Slumsville – Ohithere H

Ambassador: Kaylin Anderson.3232
Mackenzie Brown

Norman Chan
Lindsay Civin
Nicole Hughes

 

 

       Historically, Slumsville illustrated great potential due to its direct access to one of the nation’s most significant rivers, the Ohithere River. This river drew in companies due to the ease it brought for transportation of materials and energy for nearby steel factories and paper mills. Soon after this, more local restaurants and niche businesses entered the downtown area and found success. Many outsiders found optimism in the possibility of success in this bustling area.  This, in combination with low real estate costs, drew in people from different backgrounds in hopes of finding new opportunities. Prior to this influx of immigration, the population was manageable and allowed for a laid back political system with a few elected officials. Everyone spoke English and were familiar with each other. Although the infrastructure was not advanced, the population was low enough to allow for it to function reasonably. One school system called English Excelors existed in the community with three separate buildings, each designated for either elementary, junior high, or high school-aged children. This system catered to only native English-speaking children and covered bare minimum forms of mathematics, science, and the English language.
       Overall, Slumsville’s previous social dynamic can be described as simplistic, yet functional; it has never been advanced in any aspect, but most residents operated at a level that allowed for a stable livelihood. As more and more people from various different backgrounds began to enter the community, though, chaos ensued. Different groups of people began to polarize and dissociate from each other based on race, ethnicity, and political views. The high number of people in the community created pressure to succeed financially through establishing or working for companies in the urban area. Economic, natural, and built resources were limited and unadvanced, though, so those who were educated and financially stable found success while those who did not have the money or a proper education resorted to living in slums. The slums have become so extensive that in recent years the name of the city was changed from Riverton to Slumsville. What had started out as a nickname from other cities for the Riverton area eventually stuck, and since the city has been referred to as Slumsville for almost a decade, Riverton adopted the name change.
       In addition to this creation of social tension, the rapid growth of population overwhelmed the unadvanced infrastructure and further caused the river to degrade through improper management. The low-income population needed to focus more on basic survival needs, which in turn resulted in unsustainable treatment on natural resources. In the past, the relatively informal political system functioned adequately because the majority of the population represented similar cultural identities. As more people entered the community, though, the system could not adjust properly; Spanish and French dialects expanded and prevented groups from socializing. Out of desperation, the community began to rely on representatives with low-educational levels because others lost motivation and hope to revive the previous unification. The polarization between socioeconomic classes is currently as sharp as they have ever been, which can be illustrated best through the juxtaposition of the slums and the business area of the community. Some community members work to close this gap through grassroots movements; for example, a group that recently formed calls themselves Cross-Cultural Concern for Competent Schooling or Quadruple C Schooling. Despite many supporters, this group has encountered troubles due to inadequate funding.

Community H: This rapidly developing urban community is located in a historically-marginalized part of the nation.

Population size = 2,000,000 residents (exact census figures unknown due to some transient and unplanned housing structures, population is estimated to be growing annually at 4%).  

Natural: 2 An increased rate of population in-migration has increased the community’s size and density and is causing negative impacts on the environment. One of the nation’s most significant river systems runs through the city, which is currently highly polluted due to poor water management and a failing water treatment system.

Cultural: 5 The many ethnicities of people migrating to the city have made for a rich diversity of cultures coming together in markets and community gatherings, but this diversity also presents a barrier to broader city cohesion and has strained the community’s basic physical infrastructure and traditional political systems.

Human: 3 The few with a strong formal education are having success and joining the middle and upper classes of the community. The vast majority are not part of this movement and are being priced out of the growing urban area into slums. The poorest residents in this community have migrated from other rural areas in the nation to find opportunities. The school systems are unable to match the demand in student enrollments and cannot adequately pay teachers.

Social: 5 Traditionally this community had high bonding social capital, but increasing in-migration of new residents is straining these bonds. However, there is an increasing number of local, grassroots efforts to connect different groups and ethnicities.

Political: 4 Citizens’ trust in the local government’s ability to provide basic services has waned in recent years. With a significantly growing population base this city’s two national representatives should have a strong influence over the national government located in community A, however, these delegates are significantly poorer, lacking in formal education and marginalized from other national delegates.

Financial: 5 While the vast majority of residents are below national poverty line standards, a local, middle-class of business owners, entrepreneurs, and real estate professionals is emerging within the city, but they have growing competition from large, outside firms based in communities A and C who are also investing in and purchasing urban real estate. The ability for residents to acquire bank loans and engage in broader market opportunities differs sharply by socioeconomic class.

Built: 3 This city has highly overburdened road and water systems which fail at certain times of the year. Schools are being built rapidly but cannot match demand. Slums are growing rapidly as more and more people move closer to the city, especially alongside the river.