The Final Post

My intention for this blog was to gain an insight on urban areas and the culture in these areas. What I discovered was beyond my expectations. I started of with an outside look of the city of San Fernando in my first post, looking at the cultural aspects of the San Fernando hill and being interested in the culture of urban dwellers is influenced by it. As I created more posts each photo went more inside the city linking different aspects to culture. It was amazing to learn about the many types of cultures that can exist in the urban areas especially in the city of San Fernando, Trinidad.

After viewing my colleagues' blogs I can recognize a relationship with my main theme, 'urban and culture'. Kelly Bhim's blog on urban morphology showed various architecture that has effects on culture in the city from historical aspects to modern aspects which all affect culture in the urban. In Renuka Sookram's blog, "Urban Insights", many aspects of the urban such as residential areas and buildings can create their own cultures which links it to my theme. Also, in Colette Nelson's blog she directly links urban to culture showing that we ourselves create the urban and this creates urban culture itself.

Urban Reality

The photo above was taken in San Fernando city, Trinidad near the fishing area where there is a slum. This photo shows an urban culture of the low income residents in the city. Exactly behind the slum was the Public Transport Service Corporation building. In the photo a fire can be seen under a pot which is how these people cook their meals this was shocking to me that this was happening in the city. There in the middle of all the hustle and large buildings is this area of people struggle to meet their daily needs.

According to Hall and Barrett (2012) speak of cultural other; the groups in the city that are not valued and ignored or frowned upon by the public. These slum area also represent organic cultures; developed without any external agency but the people themselves, they create their own lifestyles in the city in order to survive.

The following link shows an article about the slums in San Fernando:
http://guardian.co.tt/news/2012-07-22/muradali-write-hdc-about-slums

Power Difference in San Fernando

This photo was taken in San Fernando city, Trinidad. Graffiti is common in urban areas, from my experience in the city there is not much in San Fernando however this writing on an abandoned building in San Fernando was very interesting to me. Who was it written by? and why? It could be a homeless person or a the low income residents in the city expressing their struggles and need for help.

I would consider this aspect of urban culture as immaterial culture according to Hall and Barrett (2012: 176).  Immaterial culture represent the more invisible cultural groups in the city it is opposite to the material cultures which are more reflected by the wealthy groups in the city. These differences are linked to the difference in power between the groups in the city.

The following link shows an article representing the power struggle in between the poor and government in San Fernando:
http://guardian.co.tt/columnist/2013-01-06/carlton-lane-story

Cultural others in San Fernando

The photo was taken in San Fernando city, Trinidad, it shows a homeless man at the door of a bank in the city. It can also be seen that other people in the area are passing by going about their normal lives ignoring him; even an employee of the bank stands right next to man as if he was invisible. The fact that he chose to go in front of the bank shows that he is trying to send a message, this photo reflects the different cultures in urban areas at both extremes of the spectrum from the rich to the poor.

Hall and Barrett (2012: 167) speak about valuing culture where the is two extremes; cultural aura and cultural other. The former consists of aspects of culture to which great value is attached within societies of 'high' and 'popular' cultures. The latter is opposite, those who are routinely demonized in public, those such as the homeless in the city.

The link belows shows an article about homelessness in San Fernando city:
http://guardian.co.tt/news/2013-01-16/ramadharsingh-tackles-homelessness

Elite and material culture in San Fernando

The photo above was taken in San Fernando city, Trinidad. This photo shows one of the many middle to high income residential buildings in the city. Some evidence of  'fortress' architecture can be seen; the big fence also security guard booth. Buildings of this size and purpose signify the presence of a different culture and lifestyle, that of the 'elite' in the city. What do their culture entail? Is it the need for privacy and exclusion?   If these assumptions are accurate, these 'elite' of the city can be the force of fragmentation and exclusion in the city. Their lifestyle may be extremely different than that of the poor.

This type of architecture and residential area can be a representation of material culture. According to Hall and Barrett (2012: 176), gated residential areas of the very wealthy groups creates a relationship between culture and the materiality of the city where the urban landscape is a reflection of cultural norms, values and even fears.

The link shows an article about crime in San Fernando, these events may have an influence on the architecture of the 'elite' in the city:
http://guardian.co.tt/news/2013-02-20/two-cops-shot

Why 'fortress' architecture in San Fernando?

The photo above, taken in the city of San Fernando, Trinidad, shows an example of 'fortress' architecture in the urban. The large high walls and gates are all characteristics of this concept which is now evident in San Fernando. I thought to myself what could of been the causes for this, is it crime, the need for security, foreign influence or just the need for privacy in the urban. This can be a different culture in the city where the elite value security and see these types of architecture and lifestyle of fragmentation and exclusion as 'high class'.

Hall and Barrett (2012: 190), speaks of these 'fortress' architecture and also the cultural meanings behind architecture. Oscar Newman (1972), in his discussion of defensible space he realises use of both symbolic and real barriers to combat crime in the city, here he shows a relationship between crime and the built environment. This type of design in the city promotes resident control of neighbourhoods which may be interpreted or misinterpreted as a measure against crime. This type of design may also be of post-modern nature were fragmentation and urban insecurity are present.

The link below leads to an article about crime in the city of San Fernando and the country:
http://guardian.co.tt/news/2013-01-22/muslims-march-against-crime-san-fernando

History of San Fernando

The photo above was taken in San Fernando city, Trinidad, it shows "the last train engine" a historical artefact kept preserved here in the city. This shows how the city is a space for cultural heritage, how it is valued an also hints about the history of the city. Even though those who worked this train may not be here today their work is acknowledged and constantly reminded of every time one passes this symbolic feature.

Hall and Barrett (2012: 176) speaks of material and immaterial cultures; where material cultures are those that are more artefactual than others with more material representation in the city. On the other hand the immaterial cultures are those less represented materially in the city they may be social practices or posters or artefacts that may represent history but which is no longer a  way of life. These descriptions led me to conclude that the artefact in the photo was one of immaterial culture in the city.

The link below takes you to an article that gives some insight on the history of San Fernando and the use of the 'last train engine'.
 http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,169412.html

The city as a cultural space

The photo above shows a bar in down town San Fernando Trinidad. The city has numerous bars and clubs with increasing numbers of people both day and night. This to me is part of urban culture, it is probably a norm in an urban dweller's day to visit the nearby bar or go to a club on the weekend. The photo shows this sort of environment as a place were socialization occurs in the city and various cultures are created. people of all different ethnicities gather in these places if not just to 'have a drink' its to watch a cricket or football match, all these little activities creates an urban culture that they value so highly. The city of San Fernando is home to many celebrations for example Carnival, and many more the city creates a space where people can express themselves in celebration and recreation making it a cultural space.

This aspect of culture in the city appear different to what most people usually consider as culture. However, culture is dynamic and the lifestyle of those in city are always changing. This type of culture developing may be considered an organic culture according to Hall and Barrett (2012: 169) these are cultures that develop without the stimulus of any external organizing institution, initiative or policy.

The following link show a song by local artist Calypso Rose where a sense of how locals value the city of San Fernado can be felt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6vSiotxvpQ

Cultural space in San Fernando

The photo above was taken in the City of San Fernando. What was interesting to me was the high cultural diversity seen in this small space. An antique colonial house adjacent to a Hindu Temple which is next to a commercial building. To me it shows a struggle for cultural spaces in the city, a fight for their right to a place of worship in this densely packed area, or lack of urban planning. This photo also shows cultural change over time as represented by land use; from residential to cultural to commercial.

Hall and Barrett (2012) describe the mapping of spaces of culture in the city. This fight for cultural space in the city can represent the cultural other of the city, those who are scarcely represented in the city. Organic culture may also be represented in this photo, where there may have been no external agency leading to its form. The cultural change over time also present in the photo shows that. "Culture is something that we actively (re)produce rather than something external to us, (Duncan 1995: 54)."

The following link represents the fight for cultural space in San Feranando:
http://www.historyofthesaints.com/trinidad/book-one/san_fernando.php

Manufactured culture in San Fernando

The photo above was taken in the city of San Fernando, Trinidad. The building shown is the National Academy of the Performing Arts, South; it was built by the government of Trinidad and Tobago as a home for the development of talent in the performing arts with a main focus on the national instrument, the steel pan.
My intention was to show the presence of government influence of culture to the urban lifestyle. This building was designed to be the cultural icon of the south but is it really? or will it ever be?. This building was completed for months and it has rarely been used for its purpose. Will this building ever have the same cultural meaning to the urban people as the San Fernando hill?

This building is a representation of manufactured cultures in San Fernando as described by Hall and Barrett(2012,pg 168), they describe this concept as the manufacture and manipulation of culture for some external economic or social development. This may be done not only to promote culture that is seen as a good but it might be bound with the cultural economy of the city, part of its cultural policy or strategy whose aims are in part to boost the city's economy by visitor spend and perhaps to enhance its external percieved image.

The following link shows the government's economical aim of NAPA:
http://www.news.gov.tt/index.php?news=11758

The treasure of San Fernando city.

This picture shows the city of San Fernando, Trinidad. What strikes me in the picture is San Fernando hill, the large hill in the middle, this is the symbol of San Fernando. Usually, buildings or architecture is used to represent cities, for example the Eiffel Tower in Paris, but in this case a natural feature, a hill, symbolizes the city of San Fernando. I ask myself, does this affect culture in the city? My own experience in the city recalls various cultural symbols being displayed on the hill, for example, at Christmas time a star, at Divali time a deya, at Eid-ul-fitr time a Moon and star and at Easter time a Cross. Also, every year on our Independence Day communities gather and look up at the hill patiently awaiting the display of fireworks. These are memories I cherish all based on the San Fernando hill. Therefore, from my own experiences I can say that the San Fernando hill is a cultural symbol of the city and has an effect on the culture in the city. I can only imagine the experiences of those who live in the city...

The city of San Fernando can be identified by the San Fernando hill. The hill creates both organic and manufactures cultures (Hall, 2011). Organic cultures, where the local people develop a sense for pride and look to the hill as a representation of themselves. Manufactured cultures, where the state assists in the cultural influence of the hill by using it as a landmark to display cultural symbols and fireworks on Independence Day.

The link below shows an article from a local newspaper about "quarrying" at the San Fernando hill. This is a serious issue, however what was most significant about this article to me was the comments. Citizens expressing their true feelings about the hill. This gives some insight on the cultural aspect the hill instils in the people.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/_Sando_Hill__carted_off-122921953.html