The​ ​Psychogeography​ ​Project

The​ ​Assignment
Choose​ ​a​ ​neighborhood​ ​somewhere​ ​in​ ​Los Angeles​ ​County​ ​and​ ​analyze​ ​the​ ​effects​ ​of​ ​the geographical​ ​environment​ ​(built​ ​or​ ​natural)​ ​on​ ​the emotions​ ​and​ ​behaviors​ ​of​ ​the​ ​individuals​ ​who​ ​live or​ ​visit​ ​there.
The​ ​geographical​ ​environment​ ​may​ ​involve​ ​the landscape,​ ​architecture,​ ​types​ ​of​ ​stores​ ​or restaurants,​ ​language​ ​on​ ​signs,​ ​presence​ ​of freeways​ ​or​ ​public​ ​transportation,​ ​or​ ​other elements​ ​that​ ​give​ ​us​ ​a​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​“place”​ ​or​ ​the personality​ ​of​ ​a​ ​neighborhood.​ ​In​ ​essence,​ ​you​ ​are studying​ ​the​ ​psychogeography​ ​or​ ​“psychic​ ​space” of​ ​your​ ​chosen​ ​neighborhood.
The​ ​Thompson​ ​article​ ​(“Corporate​ ​Sociability”) is​ ​an​ ​example​ ​of​ ​a​ ​psychogeography​ ​study​ ​of​ ​consumer​ ​spaces​ ​and​ ​how​ ​IKEA,​ ​the​ ​Apple​ ​Store,
and​ ​Starbucks​ ​designed​ ​their​ ​stores​ ​to​ ​have​ ​particular​ ​effects​ ​on​ ​the​ ​customer.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​use​ ​this article​ ​as​ ​a​ ​model​ ​of​ ​how​ ​to​ ​write​ ​a​ ​psychogeography​ ​essay​ ​focused​ ​around​ ​a​ ​main​ ​claim​ ​or​ ​idea. Your​ ​essay​ ​will​ ​also​ ​be​ ​focused​ ​around​ ​a​ ​complex​ ​claim​ ​(​thesis)​ ​that​ ​offers​ ​an​ ​original​ ​idea or​ ​theory​ ​about​ ​the​ ​personality​ ​of​ ​your​ ​neighborhood.​ ​Your​ ​task,​ ​as​ ​a​ ​writer/scholar,​ ​is​ ​to​ ​move readers​ ​into​ ​a​ ​deeper​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​the​ ​elements​ ​that​ ​characterize​ ​place​ ​and​ ​how​ ​those elements​ ​affect​ ​us.
Choosing​ ​a​ ​Neighborhood
Start​ ​by​ ​considering​ ​a​ ​neighborhood​ ​that​ ​you​ ​find​ ​interesting​ ​or unique,​ ​or​ ​one​ ​that​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​more​ ​about.​ ​This​ ​might​ ​be a​ ​neighborhood​ ​that​ ​you​ ​are​ ​already​ ​somewhat​ ​familiar​ ​with​ ​or a​ ​neighborhood​ ​that​ ​is​ ​entirely​ ​new​ ​to​ ​you.​ ​Consider​ ​building on​ ​your​ ​exploration​ ​of​ ​your​ ​chosen​ ​neighborhood​ ​from​ ​essay​ ​2. Remember​ ​that​ ​your​ ​goal​ ​is​ ​to​ ​add​ ​original​ ​insights​ ​to​ ​a conversation​ ​about​ ​this​ ​place,​ ​so​ ​even​ ​if​ ​you​ ​choose​ ​a neighborhood​ ​you​ ​are​ ​familiar​ ​with,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​need​ ​to​ ​dig beneath​ ​a​ ​surface​ ​understanding​ ​and​ ​deepen​ ​your​ ​examination with​ ​thorough​ ​research.

Getting​ ​a​ ​Visual
Because​ ​this​ ​essay​ ​will​ ​analyze​ ​visual​ ​elements​ ​of​ ​a​ ​place,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​essential​ ​to​ ​capture​ ​your​ ​visual text​ ​for​ ​the​ ​reader.​ ​Therefore,​ ​this​ ​essay​ ​will​ ​include​ ​a​ ​visual​ ​component.​ ​This​ ​may​ ​be​ ​in​ ​the form​ ​of​ ​photographs​ ​that​ ​you​ ​have​ ​taken​ ​of​ ​the​ ​location,​ ​a​ ​map​ ​you​ ​have​ ​created,​ ​or​ ​an infographic.​ ​The​ ​visual​ ​should​ ​be​ ​relevant​ ​and​ ​serve​ ​to​ ​enhance​ ​the​ ​reader’s​ ​understanding.
The​ ​Research
.​ ​Because​ ​essay​ ​is​ ​a​ ​research-based​ ​essay,​ ​your​ ​use​ ​of sources​ ​will​ ​be​ ​fundamental.​ ​Your​ ​research​ ​will​ ​likely​ ​take​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​forms,​ ​such​ ​as:
● Scholarly​ ​research​ ​–​ ​secondary​ ​sources​ ​/​ ​scholarly​ ​articles​ ​involving​ ​analysis​ ​of​ ​your neighborhood,​ ​most​ ​likely​ ​found​ ​in​ ​online​ ​databases​ ​or​ ​in​ ​print​ ​in​ ​the​ ​library
● Historical​ ​research​ ​–​ ​primary​ ​sources​ ​involving​ ​first-hand​ ​accounts​ ​of​ ​the​ ​neighborhood or​ ​secondary​ ​sources​ ​detailing​ ​its​ ​history
● Fieldwork​ ​–​ ​interviews​ ​with​ ​people​ ​who​ ​live​ ​in​ ​or​ ​are​ ​knowledgeable​ ​about​ ​the neighborhood,​ ​acquiring​ ​information​ ​such​ ​as​ ​building​ ​codes​ ​and​ ​demographics,​ ​visiting the​ ​neighborhood​ ​to​ ​gather​ ​personal​ ​observation​ ​and​ ​evidence
Keep​ ​in​ ​mind​ ​that​ ​your​ ​essay​ ​is​ ​not​ ​simply​ ​a​ ​summary​ ​of​ ​facts​ ​about​ ​a​ ​place​ ​or​ ​an​ ​historical overview.​ ​Instead,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​use​ ​the​ ​ideas​ ​that​ ​you​ ​find​ ​in​ ​your​ ​research​ ​to​ ​develop​ ​your​ ​original analysis​ ​of​ ​the​ ​neighborhood.​ ​Wikipedia​ ​may​ ​not​ ​be​ ​used​ ​as​ ​a​ ​source.
The​ ​Requirements
□ Your​ ​essay​ ​should​ ​be​ ​a​ ​​minimum​​ ​of​ ​​8​ ​full​ ​double-spaced​ ​pages​​ ​with​ ​​1”​​ ​side​ ​margins,
1”​​ ​header​ ​and​ ​footer​ ​margins,​ ​​Times​ ​New​ ​Roman,​ ​12​ ​pt​ ​font​.
□ Your​ ​essay​ ​should​ ​attempt​ ​to​ ​engage​ ​in​ ​​analysis​​ ​that​ ​goes​ ​beyond​ ​a​ ​superficial understanding​ ​of​ ​your​ ​neighborhood.​ ​While​ ​stereotypes​ ​may​ ​be​ ​discussed,​ ​your​ ​essay should​ ​not​ ​rely​ ​on​ ​stereotypes​ ​in​ ​place​ ​of​ ​analysis,​ ​and​ ​your​ ​thesis​ ​must​ ​go​ ​beyond stereotypical​ ​statements.
□ Early​ ​on​ ​draft,​ ​you​ ​should​ ​form​ ​a​ ​​working​ ​thesis​​ ​to​ ​give​ ​your​ ​readers​ ​a​ ​main complex​ ​claim​ ​or​ ​theory​ ​that​ ​explains​ ​how​ ​elements​ ​of​ ​the​ ​neighborhood​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​certain attitudes​ ​or​ ​behaviors.
□ Essay​ ​must​ ​integrate​ ​and​ ​cite​ ​​at​ ​least​​ ​five​ ​credible​ ​sources​.​ ​For​ ​your​ ​readers,​ ​you must​ ​accurately​ ​summarize​ ​the​ ​ideas,​ ​theories,​ ​terms,​ ​or​ ​concepts​ ​you​ ​are​ ​using​ ​from your​ ​source​ ​(making​ ​sure​ ​your​ ​summary​ ​is​ ​understandable​ ​to​ ​a​ ​reader​ ​who​ ​is​ ​not​ ​familiar with​ ​the​ ​source​ ​you’re​ ​introducing,​ ​but​ ​that​ ​summarizing​ ​does​ ​not​ ​take​ ​over​ ​your​ ​essay).
□ Cite​ ​all​ ​sources​ ​in​ ​​MLA​ ​format​​ ​(in​ ​text),​ ​in​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​a​ ​Works​ ​Cited​ ​page.​ ​Use​ ​Purdue OWL​ ​(linked​ ​on​ ​Canvas)​ ​to​ ​look​ ​up​ ​proper​ ​MLA​ ​in-text​ ​citations​ ​and​ ​Works​ ​Cited formatting.

□ Proofread​ ​for​ ​mistakes​ ​and​ ​edit​ ​for​ ​clarity.​ ​Consider​ ​paragraph​ ​organization​ ​and appropriate​ ​transitions​ ​to​ ​lead​ ​your​ ​reader​ ​through​ ​your​ ​discussion.