forever prove to be a major force in segregation, from suburban neighborhoods to cruising down the street in an automobile, ex. Mercedes vs. Geo Metro.