(100%) urban analysis - final interviewing

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2056ENV – Urban Analysis Jesse Kahler s2799588

Jesse Kahler s2799588 |

Activity 2: Interviewing 2056ENV – Urban Analysis

GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENT

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Part 1

1a. Write down the nature of your relationship of the person that you have interviewed (sister,

colleague, boyfriend, father etc.), why you chose this person, their sex, their age and whether they

have any children. Also write down the time and date of the interview, the venue of the interview and

briefly describe the setting (e.g. a noisy café in Surfers Paradise).

I interviewed a friend and former student of Urban and Environmental planning at the Griffith University

Gold Coast Campus which I have chosen to name “John” in order to protect their personal identity. John is a thirty year old male, without children. I chose to interview John as he had an in-depth knowledge of the area due to him living in Logan for an extensive amount of time. The interview was conducted at 10:20 am

on the 19/03/12. It took place in the foyer of the Urban and Environmental building, G31, at Griffith University Gold Coast Campus. The setting was relatively quiet and uninterrupted though there was an

occasional passer-by.

1b. Ask the person the questions listed below, and then type up their responses - word for word as a

transcript. Make sure to include any observations about body language, non-verbal communication

etc.

See Appendix 1 - Interview Transcript

1c. Now go back to your course reader to the reading by Short (1996) and compare the responses to

the above questions to Short’s discussion of various city images. How are your interviewee’s ideas

about Logan similar to Short’s ideas about city images? Could you classify Logan along the lines of

sinful green-spaces, soft green-spaces etc? Use quotes from the interview to illustrate your responses.

You might also draw on Pile (1999) for some ideas.

The two foremost questions that were to be asked to and answered by the interviewee during the one on

one in-depth interview were:

Who lives in Logan?

What are some issues facing Logan?

From the interview, seen in Appendix 1 – interview transcript, it was made clear from the interviewee that

the issue of the city image needs to be addressed in order to help promote the growth of Logan. Oxford Dictionaries (2013) defines the word stigma as to mean “a mark of disgrace associated with a particular

circumstance, quality, or person”. When the interviewee was asked about the thought of Logan having a stigma attached to it, he fairly comprehensively agreed that there was: “Well I think Logan City has always been the poor cousin to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, or the poor middle sister if you want to call it

something like that? Um, and it has been seen by the other two as a kind of no go zone” (John 2013, Line 9-11). From this statement, it may be seen that the city of Logan could be classed as a “Sin City” (Short

1996, p.416) as the characteristics defined of “a place of loose morals, sin, and debauchery” and the “pursuit and display of desire and enjoyment has made it a vehicle for the advancement of moral judgements and social criticisms” (Short 1996, p.416) are present in the city of Logan.

In accordance to Short’s (1996) literature, Logan is generally seen to be a “The city as threat” (Short 1996, p.416) as what most likely provokes the bad image given to Logan is indeed the fear of the inhabitants of the city itself. Moreover, evidence of this claim is clearly communicated from the interview as the

interviewee felt through his personal experience that “crime, especially crime is a big thing (in Logan)”

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(John 2013, Line 41). Though he acknowledged that there is a significant need to address crimes within Logan, the interviewee when asked whether he would feel safe being in the Logan area as a visitor stated

that “the people of Logan are very friendly. There is a sense of community. People are proud to live in Logan… Yeah I’d feel safe there!” (John 2013, Line 67-68 & 72). This response is clearly one which is

contrary to popular belief and the image that is portrayed by the media of Logan. A recent example of this media (mis)representation was seen on a major television news program where the news report was entitled ‘Race Riots in Logan Continue’ (Seven News, 2013). From the content, lack of involved witnesses, and

loose descriptions in the video, as well as the self-explanatory name of the news report, a race riot was firmly portrayed. However, this was greatly opposed when it was seen that a personal interview with a

local man of the neighbourhood where the confrontation arose, stated, “I believe it’s not a racial thing. We’re proud and they’re proud as well. At the moment, both sides are boiling point. No one wants to back down” (Fraser & Elks, 2013). Therefore from this it can be concluded that it is these types of

(mis)representations from media sources, as mentioned in Short (1996), which help associate misguided and – in this case – negative images with a city. Evidence which suggests Logan is somewhat wrongly

associated with a stigma can be seen below in Figure 1: comparison of crimes committed against others

in the Gold Coast and Logan, where the image portrayed of Logan as being unsafe may be seen as inconsequential compared to that of the Gold Coast. From the figure it is demonstrated that the Gold Coast

has similar rates of crimes, yet the Gold Coast doesn’t have, or have as big of, a negative image attached to it as Logan does. This almost biased outlook, in regards to city image, of the two cities can be seen to be

caused more than likely by media portrayals as well.

Figure 1: comparison of crimes committed against others in the Gold Coast and Logan

Source: (Myboot, 2011)

From above, it is clear that Logan has been portrayed in a way in which attracts a negative image, however, from the interview it is demonstrated that the city has a significant positive factor which could be used to

‘re-launch’ Logan and its image in the future; multiculturalism. When queried about what some of the positives of the area (Logan), John responded by saying, ”Um, Logan city is one of the most culturally diverse cities in Australia and even the World, I think there is something like over 200, um, cultural groups,

and I think there is a 150 languages spoken” (John 2013, Line 49-51). This statement from the interviewee suggesting a multicultural rich city, is supported from a study of Logan conducted by the Australian

Bureau of Statistics (2011): these findings were then eloquently presented in Logan City Council’s Draft Cultural Diversity Strategy 2013-2016 (Logan City Council, n.d.), as seen below in Figure 2: A measure

of Logan’s diversity. From these characteristics of Logan communicated above by the interviewee, a

“Pluralist City” (Short 1996, p.433) may also be interpreted.

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Figure 2: A measure of Logan’s diversity

Source: (Logan City Council, n.d.)

The “Pluralist City” (Short 1996, p.433) is one of which has a strong cultural background in the form of multiculturalism, where the city is considered to be safe (Short, 1996). Therefore, according to the previous

statement cited from the interviewee, as well as the fact the interviewee identified that he would felt safe in Logan city, Logan can be seen as an effective representation of a Pluralist City (Short, 1996).

An analysis of Logan’s physical attributes and not that of moral classification – therefore not based on the

feedback given by the interviewee – shows that Logan could be classified as a sinful green-space. From

Short (1996), a green city is one which is classified as being a relatively small city with ease of access,

while also being nature filled, clean and non-polluted. This, combined with the definition of a sin city, as

already stated, can communicate that Logan can be classified as a somewhat sinful green-space.

From this analysis of the interview conducted, it can be concluded that there are three main city images, in

accordance with Short (1996), which exist in Logan: sin city, the city as threat, and pluralist city. It is also

demonstrated that a somewhat a fourth city image, a sinful green-space, can be perceived. It was noted that

through media (mis)representations that Logan, in at least one recent example, can be given a bad name

which then leads onto poor city image from others, which furthermore leads to a stigma being attached.

Moreover, it was demonstrated further that these media representations are pivotal in the way in which the

public perceive an area, as the crime offences of the Gold Coast are comparable of that in Logan, yet the

Gold Coast has a far less negative view associated with it.

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1d. Reflect on the interview experience. Describe what it was like to be involved (e.g. what worked or

did not work?) What felt awkward or strange? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this type of

research? Did you experience any problems in conducting the interview? If so, describe them here.

Reflecting on the interview that was conducted with the interviewee “John”, it can be seen that the

interview went quite well due to the free flowing nature and depth of knowledge communicated. This was

a significant factor, as having a more in-depth perspective allowed for a greater analysis of in terms of

comparing the interview content to that of the article written by Short (1996) and other sources.

Throughout the interview, as can be seen by the body language (or lack of) descriptions in Appendix 1 –

interview transcript, there were no awkward pauses or strange encounters, nor was there any sign of

uncomfortableness from the interviewee or signs of mendacious behaviour.

The strengths of a one on one in-depth interview can be that it allows for a person to safely – anonymity is

upheld due to personal identity protection – express his or her opinion without feeling as though they are

being judged or are not allowed to say something, which may occur in a group interview. Moreover,

another significant strength of a one on one interview is that, generally speaking, more specific feedback is

given than other interview types (Goldie & Pritchard, 1981). Contrary to the strengths of the one on one in-

depth interview, a significant weakness is that participants in an interview will more than likely have a

varying amount of knowledge on the interview topic compared to that of someone else. From this, it could

be imagined – using this particular case as an example – that an interviewee who didn’t have much

knowledge of, or experiences in Logan may know nothing of the area, especially compared to that of

someone who had experienced Logan first hand over an extended period of time, such as “John”.

The only problem that was experienced with the interview was its overall total length as the interview only

went for 7:00 minutes.

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References

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011, 'National Regional Profile: Logan (C) (Local Government Area) ', (Online),

Available:

<http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Latestproducts/LGA34590Population/People12006-

2010?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=LGA34590&issue=2006-2010>

(21 March 2013).

Fraser, A. & Elks, S. 2013, 'Race a factor as melting pot hits boiling point', (Online),

Available: <http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/race-a-factor-as-melting-pot-hits-

boiling-point/story-e6frgczx-1226554652039>

(21 March 2013)

Goldie, J. & Pritchard, J. 1981, 'Interview methodology - comparison of three types of interview: one to one, group and telephone interviews', Aslib Proceedings, Vol 33, Issue 2, pp. 62-66.

Logan City Council, n.d. 'Logan CIty Cultural Diversity Strategy 2013 to 2016', (Online),

Available: <http://www.logan.qld.gov.au/data/assets/pdf_file/0008/111104/Cultural-Diversity-Strategy-2013-

2016-Draft-for-Public-Consultation.pdf> (21 March 2013).

Myboot, 2011, 'Queensland Crime Statistics', (Online),

Available: <http://myboot.com.au/public/myboot/suburb/queensland-crime.aspx>

(21 March 2013).

Oxford Dictionaries, 2013. 'Stigma', (Online),

Available at: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/stigma (21 March 2013).

Seven News, 2013. 'Race riots continue in Logan', (Video Recording)

Available: <http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/national/watch/d99fe2a6-530b-38c9-ac24-

6ba31e1dc798/economy-showing-ongoing-resilience-swan/> (21 March 2013).

Short, J. R. 1996, 'Chapter 18: City Images', in The Urban Order: an introduction to cities, culture, and power. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell, pp. 414-438.

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Appendix 1 – Interview Transcript:

Jesse: “So John, who lives in Logan? Would you say there is a characteristic type of a person 1

who lives in Logan?” 2

John: “Logan for me is mostly a city of young families, more towards the lower 3

socioeconomic level: a lot of unemployed people, but also a lot of students and working 4

families” 5

Jesse: “Yep” 6

Jesse: “Would you say there is a stigma attached with the type of things that the people who 7

live in Logan do?” 8

John: “Well I think Logan city has always been the poor cousin to Brisbane and the gold 9

coast, or the poor middle sister if you want to call it something like that? Um, and it has 10

always been seen by the other two as a kind of no go zone, or something to be ashamed of if 11

you come from Logan” 12

Jesse: “Um, you lived in Logan?” 13

John: “I did” 14

Jesse: “And how long for?” 15

John: “I lived there from 1992 until 2007” 16

Jesse: “Okay” 17

Jesse: “In your time there what were your experiences? What was your perception of the 18

area?” 19

John: “My perception was, as a teenager mostly, there was just nothing to do in Logan. You 20

basically had, you know, the pubs and the shopping malls and that was it. I mean a lot of 21

sporting clubs and social groups but in terms of, if you wanted to get away from Logan you 22

had to basically go to Brisbane or the gold coast and that was where all the action was 23

mainly.” 24

Jesse: “So because there was a lack of things to do in the area would you say that it 25

influenced people to find other areas of recreation, maybe some not more legal than others?” 26

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John [slight amusement at the question]: “I think, yeah, for the younger people living in 27

Logan. So, yeah for like your teenagers and your young 20 year olds there is a need to act up 28

I guess, to deal with the day-to-day boredom of Logan. Um, yeah” 29

Jesse: “Yeah? Um, what would you say that some of the issues are faced in Logan?” 30

John: “The main issue is public transport, it is very much a car dominated city. Um, the train 31

line and bus line mainly bisect Logan and are mainly there just to connect the Gold Coast to 32

Brisbane. In a way it bypasses Logan. Um, most of the city of Logan is situated west of the 33

M1 and the main train line, so you have a big problem with congestion and traffic, especially 34

on the freeway and the main roads” 35

Jesse: “Yeah?” 36

Jesse: “So apart from transport is there any other form of issues that you seen to be 37

prominent in the area (Logan)?” 38

John: “From my experience living in Logan it was unemployment, there were just no jobs. 39

Um, or if you wanted to get a job you had to travel again to the Gold Coast or Brisbane. Um, 40

other issues in Logan? Crime, especially crime is a big thing, um, more so like petty crimes, 41

like house break-ins and graffiti, break-ins, assaults, things like that.” 42

Jesse: “And what would you say could be done to fix these issue, say with the public 43

transport and the unemployment and crime? What would you say could be done?” 44

John: “A greater connectivity to the, um, I guess the neglected parts of Logan to west. So 45

connecting, or maybe even building a new train line out to places like browns plains, um, and 46

just in general, better planning” 47

Jesse: “And with your experience, what are some of the positives of the area?” 48

John: “Um, Logan City is one of the most culturally diverse cities in Australia and even in 49

the World, I think there is something like over 200, um, cultural groups, and I think there is a 50

150 languages spoken. So, it’s a very rich city in terms of culture and I think maybe if they 51

focused more on that and made it something to be proud of, at the moment its seen as more of 52

problem. A lot of racial groups are blamed for the crime, um, especially in Woodridge, where 53

you have the greatest concentration” 54

Jesse: “From your experience, the people who are blamed for the crimes, are they often the 55

people committing the crimes? Are those racial stereotypes seen to be true?” 56

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John: “Um, I think there are problems between racial groups, I mean we saw, I think it was 57

earlier in the year or last year, we saw the riots in Beenleigh, not Beenleigh, Woodridge, 58

between the islanders and the aboriginals. Um, but I think, I guess yeah, I wouldn’t blame the 59

racial groups because I think it’s coming from all parts of the community” 60


Jesse: “And do you feel safe? Obviously living there you would become accustomed to areas 62

which you might go and which you might not go, but overall, for someone visiting…” 63

John: “Oh, if I was visiting I wouldn’t have a problem walking around in Logan” 64

Jesse: “Yeah?” 65

John: “Having lived in places like Melbourne and Sydney, which are far more, I guess 66

unsafe, you know? For the pedestrian. Um, I think the people of Logan are very friendly. 67

There is a sense of community, people are proud of living in Logan, um, I think mostly 68

people want to make it a better city and want to be recognised for a better and safer city” 69

Jesse: “So, as a visitor you would feel safe? Even if not having lived in Melbourne or 70

Sydney?” 71

John: “Yeah, I’d feel safe there!” 72


John: “Definitely” 74

Jesse: “And, how does it (Logan) compare to Melbourne and Sydney? What makes 75

Melbourne and Sydney so much different? What about Logan makes you feel safe (compared 76

to the other two)?” 77

John: “Well even though you have the concentration and the diverse number of racial 78

groups, I think the smaller population. I think Logan currently has, is it 200,000 people 79

around? So, you don’t have the stresses that you would in a major city like Sydney or 80

Melbourne” 81

Jesse: “Okay, that’s fair enough. Well thank you very much for your time” 82

John [giggling]: “You’re welcome” 83

Interview length – 7:00 minutes

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Appendix 2 – Consent Form:

(100%) urban analysis - final interviewing

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