Reflection On Dr. Matthew Desmond's 'Evicted'
Prompt 1: Create your own open-ended response. Respond to any aspect you want to, but stay focused on a particular topic and consider the components of the response rubric.
When initially assigned to read Evicted by Sociologist, Dr. Matthew Desmond, I was not sure what to expect. The idea of a privileged white male sharing the experiences of marginalized communities did not excite me. Now that I have completed the book, I can honestly say that I am glad I had the opportunity to read it. Desmond did an extraordinary job as an ethnographer, studying the behavior and interactions of his participants, without influencing the work. He immersed himself into the world of his participants and created a robust body of work that have been shared on …show more content…
Based on my own personal epistemology and life experiences, I know that, many African American communities have a very different idea of home. For many of us in the African diaspora, the concept of home is a mystery because our ancestors were stolen from their home and brought to the North and South Americas against their will. Since slavery, Black Americans have faced systematic racism, including Jim Crow Laws, mass incarceration and police brutality. Because of these negative experiences in this country, our concept of home is entirely different from white Americans. In my opinion, we are perpetually home (less) – never safe, never secure, and constantly on-guard to protect ourselves and our …show more content…
293).” Instead many homes and neighborhoods are overly policed and constantly patrolled by members of law enforcement. Also, discriminatory policies like “Stop and Frisk” allow also police officers to question African American men and women who “look suspicious (Bump, 2016).” Lastly, African American people have had to result giving “the talk” to their children on ways to successfully navigate interactions with police. Tips like “be polite. Don’t antagonize. And, always, make sure they can see your hands” are just a few parts of an ongoing conversation that can result in either life or death (Bouchard,
When initially assigned to read Evicted by Sociologist, Dr. Matthew Desmond, I was not sure what to expect. The idea of a privileged white male sharing the experiences of marginalized communities did not excite me. Now that I have completed the book, I can honestly say that I am glad I had the opportunity to read it. Desmond did an extraordinary job as an ethnographer, studying the behavior and interactions of his participants, without influencing the work. He immersed himself into the world of his participants and created a robust body of work that have been shared on …show more content…
Based on my own personal epistemology and life experiences, I know that, many African American communities have a very different idea of home. For many of us in the African diaspora, the concept of home is a mystery because our ancestors were stolen from their home and brought to the North and South Americas against their will. Since slavery, Black Americans have faced systematic racism, including Jim Crow Laws, mass incarceration and police brutality. Because of these negative experiences in this country, our concept of home is entirely different from white Americans. In my opinion, we are perpetually home (less) – never safe, never secure, and constantly on-guard to protect ourselves and our …show more content…
293).” Instead many homes and neighborhoods are overly policed and constantly patrolled by members of law enforcement. Also, discriminatory policies like “Stop and Frisk” allow also police officers to question African American men and women who “look suspicious (Bump, 2016).” Lastly, African American people have had to result giving “the talk” to their children on ways to successfully navigate interactions with police. Tips like “be polite. Don’t antagonize. And, always, make sure they can see your hands” are just a few parts of an ongoing conversation that can result in either life or death (Bouchard,