Boundries Between Communities

By way of nature humans like to have a comfort zone. In this comfort zone are people they enjoy keeping company with, which are usually people that are similar to them. Your best friends understand you, and are always there for you because you are alike. I believe this is one of the most prominent ways in describing community, your very own comfort zone.

When people move, or are new to a neighborhood they will look for two things. One, is everyone the same color as me? And two, do these people have as much money as I do? Neighborhoods usually consist of a group of people who are of the same economic status and sometimes even race. What separates communities and creates boundaries is when this becomes a serious notion, and people start to only look at these factors when picking their neighborhood. If you’re of a higher status, you are going to want to be around people just like you, and if you’re of a lower status you’re pretty much stuck with whatever you get. Even though people of the lower class want to be in the upper class, it would be very difficult to live in the same neighborhood if they have less money. Therefore, how much you earn can truly separate you from different communities and people around you. Sometimes even, the upper class like to pretend that the poor don’t exist. Their neighborhoods are just on the news a few times a week and that is how they are perceived. The economic status of the community reflects upon its people, and how they carry out their day to day lives. If the community is very lavish with a nice private school and great restaurants, there will be a high demand from the upper class. This kicks out the lower class from even trying to move in the area, and they are stuck with the others who are in the same rut as they are.

Within these separate neighborhoods there is almost a silent code that tells you when you don’t belong. If there were a not so dapper looking man walking around a gated community, people’s heads would turn. If someone of a higher class walked into a poor neighborhood, the people of that neighborhood would wonder why they were in their community. Boundaries within communities don’t always have to be a literal boundary such as gates or railroads, people make the boundaries for themselves just by the way they act around others. Frankly, people may not always admit that they do not want a certain “type” living around them, but the opinions are there and judging from a city like Winter Park, very true.