Reflection:

In this my final blog entry I will briefly summarize the main points of my blog entries and also relate them to other blogs done by fellow classmates on different subjects that can be inter-related through urban geography. I do hope that you have found the blog entries as informative and educational as I have. In choosing a topic for this blog assignment it took me some time to settle on what part of urban geography to consider, however with time and reflection on what seemed interesting to me I decided to focus on the urban social nightlife and some of its characteristics. Some of the topics I focused on included Food, Alcohol, Drug Use, Arts and culture, Crime, Economy, Prostitution and Employment all of which have intrinsic ties with Urban areas and Nightlife. As for comparison I would like to reflect on the blogs and one in particular of Avinash Narine, his blog focused on urban mobility and this was directly linked to one of my blogs entitled Employment in Urban nightlife where I spoke of maxi drivers transporting people to popular night spaces; this is particularly important in the context of urban geography as transportation and mobility of people within cities is very important. You can take a look at Mr. Narine’s blog here: http://urbanmobility17.blogspot.com/        

Another blog entry that I found particularly linked to this one was a blog by Mr. Kevin Samuel where he had written about “Youths In Urban space”. In my own blog entries I spoke of urban nightlife and the industry targeting primarily ‘the young rich’ who had the capital to support a certain lifestyle with little commitments; similarly his blog speaks of youths and some of their social expressions which can be related to Urban social nightlife. He also speaks about urban culture, crime and prostitution just as I had and it was interesting to read some of the different perspectives on the same subject. Take a look at Kevin’s blog here: http://uthmanurban.blogspot.com/ 

Finally I would like to draw from another classmate’s blog. Sevaster Ramlogan wrote blogs on the different arts in Trinidad’s cities and this can be related to the blog I did on arts and culture where art is manifested through different forms expressed as different cultures that go way back in time. In my own blogs I spoke of young people and their urban nightlife experiences as a form and expression of their art and culture. It was interesting to see the different aspects of art as presented by different people through different media as represented by Sevaster. He also spoke about food in a blog entitled “Trinidad's Indigenous Foods!!!” and this was also very interesting to see someone do another blog similar to my own on the topic of food highlighting differences and similarities.  You can take a look at Sevaster’s Blog here: http://urbantriniart.blogspot.com/

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Regards,

Christopher Mohip

Prostitution: A Social Ill In Urban Areas

"Decriminalization is not at all a solution to every injustice that exists in the sex industry; it is a starting point. If prostitution were not an underground activity it would allow us to much more effectively address the serious problems of forced prostitution and juvenile prostitution and the other abuses which are part of an industry that operates completely in the shadows”

In my previous blogs I mentioned that although there are many positive characteristics associated with Social Nightlife in urban areas, there are also negative ones and I may have highlighted a few in past posts. This blog follows along the same line highlighting a very clandestine topic or type of industry that is a part of the Nightlife Industry. This type of nightlife experience is considered unethical by many people but yet there are those that follow this type of lifestyle and indulge in it. It is a very lucrative business and their operations are very controversial however the incidence of hearing such establishments are rare. Apart from deviance from moral, social and religious code and also destruction of many marriages every year prostitution in Urban areas whether establishments or even on street corners lead to many negative results. Some of the negative impacts of prostitution include STIs and other venereal diseases, risk of alcohol or drug addiction to deal with the lifestyle, depression/guilt, high risk of unwanted pregnancy and risk of injury from violent clients among others. When attempting to understand such a sensitive topic a greater understanding of it may be attained when looking at when the industry comprises of. Human trafficking is one of the biggest problems that is caused by prostitution as it involves the sexual exploitation of women and children. It is also believed by some that coercion and exploitation can only be stopped if the existence of prostitution is recognized and the legal and social rights of prostitutes are guaranteed. What does this say for a society that seeks to root out this type of activity? This leads to the morality of prostitution, some say that prostitution as an industry is evil and it does not matter if it is ‘the oldest profession in the world’ it is still wrong, while others see nothing wrong with it. I asked myself the question as to how could a business as such operate under the cover of darkness yet most of the society knows it is in existence, and they are rarely shut down? It is an industry that operates primarily in Urban areas at night and this begs the next question…is it a legitimate business? Some are under the impression that it is a business like any other because it must be managed and work must be put into its daily operations for it to be lucrative while on the other hand some see it as even though prostitution in some areas is legalized, it can never be a legitimate business because it will always be associated with crime, corruption, class, mass sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Who would chose to have a career as a prostitute? In some cases it is chosen because there is “no other means to make money” (truly?), others don’t have a choice (forced) and some do it to make quick money. There are many topics that surround this highly controversial topic and I may have only touched on a few of them, however this type of business does occur in Trinidad and Tobago and it has ties in many aspects of Urban Nightlife, including economy. employment, crime and alcohol and drug abuse.

References:

Hubbard, Phil. Sex and the city: geographies of prostitution in the urban West. Aldershot:            Ashgate, 1999

Read More:

http://guardian.co.tt/news/2012-07-22/cops-arrest-prostitutes-central-bar

http://dailynews.co.tz/home/?n=14012

Listen:

Prophet Benjamin- Delilha on the loose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIDLifCP56k

Employment In Urban Nightlife

Employment in the urban nightscape occurs on many levels, from the wealthy club owners at the top to the street vendor that sell outside the clubs trying to earn an honest living to support themselves and their families. The growth of Urban Social Nightlife has acted as a catalyst facilitating the growth of many other industries that have provided employment for persons that would have in some cases not been employed otherwise. Although education is ‘free’ in Trinidad and Tobago, some persons find it difficult to reach as far as secondary school level. There may be various reasons as to why such persons would not reach this far but it then leaves them in a situation as to where they can get a job to support themselves and in some cases their young families. Some decide to go into trafficking and using drugs as mentioned in one of my previous blogs and this can too often lead to abounding negative effects. With the growth of the night-time industry it has provided a way out for many of these who are unable to obtain a regular 8am – 4pm job. Occupations such as selling doubles, burgers, pies, corn soup, cow heel soup, fries, punch, ox-tail soup and fish broth are well accepted by urban nightlife patrons that enjoy having some of these favourites. It does not stop by just food alone, as I can elaborate an example taken from my own personal experience in venturing into the nightlife scene as a university student. During the week when students decide to go out liming there is a shuttle service provided by drivers that own maxis and this takes patrons to designated places on specific nights. The shuttle usually transports tertiary level students to the Zen Nightclub on Wednesday night and also to Ariapita Avenue as well as Thursday night to the 51 Degrees Nightclub. This transportation service provided by maxi drivers such as “Emperor” has provided a means to which they can access extra capital that has only been made possible by the nightlife industry. Drivers can earn up to one thousand dollars a night for one trip and on some nights several trips are made. Police also obtain employment as too often when venturing to popular liming spots in Port- of –Spain and also San Fernando the police presence close to nightclubs and areas where social nightlife is ‘booming’ is ever so prevalent. One person that I remember vividly was an elderly lady selling mints, cigarettes, small chocolates and small novelty items outside of the Zen Nightclub, although some may see her type of ‘employment’ as irrelevant or too small to make anything substantial, I was surprised to see the amount of customers she had buying from her as persons waited in the line to get into the nightclub. Despite the fact that it was a small form of business, her type of employment was honest and she did it with a smile on her face which to me was very admirable. The Nightlife industry has provided many jobs for persons that in some cases would have not been able to make an honest living otherwise, this industry is ever expanding and so too are the new types of employment that are created.

The above picture was taken at a popular establishment known as “Shakkas Punch” in Marabella, southern Trinidad to which I regularly on weekends show my patronage. The guys that make these punches use the nightlife industry to earn an honest living and their hours of operation are no earlier that 8pm until whenever they are sold out.

Drug Use In The Urban Nightscape

From my previous posts it can be observed that many of them are associated with social aspects that relate to the urban nightlife, this blog is similar and takes the same pattern. Drug use in urban areas has always presented itself as a negative characteristic associated with such areas. There are many reasons why people resort to drug use. A major reason is through curiosity, drugs are a frequent topic of conversation and most people have friends or acquaintances that use them. Curiosity is almost part of human nature, many people, especially young people, are curious about drugs and how they make a person feel, this can be one of the most important factors that lead to drug use as some of these users may continue using drugs after experiencing its effects. Another reason may be through social pressure, this has a very strong impact on many people as they may feel pressured to drink alcohol or use illegal drugs. There are certain social groups, which make drugs seem fashionable or trendy. In these groups, using is the key to belonging; anyone who abstains will be excluded. Because some people are desperate to find a place to fit in, they go along with it. Drug use may also be associated with pleasure as some individuals obtain a ‘high’ from it and use it as a form of relaxation and euphoria. The media often plays a big role in the persuasion of people into using drugs as it is sometimes glorified. This will affect how people view the issue, even if it is subconsciously. The media may promote drugs as being an acceptable social activity and a way to achieve success. People also take drugs as a result of a low self-esteem and these substances make them feel good about themselves. Emotional problems such as anger, stress, anxiety, depression and even boredom are also significant contributors as to the reasons people use drugs. Scientific research shows in many cases young adults that frequent nightclubs and also parties and dance events are more likely to use more drugs when compared to the general population that used drugs for other reasons (Hunt et al 2010). The most popular party drugs include Alcohol, Cannabis, Ecstasy, Cocaine, Amphetamine and GHB. I can even relate to many instances of going out to popular urban nightclubs and seeing people using these illicit drugs and reflecting as to the implications they may possibly have on such persons and the fact that the availability of some of these drugs are sometimes just a phone call away.

Read more:

Hunt, Geoffrey, Molly Moloney, and Kristin Evans. Youth, drugs, and nightlife. New York, NY:      Routledge, 2010.

Listen:

Sizzla- Smoke Marijuana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgjrcSQsuro

Into the Night-Time Urban Economy

Production, regulation and consumption of nightlife are some of the characteristics that make up Urban Nightscapes. The Nightlife industry does contribute significant amounts of money to the local economy. Leisure and entertainment industries have changed over the years in Trinidad and Tobago and have emerged as a residual effect of a developing night-time economy, made conspicuous through issues of social and urban management. From a historical perspective the impact of steam, power and mechanization transformed the labour process, made goods cheaper and opened up new markets. This impacted on the amount of leisure time workers had, however with industrialization brought a change in the amount of leisure time people had to spend. The global phenomenon of the nocturnal economy, signified by the appropriation of night-time urban spaces by the leisure and entertainment industries, is symptomatic of broader social and cultural patterns. In seeking to understand the fundamental global economic transformations and problems affecting many cities, geographers put analysis of structural changes in capitalism at the heart of explanations of urban change drawing on the work of Karl Marx for their analytical framework (Hall and Barrett 2012). Cultural industries may take the form of fashion, film production, media, design, nightlife, technology based activities and music. Night-time industries may be cultural industries but are also heavily economic based, as with any business the main goal is to be lucrative and make an economic gain. According to (Hubbard 2006), he notes that to date there has been little research in literature on how creativity is produced and practiced in cities, particularly the material dimensions of these activities and their mundane practices, such as socializing bars.  When looking at all the night-time enterprises as a collective, food industries, clubs, bars and other small businesses of the informal sector all contribute to the urban economy as it increases the flow of capital at a time (night-time) that would have been otherwise less productive from an economic standpoint. From my own experiences when going out at night-time to either clubs, bars or restaurants a significant amount of cash would be needed just to take you through the night as these services are often costly from a general viewpoint.

References:

Hall and Barrett, Urban Geography. London and New York, Routledge Publishing. 2012 

Crime: Urbanity after dark

The photo above shows the City of Port-of- Spain at night, so peaceful yet what the picture does not capture is the crime that undermines this urban hub. Trinidad and Tobago sure does have some disturbing crime statistics. Most of the crime in the country is associated with the use of illegal firearms and ammunition, gang violence and the illegal drug trade. In some areas it may even be a combination of all of these working together which may result in no good for society. There have been many instances where persons go out at late night parties and nightclubs and when they return to their vehicles they are either held up at gun-point or their cars are stolen prior to that. The instances of cars being stolen are one of the major ways in which criminals have turned illegal activity into a ‘multi-million dollar industry’. Despite the implementation of new technology such as anti-theft devices the vehicular theft industry has become more persistent to relieve persons of their vehicles. In my own family for instance two vehicles were stolen, one at gunpoint where the keys to a 4x4 Van had to be handed over and the other a car, stolen when parked on the street for a short period of time. Both were never recovered by police. This is a frightening experience and it begs the question as to if this is where we would like to be as a society in the 21^st century in which persons must be limited in mobility due to fear of being robbed of their vehicles and live as prisoners in their own homes as well. There is also a cost associated with buying a new vehicle at present as one would have to install an anti-theft GPS tracking system in their vehicles for peace of mind in the event that a robbery was to take place they may have the chance to get back their vehicle. This is an added cost to the already high cost of having to buy a car in the first place. Popular vehicles targeted in Trinidad and Tobago by car bandits are 4x4 vehicles like the Nissan Navarra, the Toyota Hilux and the Ford Ranger which are also targeted for their parts. When we talk about the challenges of urbanization, we can't ignore the changing lifestyle of people in urban areas and this changing lifestyle does contribute to a person's criminal behaviour. An individual's position in the society puts a significant bit of limitation on him, and the person resorts to crime in a bid to adapt to these very limitations. Other than the option of resorting to crime, the person also needs to have opportunities to learn how to commit crime - something which is provided by his surroundings. This works on the basis of Edwin Sutherland's differential association theory which states that a person learns the values, attitudes and techniques required for criminal behaviour on interacting with others. Crime in urban areas is also associated with urbanization and poverty. Social and economic differences in different parts of society and areas classified as slums that exist sometimes next to wealthy well developed areas often causes tensions between society members. The question may arise as to why do ‘they’ have so much and ‘I’ so little? This is in many instances the reason for crime in many areas. Outlined here are just a few reasons stated as to the causes for crimes and the ways in which it is manifested. The problem still exists and has presented itself as a characteristic of urban areas, however all is not lost as new methods globally have been implemented to curb this type of activity; it may take some time to be implemented here in Trinidad and Tobago but only time will tell of how the crime in urban areas and ways in which it may be solved will unveil. If you have taken the time to read this far I would like to say thank you for reading and do leave a comment with your thoughts on the subject.

Listen:

Vybz Kartel- Life Sweet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxixyBzVW-I

Read more:

http://www.ttcrime.com/stats.php

http://criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/sutherland.html

Art and Culture in Urban social Nightlife

The above picture was taken at the NAPA south campus and shows a recent addition to architecture and cultural investment in Trinidad and Tobago. Social Nightlife does not only include venues such as clubs and fetes but can take another form as culture and art represented through forms such as plays and concerts. The location of such buildings suggests corridor in arts and culture and that these areas are undergoing social changes in forms of art and culture. This type of nightlife tends to attract ‘cash-rich’ young professionals and students that are increasingly targeted as consumers. These types of people belong to a particular social class in society and it is reflected in the dress code for instance, too attend an event at such ‘prestigious’ places one would have to dress accordingly. In keeping with this same trend a number of favourite alternative venues have either closed down or bought up and transformed into trendy bars. The identities and experiences of young adults are changing and it has led to negative implications such as increased participation rates in further and higher education leading to lower marriage rates and greater dependency on the family household. This extended adolescence has fuelled an array of consumer lifestyles and identities beyond those traditionally identified as ‘youth’. This type of nightlife has led to dramatic and forceful transformations of cities moving away from images of decay, crime and dereliction in the 1970s and 1980s, to more vibrant, yet still problematic, places to live, work and be entertained into the 21st century. A distinctive part of this ‘return to the centre’ involves the promotion of the ‘cultural economy’, in which city centres have become leisure and entertainment hubs. Within this paradigm, it is now accepted that night-life activity defined here as licensed premises - pubs, bars, clubs, music venue, is an important economic sector in its own right. The concern then would be changes in city centre nightlife activity and the way in which young people shape their identity within such spaces. Gentrification is defined as the trend of middle- and upper-income people moving into city centres and rehabilitating much of the architecture but also replacing low-income populations, and changing the social character of certain neighbourhoods. This type of culture tends to promote gentrification in areas due to its social construct. 

The process of rebranding of culture and its institutions can also be reflected in the presence of these types of buildings, the main steps in rebranding comprise name creation and registration, the design of a logo and associated visual image, market research, and advertising. More fundamentally, rebranding might be seen either as a tactical issue whereby the new brand is operationally attached to the place product, or as an important strategic matter in which all the processes of the urban development authority revolve around the construction and development of the new brand. It is speculated that the creative sector has originated to from this type of rebranding and regeneration. Hall and Barrett talk about the origins of cultural spaces within cities and possible reasons for their creation. In this blog the negative aspects of this type of industry were highlighted more, however, there are many positive aspects of this type of urban social nightlife as it and culture by extension is the glue that binds our communities, organizations, groups and families together.

‘‘When given the choice of allowing the collapse of manufacturing to continue, unemployment to go on rising, city buildings to fall further into disrepair, public spaces to be abandoned; or to mobilise private and government investment into supporting artistic productions which can variously reverse these trends, my argument is that the[second] choice is a wise, ethical, and sustainable one’’. –M. Johnson

Urban Nightlife and Alcohol Use

Alcohol consumption has always been a part of urban nightlife and it is said to be one of the key elements of any party. At these urban nightclubs and social meeting areas people spend large amounts of money just to acquire ‘fancy’ or ‘exquisite’ drinks. Alcohol consumption without moderation can lead to many unwanted effects and outcomes that are ever so often seen in the local news. So the question may arise as to what encourages this type of social behaviour which is seen as a norm or ‘cool’ in urban spaces? A study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO 2004) found that students’ first exposure to drinking alcohol in Trinidad and Tobago was by family members in childhood or experimentation later. Transitions from primary to secondary schools and from junior to senior schools were associated with increased alcohol use. Ethnic reversals of substance abuse among high school students were observed by a high use of alcohol among Indo-Trinidadian and low use among Afro-Trinidadian students. The use of alcohol by students was also positively correlated to its use by fathers. With some understanding as to the causes of this type of social norm, what then are some of the implications that surround it? Are they positive or negative and if so which one outweighs the other? From this type of topic it is most easy to identify the negative impacts of excessive alcohol use in urban areas and also the wider community; some of which may include Vehicular accidents caused by drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol, violence, unwanted pregnancies, crime, and spread of diseases such as HIV / AIDS and also improper social conduct. 

Too many people are being killed on the country's roads. And with the recent social phenomenon of women drinking as much as men, the number of deaths from road accidents has increased. It is a fact that irresponsible driving is intricately linked to alcohol consumption and this consumption becomes more pervasive and excessive during the after dark hours when people are often returning from parties at nightclubs and ‘fetes’ which are national pastimes that involve the substantial consumption of alcoholic beverages. Unwanted pregnancies and spread of diseases such as HIV is also another consequence faced by many people as a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Similar to this is the instance of improper social conduct and lawlessness that is also caused by excessive alcohol consumption by many people intoxicated by alcohol in urban areas more so at night.

References:

"WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004 1 ." © World Health Organization 2004 .                  www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/en/trinidad_tobago.pdf (accessed January   23, 2013).

Read more:

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/The_cultural__challenge_of_drinking_and_driving-135808243.html

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/ROAD_CARNAGE-159667815.html

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/minister_held-167505895.html

Urban Nightlife and Food

"Late Night Munchies"

When people leave fancy night clubs and hunger kicks in people seek late night eating establishments such as “The Cross” in San Fernando or on Aripita Avenue to fulfil their 3:00 a.m. snacking needs.  Such places serve food until closing, leaving their patrons satisfied with greasy favourites such as Buffalo wings, burgers, fries, gyros and local favourites of corn soup and doubles. Trinidadians take their entertainment seriously and the multitude of nightclubs and lounges, bars, multi-level VIP clubs with dazzling lights and sizzling cocktails, shows exactly how serious a business partying is to Trinidadians. 

The above pictures were taken at the WTF lounge and restaurant in San Fernando (left) and the Point-a-Pierre main road Marabella (right) and outlines various ways in which Food may be presented in Urban areas at night. Nightlife in Trinidad has grown over the past years to meet the growing demand of the cosmopolitan population that have grown more affluent. The owners of Nightclubs have designed the ‘full package’ of nightlife experience to keep patrons entertained all night long. Similar to this is the way in which other small business owners of food establishments have seen the opportunity to open late night establishments in these urban areas that are set up near to nightclubs. This type of food catering is geared specifically towards patrons that are out partying late at night and by extension those that also go out for late night drives just to obtain food. It is seen as a somewhat urban culture of the younger generation generally between ages ranging from eighteen to thirty-five. What people eat is heavily influenced by their families and also their culture. Different cuisines are connected to different cultures. Urban Social nightlife can be viewed as a culture and food as a feature of this type of culture is alive present in Trinidad and Tobago. Some social scientists have even gone as far as saying that food is the key to anybody’s culture (Macpherson 1999) and by just identifying what people eat some general assumption can be made about said persons and even the food, for example if a particular food is spicy, or if it is eaten separate or shared on the same dish. Food and social nightlife in urban areas are intrinsically linked and these highlighted are just a few of a very broad topic.

References:

Macpherson, Catherine. Food & culture. Owatonna, MN: Learning Zone Express, 1999.

Culture and Urban Nightlife

Whether it’s for going dancing, meeting new people, listening to music, switching off from daily routine, drinking alcohol or looking for drugs, social nightlife is a process of cultural construction. The idea of having fun and the different ways in which fun occurs form part of socially created contexts, respond to organised dynamics and are constructed in terms of social interests and ideals. From an historical point of view, the idea of having fun was elaborated parallel to the idea of leisure time. The notion of having a time for leisure became increasingly popular and, in addition, became homogenous for the majority of the population in industrialized societies, particularly in large cities, giving rise to the idea of the weekend. As these new concepts of free time and leisure began to emerge so did the need to endow them with significance.

So what has influenced the ways in which people interact with their free time? Technological changes made a substantial contribution to driving social changes in the use and interpretation of time. The most important technological development that sustained this revolution was in transport, the ability of people being able to go places with ease of access. The collages of diversity that characterize cities are composed of different cultural groups each with differing combinations of norms values and lifestyles. This is a reflection of the fact that ‘publics have become more mobile and diverse’ than has been the case in the past (Zukin 1995:3) 

According to Hall and Barrett (2012) the definition of creative industries is broad, encompassing the arts, media and science, but this emphasizes the significance of knowledge and intelligence and cultural production to the economics of urban spaces; economics therefore in urban spaces is intrinsically linked to Social Nightlife.

This photo was taken at the ‘world famous’ Zen nightclub on Keate Street, Port-of-Spain,  the reason for selection of this photo was to show how social nightlife in Trinidad is centered in well-developed urban areas.  The nightclub targets a wide audience, primarily those living in urban areas within close proximity and is deemed the ‘best’ nightclub in Trinidad and Tobago by some and even the wider Caribbean by many. 

Hall and Barrett, Urban Geography. London and New York, Routledge Publishing. 2012 (page 163-165)

Zukin, S. (1995) The Culture of Cities, Oxford: Blackwell

Read More-

http://legacy.guardian.co.tt/archives/2004-12-28/bussguardian5.html

Or have a look-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IilPjckKUHQ

Introduction

Urban areas are not easy to define, as different individuals may have different opinions. There are many aspects that make up the urban area and shapes it form and social construct. Just as urban areas are dynamic so too is an aspect of urban areas known as social nightlife. Gone are the days where urban areas were 'asleep' at night, these old trends are antecedents of modern day society. Strict moral and social code have changed over time giving rise to new social norms and also new modes of nightlife and entertainment.