list one (typed version below):
for those of you that have trouble reading my chicken scratch handwriting, that's:
ag/farming
immigration
std's (specifically chlamydia - i guess we lead the nation in that)
teen pregnancy
-bulldogs
-fresno state athletics + band
-"aggressive" police
-poverty/unemployment
-tacos
-meth
-violence/crime
-fulton mall (okay, i suggested this one)
-segregated
-distinguished high schools
-swap meet/malls
-religious variety but also bible belt
-casinos
-the chuck (even if they called it grizzlies stadium)
-tower district
list two:
-dirty air
-ag/farming
-diversity
-unemployment
-immigration
-gangs
-nothing to do
-teen pregnancy
-drugs
-graffiti
-arts - arthop, tattoo expo
-music
-hot weather, cold weather, fog
-fresno state school + band
-the chuck' (once again called grizzlies)
-crime/violence
-aggressive/model police
-farmer's market
-rodeo
-"hick"/small town mentality
-cruising
-rules
-fresno fair
-raisins
-riverpark
-hospitals
-casinos
i thought it was interesting that two groups would have some similar visions of fresno. both groups were around 20 in size and most are under age 25. both lists tend to be a little more negative, but they're also pretty frank assessments. but, they started me wonder, what are the positive elements of fresno culture? what's your take on the lists?
8 comments:
That is very interesting. I think those lists are right on. They describe both positive and negative aspects of Fresno culture.
Like you said they are frank assessments but, we also need to be reminded that the age group has a lot to do with the negative perspective. The majority of people who grow up in a place will find more negative than positive. I remember thinking negatively of Fresno once, but once I grew up and dove more into what Fresno had to offer my perspective began to change.
Interesting lesson!
I think if you merely assign a negative or positive to each item, and then total them up, negative will always out-weigh the positive.
However, some of the listed items are so much "bigger" than others. Yes, the rodeo is cool if you are in to that sort of thing. But diversity is so much larger of a positive, in my opinion. It spans the calendar of events, intermingles with religion, relationships, and politics.
I'm sure that I feel so strongly about it being a "big" positive partly because of the central valley culture that I miss now that I am a southern transplant. But it has to be a bigger positive than the rodeo.
It's interesting.
There's a lot of stuff that goes into it though. The make up of those two specific groups of students. Their perception of Fresno versus how strongly they weight outside perception of Fresno. It goes to more than just their age, but to their ethic make-up, where they grew up in Fresno specifically, their income and hobbies, etc.
Does violence/crime characterize Fresno more than it characterizes any big city? Do you think NYC or Brazilia or Gaza students wouldn't say that? What does it mean to characterize?
Yeah, it's a fascinating question but I feel it too broad to derive something really meaningful from.
ignoring the question and instead noting: bbqs is not on the list
adam,
it's too broad for you to comment on the positives of fresno?
I wasn't there for the whole discussion so I don't know if this was any thing more than a list of "things you like or don't like about Fresno" or "things you hear about in Fresno" versus, why we like those things or why our culture brings us to bear on these specific topics.
I'm just asking how you set this discussion up. Do casinos distinguish Fresno or are they just an aspect of Fresno? Do tacos distinguish Fresno or are they just and aspect?
There are thousands of cities and towns around the world where you're bound to find one person with their head up their ass who will claim "there's nothing to do" but does that characterize the culture of city or a region?
I'd say that the fact that Fresno has such a collection of dumbasses who believe there is nothing to do here is more interesting than the claim that there actually isn't anything to do here.
I agree with the Mrs. I think that once youth are actually engaged into their own community it doesn't look so bad. When in high school or early out of high school you just can't wait to get out of the town that 'has nothing to do' but once you actively engage in the community the benefits of Fresno show through. There's the arts community and tower district and the revitalization of downtown... just to name a few :)
the discussion is pretty much set up how it says @ the top. we go over what culture is defined as, and then talk about what they feel is characteristic of american culture. then, what is characteristic of the culture of fresno.
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