My experience at Right to the City has been such an exciting journey, but it has the potential to be even more. I am grateful that I get to meet Robbie, Anamika, and Tony, from whom I have gained a great deal of knowledge. Three of them help me to gain a deeper understanding of various case studies from around the world and the United States that focus on winning policy and constructing an effective campaign. During my time here, the focus of my research has shifted. From focusing on tools to improve the campaign to comprehending how case studies and the sharing of best practices can be such a powerful organizing tool. I believe that what has worked most effectively during my time at Right to the City is the in-depth research I am conducting, which benefits both the organization and myself as I work on my research and thesis. I am pleased to be able to contribute, even if only through research.
I find it unfortunate that this summer project is completely remote, making it more difficult to develop strong relationships with organization members and become friends with some organizers. I would have enjoyed doing everything in person. Due to the remote situation, I believe that the research I am conducting is not 100 percent successful. Whether or not there are committee meetings, I can only comprehend a small portion of the dynamics at right to the city. Aside from this, the majority of my research and understanding of Right to the City has come from conversations with and interviews with my mentors. The concept of in-depth ethnographic work is extremely limited, and it is highly debatable whether my field notes are sufficient.
Despite these limitations, I gained a lot of understanding about what resistance means for contemporary social movements, particularly for Right to the City group members. I have compiled four main points from my conversations and meetings with them.
- Through research, examples, and event planning, it is possible to remind community members that people in other parts of the world experience the same hardships, thereby fostering resistance.
- Resistance can be fostered even when people do not always speak the same language. This distinguishes contemporary resistance from nationalism, which is typically tied to a common language. In resistance, they can be constructed by a single powerful narrative against the enemy, i.e. gentrification.
- Resistance is not solely constituted of protest and words. To build resistance, it is necessary to create a timeline, meeting agenda, and series that focus on the event’s agenda.
- Through the creation of evaluation forms for the event organizers, resistance is cultivated in order to enhance the feeling and sense of struggle.
I eventually realised at the end of the day that working with a community, especially a new community, presents multiple challenges. Nevertheless, if we are always willing to learn and share the same values, it is all worth the effort. I believe this can be so much more, but I have learned so much this summer that I cannot wait to rewrite this story into a more coherent thesis chapter.
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