The Queue at the Family & Adult Services Center on 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA
Provide a basic description of the IG
The information ground was a line (or queue, as it is often called) outside of the Family & Adult Services Center on 3rd Ave in downtown Seattle, Washington. This is a government-run agency that provides basic services from food and blankets to housing and job-training to many of Seattle's homeless.
Demographically the line consisted almost entirely of males because there is a specific females-only office directly across the street.
Describe how it fits with the IG framework
Through our observation, we identified that for many homeless, the lines at various social service establishments are not only one of their most important information grounds, but are often their only information grounds. Many individuals who live a lifestyle completely on the street, without interaction at libraries and various other public facilities, have a purposeful strategy of keeping to themselves, either for the purposes of more effective panhandling or simply increased privacy. For these reasons the only time these individuals interact with others is when they come to providers of social services. Here individuals share both formal and informal types of information. People in line talk about their day-to-day lives with their friends. They discuss anything from relationships, to places to find free food, to cigarettes. Formally, workers at the agency provide the people with useful information regarding training, housing, and job placement. Occasionally an individual who is not a regular at this information ground passes by. This is the role we chose to play. We discovered that at least one individual in line was eager to speak to someone outside of his typical social norm. I can confidently say that each of us gained something from our conversation. We entered an information ground unfamiliar to us, and he had a chance to share information with an unusual recipient. New type of information was exchanged. We both found the experience enlightening.
Suggestions for facilitating information flow, etc.
Like possibly no other information ground in the United States, this information ground reminded us of the technological divide. Some homeless have been on the street for dozens of years, often their entire lives. The technological revolution, and particularly the internet, came and passed by them like a speeding train. The technological divide is very apparent because it is very clear to see what en enormous challenge it would be to get these individuals caught up and able to take advantage of the internet. Even for those who are able to grasp concepts of technology, tremendous perils await because it is these individuals who are likely victims for online scams and various other fraud associated with the internet.
Even things like information kiosks placed outside the office are ill-advised because of the high risk of vandalism. From our interview we learned that unfortunately too many homeless see the services provided as something "owed to them" by the government. For these reasons they have no problem vandalizing public property.
A solution would definitely need to come as a result of narrowing the technological gap. Supervised, effective computer training needs to be provided for willing individuals.
From a non-technological standpoint, without question measures need to be taken to clean up the neighborhood. This would encourage more interaction between homeless individuals and regular residents, helping sustain the social skills of the homeless while supporting their mental health and unbiased, well-rounded information flow.
Why it's particularly cool for information (people, place, information)
As I mentioned earlier, we felt that this information ground was particularly interesting to us because it is outside of our normal social routine. We were curious and eager to discover how, if it all, an information ground for homeless individuals would differ from that of college students. We were eager to observe their social interaction and discover what type of information is being shared. What we did not anticipate is the enthusiasm one homeless individual had in getting a chance to talk to someone outside his normal information ground. He seemed equally eager and excited. For this reason, it was a positive experience for both parties.
Our Photos:
Alexei Bespalov, Thani Suchoknand, Aleks Rudzitis, Barrett Rodgers, Nick Myette