Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade
Today, I went to 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica to observe social difference. This is definitely a good place to go for people watching, as there is no lack of entertainment, which ranges from singing and dancing to plate balancing to comedy. One of the main wonders I had today was the difference in reasoning for why these performers go to 3rd street promenade (or any area like it for that matter) to show their talents. The reasons I came up with included wanting to be "discovered" to get famous, seeking attention, boredom, and of course, earning money. I have been to the promenade several times before, and I have seen some real talent there, which provides great entertainment for the public. Here were some of the people I saw today (I apologize for the lack of quality):
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| A dancer setting up her "stage" |
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| Another dancer balancing some sort of basket on her head |
In addition to the performers and entertainers of 3rd street promenade are several other interesting people. Having to do with social difference, I saw a gay couple walk by happily and proudly holding hands. They were both broad-shouldered and fit men, one black and one white. I thought that this was interesting because the stereotypical gay couple includes one "masculine" partner and one "feminine" partner, while these men both came off more masculine. Another important thing to note is the racial difference: for some, it is seen as strange or even wrong for a couple to be together that doesn't share the same race. So I liked to see these people proving these stereotypes and narrow-minded thoughts wrong. Another man I saw who sparked my interest was in a wheel chair, and was missing his right leg, and he had a little Beagle that was also missing one leg. I wondered what had happened to each of them and I thought they were an adorable pair. I tried to get a picture, but there were a few people blocking my view because they were paying them attention as well:
Throughout the time I was there, I observed all types of people, which proves that social difference is evident: there are wealthy people who mainly go to the promenade to shop (as there are several great stores there) and on the other end of the spectrum are homeless people. And apparently, some "normal" looking people are homeless, according to Carson (ScriptShadow). Carson warns, "Santa Monica is the homeless capital of the United States... Be careful, since LA's homeless crowd is the best dressed in the nation, they often look like normal people. I once thought I’d made a new best friend only to have him screaming at me five minutes later that I was working for the government." I read this after I had gotten home from Santa Monica, so now that I look back on my time there today, I can recall a number of people who may have been these so called homeless "normal" people. Here are three men that sat on the benches across from where I sat, who may fit Caron's description:
What was most striking to me during my observational experience today was seeing the extreme social difference between the wealthy and the poor. This is an idea that relates back to a topic from lecture, with regard to the common ways inequality (or difference) is thought of as being natural. Admittedly, I am one who has held the same ideology about homeless people: they're everywhere, sleeping on the streets, begging for money, and appear often to be drunk or high. Not until I took a step back today, and thought about this idea critically, did I realize that this idea directly relates to our lecture. In class, we talked about unequal pay for women as opposed to men, as well as racial and ethnic differences (and these are evident as well, but homelessness was my main focus today). With regard to homeless people, we often think of them passively, knowing "that's just the way it is" and we don't question it. Today made me realize that this inequality should be acknowledged. Many people often say that homeless people live on the streets because they screwed up their own lives, when in reality many of them may have been born into the homeless lifestyle, which I imagine is nearly impossible to get out of, while others may have lived “normal” lives before events altered that, and they ended up on the streets. Although it is true that several homeless people do get themselves into that position, it's unfair to assume that all circumstances are the same among homeless people we see. It's important not to jump to judgmental conclusions, and instead be compassionate knowing everyone is unique, as are their circumstances, and when it comes down to it, we're all human, and deserve the benefit of the doubt.
