COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN OAK PARK: COMPETING AGENDAS ...

therefore, cannot sustain long-term participation. It is a rare occurrence when poor
residents are part of a formal organization, such as a block club or a community
organization, a political party, a school-related association, or a sports, fraternal, or other
social group. Because the poor often lack social capital and leisure time away from wage
labor, they cannot participate in community groups or community events.
The media have likewise revealed their power to further revitalization projects in
Oak Park. The media have helped to reinforce the viewpoint of Oak Park as a “ghetto”
that is in need of “revitalization.” Newspaper articles and publications highlight crime in
the neighborhood and quote neighborhood activists and government leaders as stating
that revitalization of Oak Park will benefit the neighborhood. These viewpoints further
help reinforce this perspective of the neighborhood. The discourse of revitalization that
is fueled by middle-class residents in Oak Park remains a dominant force. Middle-class
initiatives have received much support from government representatives and community
activists. These media-fueled perspectives are likely to help reinforce existing biases and
stereotypes of the community. More public attention needs to be refocused on the living
conditions of the poor, in order for existing stereotypes to be broken.
In this thesis I have discussed the conflicts that arise over the use of public space
in Oak Park. The ethnographic illustrations I have used highlight the sociopolitical
forces, spatial practices, and social control evident in the neighborhood. They provide
insight into the conflicts that arise as different groups attempt to claim and define urban
space in Oak Park. Community groups and community-based organizations are
simultaneously engaging in efforts to define and claim urban space, in their attempts to
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