An Alternative to the Dominant Narrative of Buffalos Decline - Essay Example

Buffalo is one of the cities that have been subject to research in an attempt to identify the reasons behind its urban decline. However, Buffalo houses a myriad of factors that explain the urban decline despite the population loss and aging of residents. The city is experiencing massive in-migration, a decline in entrepreneurial activities and changes that the youth bring to society.

Alternative to the dominant narrative of Buffalo’s decline

Buffalo is a scene of interaction between different ethnic groups, with the majority being African Americans. Crime and ethnic divisions are significant characteristics of the city. Bringing children up in such poor backgrounds affects their future and their performance in life.  Buffalo has a large number of young people who lack the resources and necessary facilities to engage in entrepreneurial activities. There is neglect on the part of society regarding entrepreneurial activities. However, the growing number of shops and rental houses in the town suggests that the town is undergoing gradual entrepreneurial development and in-migration respectively. The main challenge facing these entrepreneurial ventures is that most people run them on an ethnic basis.

The budget crisis has contributed to the decline of Buffalo where the marginalized and the disadvantaged communities shoulder the heaviest burdens in the budget (Cope & Latcham 152). This couples up with the loss of manufacturing facilities and sources of raw materials. The decline in manufacturing jobs led to population loss where young people moved out of the town in search of job opportunities. Nevertheless, the leadership of Buffalo is partly responsible for the economic decline and poverty. The leaders gave way to racism where the society divides itself along with ethnic basis. This leads to disparities in job allocation, which makes some ethnic groupings poorer than others do.

It is worth noting that the recent census in the United States revealed that there are more young children in Buffalo than was the case in the past. However, this does not mean that the narratives that suggest the aging population as a factor in Buffalo’s decline are wrong. A critical analysis of the census results reveals that the majority of occupants of Buffalo are blacks with remarkably few white families. Lagging behind Buffalo is a factor of many issues including diseases, violence and other vices and that young people bear the responsibility (Cope & Latcham 156). Therefore, poor economic structures are other feasible alternatives for explaining the problems facing buffalo.

Conclusion

A critical analysis of the problems of Buffalo reveals inner details that suppress the evidence that most narratives give. All the answers as to the causes of Buffalo’s problems are within the city and are clear for anyone to see. For instance, the race is among the factors that contribute to redundancy in economic growth and development in the town. Racism affects the way individuals conduct their businesses and the stability of a place. The youths in the town are bear responsibility for some of the problems and challenges facing society. It is through the youth that vices such as violence found their way in Buffalo. Economic policies such as poor budgeting also contribute to the poor performance of urban centers. Therefore, population loss and an aging population are not the only ways of explaining the problems facing Buffalo.