Detroit Flashcards

1
Q

Location

A

North East USA- the industrial heartland
On the edge of the Great Lakes
Michigan
Close to the Canadian border

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2
Q

Locale

A

The Steel Belt Boom- Ship building and railroad cars
Used to be a car manufacturing city
Lack of community spirit

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3
Q

Sense of Place

A

Run down city
Clear population divide
Many derelict buildings

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4
Q

Why was Detroit ideal for factories during the Steel Belt Boom?

A

Easy access to coal

Large availability of iron ore

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5
Q

When did the city become associated with car manufacturing?

A

20th Century

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6
Q

Examples of car companies

A

Ford (dominant)
GM
Chrysler

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7
Q

What triggered the ‘Great Migration’?

How many migrants came?

A

Car manufacturing

200,000 mainly black Americans came from the deep south

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8
Q

What was the largest force of change leading to the car industry decline?

A

Ford and GM
Relocated to countries like Brazil where labour was cheaper (caused a large number of redundancies in Detroit- increased unemployment)
Also rise in foreign competition i.e. BMW

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9
Q

Why was OPEC a force of change leading to the car industry decline?

A

1974 Arab embargo- oil prices quadrupled

Consumers turned to fuel efficient cars like Toyotas to reduce petrol costs- Ford saw reduced demand

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10
Q

Why was the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 a force of change leading to car industry decline?

A

Encouraged consumers to buy fuel efficient cars

Ford and GM saw reduce sales, so went abroad for cheaper labour to maintain high profits

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11
Q

Which sector dominates Detroit today?

A

Tertiary (80%)

Secondary (only 20%)

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12
Q

Main industries of Detroit?

A

Trade
Transport
Utilities

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13
Q

What does Detroit Soup do?

A

Promote community based development through crowdfunding
Community pays $5, has soup and listens to 4 speakers talk about their idea to help the community, then they vote
One with the most votes receives the money raised to fund their project

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14
Q

Detroit Soup: Economic Project Example

A

Rebel Nell
Employs disadvantaged women, teaches them how to make jewellery
Educates them on finance and business management so they can continue in the future

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15
Q

Detroit Soup: Rebel Nell Successes

A

Improves QofL for disadvantage women
Can use their new skills to earn a living in the future
Continually helps new women

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16
Q

Detroit Soup: Rebel Nell Limitations

A

Doesn’t help men
Only small scale- can’t help everyone
Local market will become flooded with jewellery- only so much demand

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17
Q

Detroit Soup: Social Project Example

A

Shakespeare in Detroit
Residents take part in performances
So far engaged 8,000 audience members
Stages performances in historic sites all over Detroit

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18
Q

Detroit Soup: Shakespeare in Detroit Successes

A

Encourages cultural diversity- brings together the community
Goes into local schools and teaches Shakespeare- wider reaching
Inspires some students

19
Q

Detroit Soup: Shakespeare in Detroit Limitations

A

Have to audition- many residents lack the confidence

Only people with an interest in theatre benefit

20
Q

Detroit Soup: Environmental Project Example

A

Fresh Cut Flower Farm
Converted part of the derelict inner city into a farm
Local people grow the flowers
Sold to florists and wholesalers

21
Q

Detroit Soup: Fresh Cut Flower Farm Successes

A
Employs locals
Educates in horticulture 
Improves the aesthetics of the area
Open days strengthen community spirit
Encourages businesses to invest
22
Q

Detroit Soup: Fresh Cut Flower Farm Limitations

A

Small scale- can’t have a large economic impact
Doesn’t employ a large number of people
Very niche- not many florists in the area- so hard to expand in the future

23
Q

Overall impact of Detroit Soup

A

Lots of small scale projects- something to suit everyone

Tackles social, economic and environmental issues

24
Q

Population in 1900?
What percentage white?
Black?

A

286,000
98% white
1.4% black

25
Q

Population in 1950?
What percentage white?
Black?

A

1,850,000
84% white
16% black

26
Q

Population in 2010?
What percentage white?
Black?

A

714,000
11% white
83% black

27
Q

Why did suburbanisation occur?

A

Increased racial tension- ‘white flight’
Increasing tax rates in the city
Lower crime rates in suburbs
Federal Aid Highway Act 1956- increased highways- could commute
Later on, diminishing jobs opportunities in the city, so people went where the work was

28
Q

Why were businesses attracted to the suburbs?

A

Cheaper land
Good transport links
Good communication links

29
Q

Ethnic distribution

A

Whites north of 8 mile
Blacks south of 8 mile (housing discrimination)
POLARISED city

30
Q

What caused 25,000 workers to go on strike in 1943?

A

Packard Motor Car Company promoting 3 black employees

31
Q

Average yearly earnings in the suburbs?

Who lives there?

A

$200,000

Whites and rich (normally third generation) blacks

32
Q

Average yearly earnings in the city?

Who lives there?

A

$7,000-$49,000

Blacks and poor whites

33
Q

Which road is constantly blocked so the white residents can separate themselves from the blacks? (Racial and economic divide)

A

Alter Road

Blocked using snow, fences, concrete walls

34
Q

What was the problem with the police force during the riots?

A

Most officers were white

35
Q

What worsened the 1967 riot?

A

Police officers are alleged to have murdered 3 black men

36
Q

Impacts of the 1967 riot?

A

Businesses looted
Many left dead or injured
Much of the damage was never repaired

37
Q

When was Motown Music founded?

Why did Motown Music play an important part in racial integration?

A

1959
Music performed written by black and white people- everyone listened i.e. Jackson 5
Normalised black people being seen on TV

38
Q

What can we infer about Detroit from the Red Hot Chilli Pepper song ‘Detroit’?

A

‘Rolling rings of rubber’- cars
‘Decay’ of the city
‘Henry’ Ford- the city rose and fell because of the car

39
Q

What can we infer about Detroit from 8 Mile?

A
Argues class is more important than race
Evidence of drug and domestic abuse 
Residents have a lack of aspiration 
Lack of law- paintballs shot at police
Low skilled workers with low wages 'can't get by with {their} 9 to 5'
40
Q

Strengths of using 8 Mile?

A

Highlights key issues i.e. high levels of crime
Gave sense of place
Showed lack of investment

41
Q

Limitations of using 8 Mile?

A
No time scale
Exaggerated for audiences
No evidence about the rest of Detroit- bias
Only looked at youth
No data
42
Q

4 main factors impacting lived experience

A

Changing demographics
Cultural change
Economic change
Political impact

43
Q

Qualitative Sources

A

8 Mile

Red Hot Chilli Pepper- ‘Detroit’

44
Q

Quantitative Sources

A

Census data

Websites about the riots