Elijah Anderson’s “Iconic Ghetto” as Transatlantic Template? Problematic Traveling Imaginaries, Future Scripts, and Postindustrial Ruhr Cities
This article explores the presence and function of American templates of the stereotypical “ghetto” in the transnational urban imagination, taking the cities of the German Ruhr region as an example. I argue that this space is significantly influenced by the model of American postindustrialcities, wh...
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Regensburg: Current objectives in postgraduate American studies c/o Universität Regensburg/Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik
2020-10-01
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| Series: | Current Objectives of Postgraduate American Studies |
| Online Access: | https://copas.uni-regensburg.de/index.php/copas/article/view/335 |
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| author | Chris Katzenberg |
| author_facet | Chris Katzenberg |
| author_sort | Chris Katzenberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article explores the presence and function of American templates of the stereotypical “ghetto” in the transnational urban imagination, taking the cities of the German Ruhr region as an example. I argue that this space is significantly influenced by the model of American postindustrialcities, where many of the traveling imaginaries of urban problems that have taken hold in former industrial cities in Europe seem to originate. In a first step, I inquire into the workings of the problematic template ofthe “iconic ghetto,” a concept I borrow from Elijah Anderson and extend transnationally, tracing its influence on urban development narratives in the Ruhr. In a second step, I discuss how social-educational reform initiatives respond to and intervene in such problematic imaginaries in their work. I assert that their activities aim to rewrite or “re-script” the prevalent narratives of this European postindustrial region, which are all too often negative. The alternative development narratives, or “scripts,”these reformers construct and propagate instead imagine cities of the future in a positive light, envisioning how inequality and segregation can be replaced by equality and social inclusion.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-eaefdb1c9d7d49f7ace090c8eb059462 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1861-6127 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | Regensburg: Current objectives in postgraduate American studies c/o Universität Regensburg/Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current Objectives of Postgraduate American Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-eaefdb1c9d7d49f7ace090c8eb0594622024-11-14T19:51:23ZengRegensburg: Current objectives in postgraduate American studies c/o Universität Regensburg/Institut für Anglistik und AmerikanistikCurrent Objectives of Postgraduate American Studies1861-61272020-10-0121110.5283/copas.335Elijah Anderson’s “Iconic Ghetto” as Transatlantic Template? Problematic Traveling Imaginaries, Future Scripts, and Postindustrial Ruhr CitiesChris Katzenberg0Ruhr-University BochumThis article explores the presence and function of American templates of the stereotypical “ghetto” in the transnational urban imagination, taking the cities of the German Ruhr region as an example. I argue that this space is significantly influenced by the model of American postindustrialcities, where many of the traveling imaginaries of urban problems that have taken hold in former industrial cities in Europe seem to originate. In a first step, I inquire into the workings of the problematic template ofthe “iconic ghetto,” a concept I borrow from Elijah Anderson and extend transnationally, tracing its influence on urban development narratives in the Ruhr. In a second step, I discuss how social-educational reform initiatives respond to and intervene in such problematic imaginaries in their work. I assert that their activities aim to rewrite or “re-script” the prevalent narratives of this European postindustrial region, which are all too often negative. The alternative development narratives, or “scripts,”these reformers construct and propagate instead imagine cities of the future in a positive light, envisioning how inequality and segregation can be replaced by equality and social inclusion. https://copas.uni-regensburg.de/index.php/copas/article/view/335 |
| spellingShingle | Chris Katzenberg Elijah Anderson’s “Iconic Ghetto” as Transatlantic Template? Problematic Traveling Imaginaries, Future Scripts, and Postindustrial Ruhr Cities Current Objectives of Postgraduate American Studies |
| title | Elijah Anderson’s “Iconic Ghetto” as Transatlantic Template? Problematic Traveling Imaginaries, Future Scripts, and Postindustrial Ruhr Cities |
| title_full | Elijah Anderson’s “Iconic Ghetto” as Transatlantic Template? Problematic Traveling Imaginaries, Future Scripts, and Postindustrial Ruhr Cities |
| title_fullStr | Elijah Anderson’s “Iconic Ghetto” as Transatlantic Template? Problematic Traveling Imaginaries, Future Scripts, and Postindustrial Ruhr Cities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Elijah Anderson’s “Iconic Ghetto” as Transatlantic Template? Problematic Traveling Imaginaries, Future Scripts, and Postindustrial Ruhr Cities |
| title_short | Elijah Anderson’s “Iconic Ghetto” as Transatlantic Template? Problematic Traveling Imaginaries, Future Scripts, and Postindustrial Ruhr Cities |
| title_sort | elijah anderson s iconic ghetto as transatlantic template problematic traveling imaginaries future scripts and postindustrial ruhr cities |
| url | https://copas.uni-regensburg.de/index.php/copas/article/view/335 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chriskatzenberg elijahandersonsiconicghettoastransatlantictemplateproblematictravelingimaginariesfuturescriptsandpostindustrialruhrcities |