Question

A 2012 New York Times article noted the growing national trend of gated communities: Across the United States, more than 10 million housing units are in gated communities, where access is “secured with walls or fences,” according to 2009 Census Bureau data. Roughly 10 percent of the occupied homes in this country are in gated communities... Between 2001 and 2009, the United States saw a 53 percent growth in occupied housing units nestled in gated communities. Over the past thirty years, residential income segregation has also increased, with more upper-income households located in majority upper-income neighborhoods. Drawing on Kendall’s (2006) study about elite practices of boundary maintenance, explain how residential segregation contributes to class-based inequality.A 2012 New York Times article noted the growing national trend of gated communities: Across the United States, more than 10 million housing units are in gated communities, where access is “secured with walls or fences,” according to 2009 Census Bureau data. Roughly 10 percent of the occupied homes in this country are in gated communities... Between 2001 and 2009, the United States saw a 53 percent growth in occupied housing units nestled in gated communities. Over the past thirty years, residential income segregation has also increased, with more upper-income households located in majority upper-income neighborhoods. Drawing on Kendall’s (2006) study about elite practices of boundary maintenance, explain how residential segregation contributes to class-based inequality.

Answer 1

Answer.

In her study, Diane Kendall argues that Residential boundary maintenance is a powerful force in reinforcing and also perpetuating class differences because it is based on the idea of in-group biases wherein upper class families try to practice exclusiveness and maintain their social distance from lower class families by choosing to reside in elite suburban neighbourhoods that have independent free holding ( and therefore more expensive )property. The specific demographic pattern of American neighbourhoods show an inclination in favour of upper class, White heterosexual and Christian families while members of minority groups, the poor or low income families are either discouraged from moving in such elite gated housing societies or are kept at their margins of socialisation by the elite residents.

Thus, class continues to be a prevalent and compelling force in the lives of the elite sections as they seek to reinstate their privileged positions—at least at the local level through moderation of generational lineage and property rights in the occupied neighbourhoods. Another way is the involvement of upper class women as patrons of the maintenance of the upper class culture through boundary maintenance practices such as residential selection, controlling children's peer groups and choosing private schools over district and community schools, elite by-invitation-only social and volunteer organizations. All these practices perpetuate the notion that there are legitimate and valid differences between the wealthy and the poor and which need to be maintained by delienating boundaries across the space of the neighbourhoods itself.