Putting Up Gates, Edward Blakely

¶ … Putting Up Gates," Edward Blakely and Mary Gail Snyder describe the growing practice of using gates and other barriers to enclose communities both private and public. The reasons usually given by those living in gated communities, or attempting to make their community gated or otherwise cordoned off from the surrounding city or suburb, are protection from crime and increased community and security. In reality, the authors found that there is no strong evidence that there are long-term reductions in crime in gated areas, and they cite the growing number of gated communities as evidence of a society that is increasingly withdrawing from a sense of community and public togetherness, and instead is increasingly focused on separation, one-upmanship, and mistrust. simple economic class distinctions and even racism are also cited as the true reasons for the construction of many gated communities and other blockade efforts.

Though gated communities are an extreme and incredibly overt example of the increasing isolationism in the United States today, they are far from being the only sign of this growing attitude. people are shying away from all things public, and interactions between strangers are increasingly rare and often seem to be fraught more with suspicion and mistrust than general neighborly good will. This can easily be observed at any bus stop in a major metropolitan area; there is invariably a sizeable crowd of people waiting for transportation, but very few individuals are talking with each other (and those that are usually know each other, arrived at he stop together, etc.). The standard waiting position is eyes slightly down at the pavement or else buried in some reading material, either way avoiding any contact with others.

The spreading use of iPods and other personal music players, cell phones, and other earphone-bearing devices serve as another boundary; even with someone's eyes purposefully avoiding any approach, a simple "Excuse me?" can attract their attention -- but not if they are out of hearing as well. This would require someone to speak much louder, which is frowned upon in public, or even (gulp) tap the person on the shoulder -- a major invasion of personal space. We live in a world where we spend an increasing amount of time locked into our own private worlds, and demanding the privacy and security of that world. It is no surprise that this has extended to our physical homes and neighborhoods. The problem is that the problem is self-perpetuating: the less we share of ourselves or attempt to communicate with others, the less we trust others (and perhaps, ultimately, the less we trust ourselves). This increases our need for security, so the gates get bigger and the neighborhoods more exclusive, creating more difference and distrust, and so on.