After listening to the presentation by Daniel Toretsky, an architect from Cornell University, I understood the technology and process of his study right from the claim to the solution. Mas’ Camp in Golesland as he described is a participatory construction for a perpetual discussion of racial and religious identity in Crown Heights. Toretsky first dated his research back to 1875 where there was not much happening in the neighbourhood. This was in terms of infrastructure, technology and community unity. It slowly filled up in the 20th century and in 1916 Daniel focussed on a particular hospital’s ambulance house incident. This is where the tension between the Jews and African Americans began. His background research entailed points about Crown Heights. For example the collection of free block towery until 1850 when the grid iron was placed over New York. It then became a Jewish neighbourhood and the blacks were pushed out, shifting from mostly white to mostly black. There was misunderstanding but not as much violence. Thus his research question tackled with concepts of black space and Jewish space. He studied about safety, racial segregation, historical hostility between the two communities and current mindset of the residents.
He responded to the question using both qualitative and quantitative methods. He made his own maps to position the viewers understanding of the place – one of Nostrand Ave and one of Kingston Ave. He also made mind maps, illustrations, short movies as well as 3D models. The data was shown visually in terms of graphs however qualitative research was done in depth about the Hasidic sect, building of ‘sukas’ etc. Several sources were used such as scholarly and online websites and articles. Google map images were looked at and studied before entering the neighbourhood for the first time to get an idea about the spatial layout of the Crown Heights. Toretsky referred to books such as ones written by community leaders (Jewish and Jamaican), Fires in the Mirror, Race and Religion etc. He also included “conversation excerpts” from his interviews with the residents in the form of quotes. He spoke to these people outside public spaces and caught them while they performed their everyday routine. He thus catered to the factual as well as emotional aspects of Crown Heights.
Few highlights of the talk included the fact that Toretsky mentioned to look at potentials over problems. While his observation he noticed separate Brooklyn and Jewish children museums. Ultimately he realised that in this transversal community races do come together, sometimes when teen boys play basketball or when ladies bond about mother hood. His method and step by step technique on the study was what made it structured and articulate for the viewer. The frames of reference were used clearly and none of the contexts only catered to the youth or only to elders. Going further, I would like to learn more about Toretsky’s personal encounters with the people of the neighbourhood. If he had any bad experiences, saw any suspicious activity or any other rare/strange occurrences.
