Conflict Organizing

1. One-on-one is a concept that is very prevalent in the Human Service field. I had once never heard of the concept, and I now use the word and the concept in my everyday vocabulary. There are one-on-ones with clients, one-on-ones with supervisor’s and bosses, one-on-ones with mentoring children, and one-on-one counseling sessions. Being one-on-one with another person is obviously a prevalent practice in order for it to be implemented in so many ways.

2. Eichler (2007) describes one-on-one to be, “meeting with one person, listening carefully to determine his or her self-interest” (p.45). Although many of us out the concept weekly, hearing the actual explanation can help us to bring meaning and importance to the action. Eichler (2007) mentions ,“When you have one person to listen to, you listen a little bit better. The person can catch you when you yawn.” (p.45). When you are having a one-on-one conversation there is very little room for distractions. This is because being one-on-one build a relationship and a bond between two people.

3. Conflict Organizing

4. Historical roots of community development and organizing, advocacy, and social movements sometimes takes place in Conflict Organizing started by Saul Alinsky (Eichler, 2007). It is full of history and movements that date all the way back to 1909, yet something created that long ago is still prevalent today (Eichler, 2007, p.3). It is not always effective, but it is a community effort. When people get angry at a system and a hierarchy that does not seem to be doing things in a fair manner we make a statement about frustrations and let them be heard. This is very much like what Saul Alinsky did and he created tactics our community now uses today such as boycotts, strikes, and pickets (p. 4).

5. The importance of working in the background

6. While it is the direct work that receives notice, without the background work behind it, direct service cannot happen. It is the small details that allow great things to happen. When action cannot happen without paperwork, paperwork is equally important to action. Change is not the result of small actions, it is “a series of incremental and often-invisible actions that gradually - and taken together - gather momentum and influence events” (Loeb, 2010. P.3). Without the momentum gained by small actions, greatness cannot occur.

7. Third Places A third place is defined as a location where individuals meet, outside of home and work, where regulars congregate. Many examples of third places revolve around locations such as pubs and coffee houses, provided that these places are willing to provide a place for individuals to stay with either no or minimal cost. The existence of these places leads to the creation of an increased sense of community, allowing individuals to meet, form relationships, and create systems of social capitol. Here is a common meeting place for individuals, found in front of everyday music

8. Same Neighborhood ?

9. Architectural design The way buildings look on the outside directly correlate with the community that grows in and around the surrounding area. When the design of buildings fail to take into account the importance of charm and beauty, community is directly impacted by it. Kunstler (1998) agrees by declaring that most architectural design in America imparts the same shut off meaning to individuals, "The public realm has no significance and what goes on there doesn't matter...we don't care what goes on outside our building" (p. 39). The outside of this strip mall off of Lakeway in Bellingham validates this truth in the blank walls and parking lots that encompass the business surrounding the area. "The space between the buildings and the street now had one function: automobile storage" (p. 93).

10. Mirroring designs that promote community is vital to building up Lakeway and this above building of Fred Meyer. Fairhaven is a widely known for consciously designing buildings that in turn promotes community.

11. Suburbia Suburbs maintain a division of class and deplete the creativity in design. These pictures of four different suburban homes illustrates the cookie-cutter design of most suburbs. By having a limiting the amount of windows, more reliance comes from electricity than from natural lighting. Kunstler (1998) has a point that the cluster of homes promotes even less windows. “Nobody wants to look at their neighbor’s side yard, nor do they want anybody in the side yard looking into the house” (p. 101).

12. The division of income class is shown in the following pictures. When looking towards the suburbs of Cedar Ridge, notice the sidewalks that residents are given. Leaving Cedar Ridge, sidewalks end and the road becomes more narrow signifying lower income. This blatant portrayal is as though our society is saying, “Don’t let the 75,000-a-year families live near the 200,000-a-year families-they’ll bring down your property values” (Kunstler, 1998, p. 111).

13. Sidewalks-Public Realm "The street is understood to be the preeminent form of public space and building that define it are expected to honor and embellish it" (Kunstler, 1998, p. 117). In these photos, it can be understood that these sidewalks were not created with the safety of a pedestrian in mind. When the pedestrians safety is not met, the average person would choose not to walk down this road. "The sidewalk is an ensemble of parts that include not just the pedestrian path itself, but also a planting strip with orderly rows of trees...all of which contribute to the safety of pedestrians" (p. 128). By promoting a community where walking is encouraged, this would increase more interaction with others while cultivating a need for exercise.

14. Well Journal, Thanks for listening. I better get back to Susan’s class….

15. References • Benard, B. (2004). Resiliency: What we have learned. San Francisco, CA: WestEd. • Bradley, T. (2009). A call for clarification and critical analysis of the work of faith-based development organizations (FBDO). Progress in Development Studies, 9(2), 101-114. • Eichler, M. (2007). Consensus organizing: Building community of mutual self-interest. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. • Kuntsler, J. H. (1998). Home from nowhere: Remaking our everyday world for the 21st century. New York: Touchstone. • Loeb, P. (2010). Soul of a Citizen: Living with conviction in challenging times. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.