COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN OAK PARK: COMPETING AGENDAS ...

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stemming from a historically marginalizing society, or capitalism,—and believed poverty was a result of structural conditions in society. They followed a Marxist ideology of social change and argued that throughout history the poor have been marginalized from access to education, jobs, and property, and therefore did not have the socio-economic foundation for social mobility. These individuals asked, What causes poverty? and What causes illiteracy? instead of, Why are people poor? and Why can’t that person read? From their perspective, critical systemic analyses of poverty were needed to improve the lives of the poor. The Oak Park Labor Association is part of a larger umbrella organization that has offices nationwide. They follow labor organizing ideology and have an agenda to organize unrecognized 20 workers who exist outside of the jurisdiction of the national labor laws. They state that “the number of workers falling into the unrecognized workers strata is growing astronomically as a result of current so-called decentralization solutions carried out by both the private and governmental sectors in order to maintain their position of dominance within the present economic system.” They further believe that the government aids dependency of low-income workers through social service programs and claim that “the social services sector is a new source of capital for those large corporations who are based both in the service and production sector.” In 1973, an umbrella office of a nationwide labor association in Sacramento opened with a provisional aim to organize the domestic worker. This aim later grew into organizing all low-income service workers. They formed deep roots within the community and formalized an organizing process, called System Organizing, in which 56
members, students, and sympathetic individuals are trained to create a cadre of skilled organizers dedicated to the development of permanent solutions to the problems of the strata being organized. The Association believes that as conditions grow worse for people and for the work force in general, new opportunities open up to end the situation and “when fate casts you a dagger, grasp it by the handle” (The National Labor Association 1975). In general, the history of labor movements has encompassed the movement to address social inequality. Labor movement groups believed that in capitalist democracies, economic resources, which form the basis of power, are distributed unequally among social classes and interest groups. Therefore, to reduce inequality, the working-class can create solidarity and mobilize a majority to form political parties, gain institutional power, and pressure the state to alter distributional inequalities (Quadagno 1992:616-617). But, the labor movement believed that winning elections is not sufficient enough to address inequality. To defend citizenship entitlements the working-class must form a stable and cohesive labor movement that is capable of providing resources and serving as a continuing basis of political mobilization (Ibid.). Embracing these beliefs, the Labor Association employed systemic organizing of the low-income to address their agenda of creating social change in the community. Members of the labor association in Oak Park varied in gender, age, and education. Full-time members volunteered their time in exchange for food, shelter, and health benefits and part-time volunteers received breakfast, lunch, or dinner for their services. Labor Association volunteers were recruited at colleges, door-to-door 57
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COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN OAK PARK: COM
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COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN OAK PARK: COM
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Abstract of COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN O
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DEDICATION For my parents Joe and I
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I would also like to thank Joyce Bi
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Neighborhood Association ..........
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Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION: STUDYING TH
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different from themselves, they dis
Page 17 and 18: known about the residents who are l
Page 19 and 20: contested racialized images of thei
Page 21 and 22: Although the anthropological litera
Page 23 and 24: Research Focus The research site of
Page 25 and 26: Association was also gaining attent
Page 27 and 28: in city environments is exposed in
Page 29 and 30: Moffat (1992:217) states, “if man
Page 31 and 32: Choldin and Hanson (1981:562) defin
Page 33 and 34: neighborhood. The neighborhood thus
Page 35 and 36: the various definitions of “commu
Page 37 and 38: The City Chapter 3 SETTING The city
Page 39 and 40: stratified, selective, and distance
Page 41 and 42: people living outside the neighborh
Page 43 and 44: studies have demonstrated that reli
Page 45 and 46: In 1889, the Oak Park Association s
Page 47 and 48: edevelopment projects elsewhere in
Page 49 and 50: een lured to Arts and Crafts style
Page 51 and 52: ig black sunglasses, khakis, and a
Page 53 and 54: poverty. They and their comrades wo
Page 55 and 56: undesirable consequences; it can pr
Page 57 and 58: aiding in the dilapidation of the c
Page 59 and 60: Different types of social change in
Page 61 and 62: groups that are political and produ
Page 63 and 64: problems, events, and initiatives.
Page 65 and 66: Pertinent to the Neighborhood Assoc
Page 67: were to be the main participants in
Page 71 and 72: evitalization projects in the commu
Page 73 and 74: 1990:138). Likewise, “The mission
Page 75 and 76: eports of residents marching down t
Page 77 and 78: Altheide and Michalowski (1999:476)
Page 79 and 80: organizations is part of a broader
Page 81 and 82: hours of the day and night and resi
Page 83 and 84: At a particular Neighborhood Associ
Page 85 and 86: I think the city is trying to make
Page 87 and 88: community they began an onslaught o
Page 89 and 90: Rehabilitation programs would do a
Page 91 and 92: “neighborhood” as one where the
Page 93 and 94: were being made by middle-class res
Page 95 and 96: efreshments and appetizers and maki
Page 97 and 98: For three months I performed a vari
Page 99 and 100: and spent their time trying to recr
Page 101 and 102: Convention Center in downtown Sacra
Page 103 and 104: more than two decades we have oppos
Page 105 and 106: The surveys for the Women’s Needs
Page 107 and 108: these residents were also affected
Page 109 and 110: professor, who was also a Neighborh
Page 111 and 112: twenty other residents in May to ma
Page 113 and 114: Most community members felt the sch
Page 115 and 116: coordinated with community revitali
Page 117 and 118: you sure you want to live here? Jus
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the community but are able to view
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esidents have “rights to the city
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are activists and non-activists in
Page 125 and 126:
Ethnic entrepreneurs in American so
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such as milk, eggs, and toiletries,
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presence that would produce long-te
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eneficial to one group may not be b
Page 133 and 134:
organizations conflict and tried to
Page 135 and 136:
social stratification in the commun
Page 137 and 138:
class does not view the lifeways of
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them. And the middle-class don’t
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in low-income neighborhoods. Among
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improve the quality of life for res
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NOTES 1 Neighborhood “revitalizat
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20 The National Labor Federation (1
Page 149 and 150:
Altheide, L. David and Michalowski,
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Boyd, Michelle Bridge, Gary 2005.
Page 153 and 154:
Ertll, J. Randy 2008. “Celebratin
Page 155 and 156:
Gupta, Akhil and Ferguson, James 19
Page 157 and 158:
Jenkins, Timothy 1994. “Fieldwork
Page 159 and 160:
Lee, A. Barrett, Spain, Daphne, and
Page 161 and 162:
Marwell, P. Nicole 2004. “Privati
Page 163 and 164:
Nylund, Katarina Oropesa, S. R 2001
Page 165 and 166:
Rosenhall, Laurel 2005. “Charter
Page 167 and 168:
Simpson, M.A. Lee 2004. Images of A
Page 169 and 170:
Thacher, David 2001. “Conflicting
Page 171:
Wolch, R. Jennifer 1980. “Residen
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