Prior to engaging in this research assignment my knowledge of the area surrounding the Barclays Center was just that, an idea of the Barclays Center. Truth be told it was actually my first time ever visiting the area. Before I had only transferred trains at the Atlantic Avenue station and somehow felt like that was a proficient enough exposure to the area. Of course I had heard of the arena that had opened its doors only a few years ago, I knew it was a big deal, mostly on account of all of the big name artists that performed shows there and the fact that it was the venue for the 2013 Video Music Awards. But embarrassingly enough I was not informed of the rich history the area encompassed and the vast changes it had undergone and is still undergoing even today. So throughout the execution of this project I was able to become knowledgeable on not only the history of the center but the neighborhood surrounding it, along with the effects that the transformation had on all of these factors. Additionally, not only was I able to immerse myself in this new information through the use of written and published material, but I was also given the opportunity to approach the topic with a hands on approach though participation in active field work. It definitely added a new and different perspective on my ideas of traditional research methods.
The very first step in this whole process was visiting the field site. I believe that this was integral to the whole process because essentially it was the first taste that I had of the whole project. As aforementioned I was aware of the presence of the Barclays Center, but it just about ended right there. I definitely was not clued into the atmosphere of the area surrounding it, especially the more residential part, which is what we tackled on our first visit. My first expenditure to the site was with the rest of the group which I believe was extremely helpful. There e is so much to see in the specific area of Downtown Brooklyn that we targeted and to have people along with me who were familiar with the location, offered the whole experience a ray of clarity. It was so refreshing to have my first ever exposure to the field site be in the form of a physical visit. To be honest, the first visit was such an overwhelming experience that I spent less time focusing on details, which I believe to be much of the meat and potatoes of field notes and observations, and was more fixated on the general atmosphere. It was so intriguing to basically see how this part of the borough functioned. This was achieved through observing the kinds of houses that were present on the residential blocks (primarily brownstones), the businesses that thrived in the area (small specialty restaurants), and the people that frequented the area.
My last trip was when I really diverted my focus to details. Prior to this visit we had completed an annotated bibliography based on the area we were studying. A lot of that research included the the tremendous transformation the area had undergone over the span of just a few years. Some of our resources included actual photos, directly outlining the physical differences in the neighborhood. But a couple of materials that really stabilized my views on the area at that point were a video on Jay Z’s influence on the creation if the Barclays Center and an article that highlighted the effects the residents of the neighborhood feared the change would have on their area and what the effects really were. These two pieces really demonstrated just how meaningful the addition to the area was, not just pertaining to the neighborhood itself, but also the overall effect it had on Brooklyn and maybe even the country. And the article showed that oftentimes change is not a bad thing. Currently many areas in Brooklyn are undergoing rapid change and development that is generating much opposition. But sometimes what you fear does not always come to fruition, as demonstrated by “Barclays in Brooklyn: How the Area has changed the Borough”, while the people of the area were worried over the center carrying along with it the introductions of various night clubs, what was actually brought into the area were restaurants and specialty shops, which did not seem as threatening. So as I ventured into the area during my last visit with only one companion I focused on all the new details I had acquired. As I examined every building, focusing a lot of my attention on more of the more of the commercialized aspects of the site, straying more towards the center itself, I focused on the tiniest aspects and tried to reflect on exactly what they meant and why they were chosen. I added all of the information I had picked up with the written work and tried to envision for myself, in person what the effects are like for the community. This was also particularly useful for the sense I chose to interpret and display: touch.
Originally when approaching how to convey how touch factored into Downtown Brooklyn, I was at a loss at how to present it. I ultimately decided that I would try and project it through textures, particularly the ones pertaining to the buildings, structures, and groundwork in the area. Throughout the course of my visits I carefully examined what the materials were made out of, how exactly they were structured, and the overall textural appearance that was given off. But even throughout that whole process I couldn’t find any deeper meaning into what I was doing. I just felt like a lot of it was meaningless information that was in no way grounded in anything that our project was going to offer. But as I listened to what my other group members had to say about their senses and as I processed the information I had gathered I came to a realization that changed my whole perspective, not only on my individual sense and the project as a whole, but also just in general. This was the fact that everything has a meaning. Now although this may seem like a rather obvious conclusion to fall upon, when actually thinking about it, it had an impact on the views I held when originally entering this project. Everything that was present in our field site was for the most part intentionally put there. The materials that made up the buildings were thought out. And this was a reflection into the differences I encountered between the buildings and structures between the commercialized areas as opposed to the residential ones. The houses were comprised of brick, as opposed to the Barclays Center which has a lot of its grounding in glass. Now at first glance this may not mean much but upondeeper analysis this speaks miles about the differences the area is undergoing in terms of traditional structure and more modern approaches. It also made me aware of how many factors go into decision making and how many people are probably involved. Overall it gave me a greater sense and insight into the overall workings of everything. There is definitely more than meets the eye.
Overall all I entered this assignment holding very little knowledge about the area, and this in itself was a very eye-opening experience. It showed me that there is so much more to learn, I’ve basically lived in Brooklyn my entire life and somehow have barely have ventured past the perimeters of my own neighborhood. And entering into this project with an anthropological lens and engaging into actual field work showed me that there are other methods into research than just looking things up. There is a whole realm of gathering data yourself and learning to apply it in a way that makes sense and is meaningful. There is a way to involve yourself in the unveiling of information that allows you to interpret what you see for yourself rather than taking someone else’s word for it. I walked away with a realization that there is so much to explore and see of we just open up our eyes and learn to question even the blatantly familiar. It is easy to accept what we see, but it is more meaningful to ponder and question it.
– JJ
