What is the myth of pruitt igoe

Document Type:Essay

Subject Area:History

Document 1

Sadly, there were later demolished in the 70s due to their worn out state if was captured on state television. Pruitt-Igoe was not only an example of public housing failure but also the use of public housing to enhance planned segregation. The Pruitt-Igoe documentary highlights the failures that public housing grapple with even in the modern day. An analysis of the film shows that the project was not lacking in terms of concept. Rather, it struggled concerning its implementation. Paying rent every month may not be an effective technique. The tenant has an impression that there is no need to take extra caution for the property because there is no longevity in the tenant-landlord/management relationship. Possibly, a system where the monthly remittances lead to eventual ownership would be a better approach.

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In such a scenario, the tenant has a proper incentive to take care of the property, as they know in the long term; he or she will assume ownership. The concept can be similar to Pruitt-Igoe but with slight tweaks to the implementation process. There are emotional moments in the documentary as some former residents recall how fathers had to live separately from their families to ensure they are eligible for housing. On some cases, the residents would lie to officials that their father was indeed part of the family. A noble government project not only segregated a certain community to an area based on their economic status but it also implemented admission policies that had negative effects on the family set up of the tenants (Pruitt-Igoe). The assumption by the house reformers was that use of such an admission policy would help benefit the neediest households.

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Conversely, it led to the creation of needier families that lacked the support that two-parent families enjoy. Rather, it was a tactic the country adopted to extinguish any changes that seemed to trouble the international status quo. With such an understanding of global politics, the United States had a blurred view that led to a flawed understanding of the differences between issues and countries. The misconceptions led them to believe it was within their mandate to defend ‘freedom' in any part of the globe; they considered it under threat. The US government acted irrespective of the nature of the regime in place in the offending country. The end game resulted in an enormous distortion of reality concerning Vietnam. Lyndon Johnson also has a part to bear in America's invasion of Vietnam.

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He was responsible for extending the misconceptions of the Cold War policies to Vietnam. Johnson shares part of the blame because he was in a situation that allowed him to overrule the decisions of his advisors in favor of the alternative options. Unfortunately, his fixation on the possible disastrous consequences of Cold War clouded his judgment. There were people in his advisory panel that had suggested alternative techniques to eject the United States from Vietnam. The second reason is that the US government was in support of an anti-communism foreign policy. There was a consensus among these leaders that feared reoccurrence of McCarthyism within the US government (Chafe, P. It pushed the leaders to feel inclined towards reacting to the situation in Vietnam. The third reason can be outlined as the failure by Johnson to consider all the possible alternatives presented to him on the possible outcome of the Vietnam War.

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There are advisors who had foreseen the possibility of being engaged in the war for up to five years while using numerous resources in terms of work force and finances. The financial freedom that resulted from earning their income rather than relying on their husbands was one of the biggest sparks that led to an increase in feminism. Post war, women continued to do jobs in the factories meaning the new wave of feminism continued to spread. However, a few years after the war had ended there was a slight shift in the direction of the American dream. It now revolved around the context of ensuring there was a perfect household. In those days, a good household was located in the suburbs, and the parents had a solid job to help them support the family.

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There was an urge within the country to be the pioneer in this industry. However, competition from the USSR made it difficult for America. There was another country equally eager to stamp its authority on the global arena with hunger as much as that of the United States. Regardless, futurism continued to display itself. The country was pushing to be a global leader in a different sector. Companies had to respond to this increased demand for housing (Chafe, P. There was a need for large builders to come up with large-scale projects that would be affordable to the majority. They responded and created modern homes characterized by panelized construction and use of trusses with the walls being dry wall rather than the use of wet plaster. The housing also had long-term payments in mortgages that suited the low cost housing preferred in this housing boom period.

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Realization of the American Dream Post War was also courtesy of support by the government. William argues that their input to the economy was the main catalyst for the improved growth levels and perceived realization of the American Dream. Work Cited Chafe, William H. and William Henry Chafe. The Unfinished Journey: America Since World War II. Oxford University Press, USA, 2003.

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