Social Geography in Washington DC - Essay Example

March 20, 2007 Social Geography in Washington D.C Introduction: Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United s of America. The s name comprises of two separate parts; Washington is named after George Washington, the military leader of the American Revolution and the first President of the United States, whereas 'D.C.' is an abbreviation for the District of Columbia which is a federal district and is coextensive with the city of Washington. The District of Columbia and the city of Washington are coextensive and are governed by a single municipal government. Washington D.C. has a municipal government and a mayor; however Congress has the supreme authority over the city and district, which results in citizens having less self-governance than residents of the states. In addition to lacking full self-governance, the residents of the District also lack full congressional representation. The population of the District of Columbia was 582,0491 persons, as of 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates2. The great in-migration of professionals from all over the U.S. to the Washington, DC area over the past century makes meeting a native-born Washingtonian a rare occasion in some settings. The Washington Metropolitan Area's population is recorded as 6,256,400 persons as of year 2005 ACS, whereas the population of Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area has been recorded as 8 million in the year 2005. [01] According to the census held in 1860, Washington remained as a small city with its population of just over 75,000 persons until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. The significant expansion of the federal government to administer the war and its legacies such as veterans' pensions led to notable growth in the city's population. By 1870, the District population had grown to nearly 132,000.3 The District's population peaked in 1950, when the census for that year recorded a record population of 802,178 people. [02] Social Geography: Social geography can be defined as the study of how society affects geographical features, and how environmental factors affect the society. Thus, it becomes very important to look at some geographical features of the Washington D.C. before attempting to get into the details of its social geography. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 68.3 square miles (177.0 km). 61.4 square miles (159.0 km) of it is land and 6.9 square miles (18.0 km) of it (10.16%) is water. Washington is surrounded by the states of Maryland (on its southeast, northeast, and northwest sides) and Virginia (on its western side); it interrupts those states' common border, which is the Potomac River's southern shore both upstream and downstream from the District. The Potomac River as it passes Washington is virtually entirely within the District of Columbia border because of colonial riparian rights between Maryland and Virginia. As of 2002, the federal government accounts for 27% of Washington, D.C.'s jobs.4 The presence of many major government agencies, including the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration, has led to business development both in the District itself as well as in the National Capital Region of Maryland and northern Virginia. [03] Immigrant Trends in Metropolitan Washington: The Washington metropolitan area has emerged during the past 30 years as a new focus of immigrant settlement in the U.S. In 2000, the region ranked seventh5 among all U.S. metropolitan areas for its number of foreign-born residents in 2000. With 832,016 immigrants counted in Census 2000, the capital region lines up behind the major immigrant gateways of metropolitan Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Miami in terms of size, and falls closely into line with Houston and Orange County, CA. The Washington metropolitan area attracted 575,000 immigrants between 1980 and 2000 and has become a major destination for immigrants to the United States. By 2000, 832,016 immigrants made up some 17 percent of the region's population, making the area the seventh-largest immigrant gateway in the United States. [04] Perhaps, it can prove to be more interesting while looking at the Census Bureau's results of 1990, where it could be observed that the Washington metropolitan region experienced a net addition of 342,000 foreign-born residents in the 1990s. This shows that immigration accounted for nearly one-half of the region's total 1990s population gain of 700,000. The remainder of the total population growth was due to natural increase. [02] Diagram6, shown above, shows the impact of increase in immigrants on the overall increase in the population of Washington. This rapid transition in the trends generally has been caused due to more and more openings of governmental and other institutional headquarters in the Washington area. One implication of transitions in these primary trends is that the transformation of the Washington metropolitan area into a destination and home for immigrants has proven to be an asset as the region's immigrants contribute heavily to local and neighborhood economies. [04] Characteristics and Structure of Social Geography: According to the results of American Community Survey of 2005, 6,146,338 persons live in Washington D.C, and out of this total, 3,052,792 (49%) were male, whereas 3,093,546 (51%) were female. Following table shows classification of persons according to their race. Although, number of immigrants is the largest source of population increase in the Washington, as shown in the above diagrams, it is evident that many of the immigrants are white in race and their majority belongs to British cultural roots. Transitions in Trends, Racial and Ethnic residential segregation: According to the results released by U.S. Census Bureau for general Census of 2000, it is evident that changes in racial and ethnic residential segregation in the last 2 decades of the 20th century have had their say on overall transformation of the society in Washington and all over the country. Perhaps, it is because of the residential segregation. Segregation can result from, among other factors, voluntary choices people make about where they want to live or from the involuntary restriction of choices, such as through discrimination in the housing market, or from a lack of information about residential opportunities. Although this can be termed as a problem by some people, it does not seem to be one as it was not initiated recently but was in the process since beginning. By comparing the results of the past census held, changes in the residential segregation can effectively be observed. Since segregation is rather an issue in all urban environments, it will be more profitable to focus on segregation patterns in many metropolitan areas across the United States. Massey and Denton7 studied, compiled, augmented, and compared segregation measures and used cluster analysis with 1980 census data from 60 metropolitan areas of United States to identify five dimensions of residential segregation: evenness, exposure, concentration, centralization, and clustering. These five dimensions were then further broken down into twenty measures of segregation, in a research conducted by US Census Bureau in 2005. [05] The results of various research studies to measure the residential segregation show alarming results when it comes to Blacks which persists at a high level in cities and suburbs throughout the United States. This perhaps can be a major factor for the economic inequality between Blacks and Whites in Washington and its nearby areas. This perhaps may very well have happened due to racial discrimination present in the American society as of yet. According to a report published in Journal of Black Studies - Black Residential Segregation and Impact of State Licensing Laws - by Joe Darden, the above stated statement is indeed a fact and the author goes to the extent where he says that racial discrimination in housing remains one of urban America's most serious problems and particularly in the Washington and its suburban areas. [06] According to the US Census Bureau's research study conducted on residential segregation8, researchers found out that residential segregation is a more serious problem in some metropolitan areas, and a less serious problem in others; and that the reported measures cannot necessarily sustain such inferences or interpretations. In particular, it can not be speculated about how racial discrimination, free choices, or any of several other underlying processes might have contributed to the happenings. Similarly, the researchers indicate that measures do not replicate the consequences of an observed residential distribution that might assist in identifying either problems or benefits associated with the pattern. [06] Conclusion: Washington D.C, being the capital of United States, is one of the most immigrated regions in the world. Perhaps, that is the reason why there are so many different people from different races and backgrounds resulting in a mutually homogeneous society. However, the natives have overwhelmingly been turned into minorities due to the excessive immigration which has caused a difference in the exhibition of social and cultural characteristics of that society. However, results of the census show that, though other determinants have dramatically changed over the years, poverty has stuck to its 10% line. This particular statement can overrule any other significant statement regarding the lateral damaged caused to the locals due to excessive immigration. It can also be forecasted with the help of previous census' results that the slow rate of natural increase in population means more opportunities being taken by more incoming immigrants in the future which may trigger transitions in the social and cultural values if not the poverty. This is due to the result of more new opening of State Government Job Employment opportunities in the area. If it is analyzed closely then it can be found out that the State Job Employment opportunities increased from 80,309 to 106,769 from 1990 to 20059. And if governmental and other institutional organizations continued to move to Washington D.C, population may increase up to approximately eight million persons by year 2030. Following chart shows above stated relationship. [07] Majority of Americans think of their country as a welcoming nation of immigrants, yet their communities have a long history of ambivalence toward new arrivals and racial minorities. This is often expressed through segregation by race and income. This greater amount of immigration from various parts of world can have a greater say on the social inequality, as discussed earlier, which has its toll on the political, economic, social and cultural environments of the area. By looking at the various research and hypothetical studies conducted in the past, it can be argued that Washington D.C has become the emerging 'multicultural majority' of the central city, widening urban/suburban socioeconomic divide, and profound shift in immigrant settlement patterns from city to suburban. Perhaps, Washington D.C may offer instructive insights into the future of multicultural relations in post-industrial US society. Many theorists and planners believe that housing is the most important invisible social policy issue in America. Many also believe that residential segregation is increasing day by day and it may undermine education, job prospects, and even health and safety for other minorities and low-income families living in the Washington Area. [08] References: [01] Washington Trends, Office of Financial Management - Population Change and Net Migration, Washington State. Available Online March 17, 2007 [02] United States Census Bureau - Anniversary of Washington, D.C., as Nation's Capital. Available Online March 18, 2007 [03] D.C. Department of Employment Services, Office of Labor Market Research and Information - District of Columbia Employment Projections by Industry and Occupation, 2002-2012. Available Online March 18, 2007 [04] Brookings Greater Washington Research Program - Immigrant Trends in Metropolitan Washington, by Audrey Singer- . Available Online March 18, 2007 [05] US Census Bureau, Housing Patterns - Measures of Residential Segregation. Available Online March 18, 2007 [06] Journal of Black Studies, Black Residential Segregation and impact of licensing laws. By Joe Darden, Available Online March 19, 2007 [07] Washington Trends - Office of Financial Management, State Government FTEs Compared to Population. Available Online < http://www.ofm.wa.gov/trends/tables/fig401.asp> March 18, 2007 [08] Journal of Ethnic and Racial Studies - Multicultural Washington, DC: the changing social and economic landscape of a post-industrial metropolis. By Robert D. Manning March 19, 2007 Read More