Bamberg Jobs Corps Center-Apparently where dropouts go to learn work skills. Looks almost like a juvenile detention center with the fencing. Located in a residential area near where we surveyed.
This is what SCDOT did in downtown Bamberg. They expanded the road, thus removing all onstreet parking and thought that adding the rails would make the pedestrians feel safe. Really makes you want to stop and explore this downtown, right!?! Such a shame because it has potential. Although Harry informed me that a man from the northeast has purchased many of the buildings and is in the process of renovating them. He is anticipating that the new Dubai inland port in Orangeburg will have a significant economic impact in Bamberg!
Base of a flagpole near the downtown that was dedicated to the community in 1981. It sits in the middle of an ashphalt lot. 
Remnants of an old mill. The historic preservationists in the area were only able to save the old chimney. 09/25/08: Today I headed to Bamberg with fellow classmates Sarah and Felix to administer surveys to residents. Our class will be working on a Community Development plan for this socially and economically deprived town. The goal of the survey was to obtain residents input on what they perceived the most important issues to be and what ideas or actions they would support.
I would say the experience began once we got off of I-26 and were driving through rural South Carolina. We began discussing what it must be like to be born and raised in a town with seemingly so little to offer (from our perspective). When we arrived in Bamberg it did not feel much like a town. It reminded me of a nondescript exit I might pull off to get gas and a snack while driving through ‘nowhereland’ to get to the next big city.
We met with Clemson Extension Agent Harry Chrissy for a quick lunch where he gave us a brief overview of what to expect, certain safety rules to follow, etc. He informed us that since we were the last group of students administering surveys that we would be in some of the more ‘undesirable’ neighborhoods. Already a little nervous, I was reassured when he said he would be accompanying one of us so that we could survey in groups of two. As we were preparing to leave, he brought up one final point. He said if people stalled for an inordinately long time trying to ‘find their glasses,’ it might be because they could not read. This statement caught me off guard—I know that adult illiteracy is a real problem; however, I had never met an adult that could not read—at least not yet.
I was fortunate to be paired with Harry during surveying because it gave me a chance to learn more about him and his work. As we walked through neighborhood streets to get to our section I noticed many houses in disrepair dotted with a few beautiful older homes. Sidewalks were often lacking and those areas where they did exist were often in poor condition.
When I knocked on my first door, rehearsing what I would say in my head, I opened it to a friendly older white gentleman who was very forthright about his inability to read and write. My first door and I have already found someone who can not read—I wonder what the illiteracy rates are in this area? I offered to read him the survey and he accepted. Through demographic questions I discovered that the highest level of schooling he had received was fourth grade! That really blew me away! Thinking about it now it is logical that someone who can not read most likely did not make it through much of elementary school. I guess I just had never really analyzed illiteracy because I never had to think about it. I could not imagine only being in school through fourth grade! I have spent a great majority of my life in school and think about how much was gained in so many different ways during those numerous years. I also could not imagine how one could truly survive in our society without this most basic skill, or how someone could make it to the age of 67 without ever learning to read!
As I read the questions to this gentleman, I found myself paraphrasing the questions so that he could understand them. Even so, he still asked me what certain words meant or that he did not understand what I was asking. One of the words on the survey that stands out was ‘speculative’. The question was asking if the resident would agree to an increase in property tax in order to pay for a speculative building if it might attract new industry to the area. It made me think that the survey should have been written to a lower reading level. Harry, the survey writer, aware of the illiteracy issues, obviously overlooked this—which I think would be easy to do. But it also makes me wonder if this could compromise the integrity of the answers, due to comprehension issues.
We spent about 4 hours surveying, during that time both Harry and I were able to complete 6 surveys each. Of all the doors we knocked on we each had only 2 individuals that turned us down. One of my residents was on the phone and had to leave for work, the other said she was tired and would rather sleep. I asked if there was any other adult in the house that would be interested in helping with the survey. She said just her friend and that she was sleeping too. It made me wonder if she was illiterate and just not as open as the first man I had interviewed. I came across only one other man who was willing to complete the survey but could not read. So of the people that were upfront about it, rough statistics would show that for this neighborhood, the illiteracy rate is 2/6 or 33%!
Overall I was touched by the friendliness and willingness of the people that I met in Bamberg. I ended my survey by asking the person for their name and thanking them and telling them that I hoped to see them and as many of their friends and neighbors that they could bring at the public workshop on October 18th. (One of the funnier and sad comments I received was from a young female who asked if we would be giving them money if they came to the meeting) I am really excited to go back to Bamberg next month and hope to see some of the same people I had the pleasure to interview. Being in the town and meeting the survey respondents has made this project more personal and I look forward to being a part of the rest of the process!
I would say the experience began once we got off of I-26 and were driving through rural South Carolina. We began discussing what it must be like to be born and raised in a town with seemingly so little to offer (from our perspective). When we arrived in Bamberg it did not feel much like a town. It reminded me of a nondescript exit I might pull off to get gas and a snack while driving through ‘nowhereland’ to get to the next big city.
We met with Clemson Extension Agent Harry Chrissy for a quick lunch where he gave us a brief overview of what to expect, certain safety rules to follow, etc. He informed us that since we were the last group of students administering surveys that we would be in some of the more ‘undesirable’ neighborhoods. Already a little nervous, I was reassured when he said he would be accompanying one of us so that we could survey in groups of two. As we were preparing to leave, he brought up one final point. He said if people stalled for an inordinately long time trying to ‘find their glasses,’ it might be because they could not read. This statement caught me off guard—I know that adult illiteracy is a real problem; however, I had never met an adult that could not read—at least not yet.
I was fortunate to be paired with Harry during surveying because it gave me a chance to learn more about him and his work. As we walked through neighborhood streets to get to our section I noticed many houses in disrepair dotted with a few beautiful older homes. Sidewalks were often lacking and those areas where they did exist were often in poor condition.
When I knocked on my first door, rehearsing what I would say in my head, I opened it to a friendly older white gentleman who was very forthright about his inability to read and write. My first door and I have already found someone who can not read—I wonder what the illiteracy rates are in this area? I offered to read him the survey and he accepted. Through demographic questions I discovered that the highest level of schooling he had received was fourth grade! That really blew me away! Thinking about it now it is logical that someone who can not read most likely did not make it through much of elementary school. I guess I just had never really analyzed illiteracy because I never had to think about it. I could not imagine only being in school through fourth grade! I have spent a great majority of my life in school and think about how much was gained in so many different ways during those numerous years. I also could not imagine how one could truly survive in our society without this most basic skill, or how someone could make it to the age of 67 without ever learning to read!
As I read the questions to this gentleman, I found myself paraphrasing the questions so that he could understand them. Even so, he still asked me what certain words meant or that he did not understand what I was asking. One of the words on the survey that stands out was ‘speculative’. The question was asking if the resident would agree to an increase in property tax in order to pay for a speculative building if it might attract new industry to the area. It made me think that the survey should have been written to a lower reading level. Harry, the survey writer, aware of the illiteracy issues, obviously overlooked this—which I think would be easy to do. But it also makes me wonder if this could compromise the integrity of the answers, due to comprehension issues.
We spent about 4 hours surveying, during that time both Harry and I were able to complete 6 surveys each. Of all the doors we knocked on we each had only 2 individuals that turned us down. One of my residents was on the phone and had to leave for work, the other said she was tired and would rather sleep. I asked if there was any other adult in the house that would be interested in helping with the survey. She said just her friend and that she was sleeping too. It made me wonder if she was illiterate and just not as open as the first man I had interviewed. I came across only one other man who was willing to complete the survey but could not read. So of the people that were upfront about it, rough statistics would show that for this neighborhood, the illiteracy rate is 2/6 or 33%!
Overall I was touched by the friendliness and willingness of the people that I met in Bamberg. I ended my survey by asking the person for their name and thanking them and telling them that I hoped to see them and as many of their friends and neighbors that they could bring at the public workshop on October 18th. (One of the funnier and sad comments I received was from a young female who asked if we would be giving them money if they came to the meeting) I am really excited to go back to Bamberg next month and hope to see some of the same people I had the pleasure to interview. Being in the town and meeting the survey respondents has made this project more personal and I look forward to being a part of the rest of the process!
1 comment:
I had heard some of your comments from your blog in class. What I found more interesting were the pictures you took. Thank you for that. I also read your earlier posts. As you go through life, I hope you will find other chances to work with disadvantaged communities. It already sounds like you do. There is hope, optimism and unrecognized strength within those places because they thrive despite neglect, poor education and a lack of opportunities. There will be many things that make you like your chosen field and I hope community revitalization is one of them.
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