Behind The Gates. . .

Behind The Gates, Life, Security, and The Pursuit of Happiness in Fortress America; Setha Low has done her research to find out what is the gated community and tries to find out answer or the truth about the social segregation come out from GC development. In order to achieve her goals, she has used a method like interviews, observations, which are basically through photo documentation and participatory observation since she also lived in GC.

According to Setha Low, through her book, "Behind The Gates", there were some discussion about the residents that living in gated community make a sense of their lives behind gates and walls, as well as the social consequences of their residential choices. Her point of view that gated community was intensifying the social segregation, racism, and raises a number of values conflict for residents.

"Living in a gated development contributes to resident's sense of well-being, but comes at the price of maintaining private guards and gates as well as conforming to extensive homeowners' association rules and regulations. Individual freedom and ease of access for residents must be limited in order to achieve greater privacy and social control for the community as a whole".

(Low, Setha)

In her study through interviews method, she found out that the residents inside gated community are not friendly, as in they are not well-communicating and interacting through each other.

Conc: Gated community can erode a neighborhood ties and people living inside gated community become selfish, stuck of mentalities and anti-social behavior. Moreover, gates send an unwelcoming message and and more worse, gates break up the neighborhoods.

"I live in gated rental community and it seems that everything is pretty nice and the management is ok. But I long for the sense of community, where people can have chances to interact with each other, but here everybody just doesn't talk to the neighbors that much. Gated communities are such significant phenomena in South Florida and I was so surprised to see that many when i moved here, which even triggered my research interests to find out whether the only purpose of the gates is to keep the alligators out (a friend's joke). Social isolation is so significant here and maybe gates do mean something about the status of class..." - quote from resident living in GC


(source : City-Data.com)

However, Gated Communities do have their advantages such as :

• No through traffic. The neighborhood is safer for children.
• Gated communities can be safer from crime.
• Home owners have private and exclusive access to sites.
• Property values in large gated communities show a better resistance to market fluctuations.
• Provides the public authorities with wealthy taxpayers, at no cost.
• The development can assist the social, environmental and economic regeneration of a neglected and run-down inner city district of abandoned factories and decaying homes.
  

Behind The Gates. . from Setha Low

Behind the Gates, Life, Security, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Fortress America according to Setha Low, through her book; "Behind The Gates", there were some discussion about the residents that living in gated community make a sense of their lives behind gates and walls, as well as the social consequences of their residential choices. Her point of view that gated community has intensifying the social segregation, racism, and raises a number of values conflicts for residents.

Gated Community in Malaysia. . .

Shah Alam GCs development

GCs development in Sg.Bakap , Penang

Backdated Entry. . . Survey Project@KuLim

Here come a story of our Project no.3(sory for the late post). . . ermm. . in this project, we all have to do a survey project about the Quality Of Life (QOL) in 3 countries; Penang, Kedah n Perlis. . . n mine was in Kulim@Kedah! we were asked to find d respondent to fill the survey form that done by our lecturers. . it was a great experience because we had learn more things and try to get closed with community, know their problems,their comments bout the neighbourhood environment and the satisfaction of their life and the most greatest thing is the moments that we've been through. . actually there some problems we had during doing this survey like getting our respondents. Some of them are willing to cooperate with us and some of them are quit hard especially d respondents for d high cost but we are trying so hard to finished up. . Btw, here are the some pics I posted to share with. . .

d CooLim survey team
Wan is taking respondent ans. .
Go. . !Go! CooLim team (searching for d respondents)

Another Part. . . Behind The Scene

Here are the best memorable moments. . . on d 3rd day of our survey, we all went to Hutan Lipur Sedim day to get some refresh after doing some survey at morning since it was nearby and one way also to our site. . .korg jgn jeles~!

(A moments to remember =D)
It was a CooooooL team. . . . CooLim Grup!

Survey Project@Part 2

This is the part 2 of our survey project. . this part is about analyze the data that we have collected. . the data were analyze using the SPSS software. . this is new the things we had learned and we all studiomates are struggling on analyze the data since we have to present it to all the lecturers that involved in this project. .

d survey form and SPSS data analyze
Working mood (cafe bakti being our port)

After all presentation are finished, there are some makan-makan in our studio for celebrating and d menu was nasi kerabu and nasi tomato, not forget some kuih and fruits . . everyone were enjoyed it and as usual we all are exciting when it comes bout d makan-makan thing. . hehehehe~!

Makan tyme~!
Lecturers of QOL project. . .
Happy Face~!

Everyone were happy and enjoyable when this project were finished but there still an upcoming project that we have to think bout and get ready to struggle and get suffer. . . hahahaha~!