Examining the caustic consequences of urban social constructions.
Urban landscapes are a testament to the complex social constructs that act as buffers for some, and barriers for most. Although they are largely based on prejudice and self-interest from the societal elites, these social labels hinder the development of "a racially visible and culturally distinct minority," (Anderson, 583) which in turn "affirms" the depravities of the community further. Through centuries of artificial social constraints, certain patterns of prejudice based on nothing more then race, gender, and beliefs have ingrained themselves into the urban system creating sections of the city which, to the outsiders view, embody the sense of difference between the occupants and the societal, social and physical norm of the city. .
The idea of a city being a haven for all in need has been around ever since cities were originally erected. In time of war, famine, or poverty, there is always more to offer inside the city then out. Despite this, there have always been challenges inside the city. With groups vying for land and provisions; they ultimately isolate themselves from each other, creating subsections of the city that act as a city itself. Influxes of immigrants make the situation even more complex. Immigrants tend to move in to areas where others who speak their language and follow their culture live. These locations are predominantly where housing is relatively cheap but where work is also easily accessible. Immigrant groups rely so heavily on each other that it may take several generations before a family moves out of the artificially designated ethic community which they surrounded themselves in. This pattern of immigrant reliance on old world connections simplifies life in the short term but it slows down the progress of the generations to come.
When individuals try to emerge from the constraints of their assumed role in society, they are often held back because of their implicit identity.