Reframing the Reclaiming of Urban Space by Megan E. Heim LaFrombois

Author:Megan E. Heim LaFrombois
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Lexington Books, a division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2012-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Potholes and Power Struggles—Issues of Race, Class, and Gender

The Leadership Paradox

Critical Mass is a loose collective of individuals with no leaders or official membership and no political agenda other than to raise awareness of bicyclist rights. As a group, or a mass, they contest the dominant use of the built environment and the existing physical infrastructure (i.e., the streets), attempt to make space for bicyclists, and raise awareness of their usage rights of the streets (i.e., public space). There are no leaders or membership requirements, fees, or rules (although, some would argue there is a code of conduct). The rides are open to anyone who can make it to the meeting spot at the designated time. Anyone can plan the route for the monthly ride by making a map and distributing it or by working their way up to the front of the pack. Critical Mass seeks to create space for bicyclists on the roads by challenging the dominant use of the space, appropriating and repurposing it. Despite Critical Mass’s lofty goals of being horizontal and democratic, the processes in which this “leaderless” group operates on the ground are complex and power-laden. While the spaces created by Chicago Critical Mass allow for experimentation and the challenging and working out of power relations, deeply embedded social relations and power dynamics continually seep into such spaces and practices. While these relations and dynamics are often challenged and reworked, they are also sometimes accepted, naturalized, and reified.

One of the most commonly mentioned issues—both in positive and negative contexts—relates to leadership. Many riders, when sharing what draws them to the rides, noted the horizontally organized, democratic nature of Chicago Critical Mass and the ability to experiment with new forms of self-governance. However, in practice, the purportedly leaderless nature is problematic. Many riders voiced frustrations over the illusion that there are no leaders, arguing that a small group of individuals actually does control the ride, and in which power is inherent. One rider stated, “The line that ‘Critical Mass is a leaderless community’ has always been, at best, a half-truth. It insulates the group's six or so organizers from responsibility for this unruly group's actions.”

Among many of the riders, there is a strong commitment to maintain peaceful, cooperative, and equalitarian relations (i.e., maintain a code of conduct). However, there are also individuals who exploit the opportunity to seize and redirect the energy and intentions of the ride (author’s field notes; see also D’Andrade 2012). The loose organizational structure that characterizes Chicago Critical Mass, and its defiance of traditional norms, has the unfortunate effect of attracting individuals looking for confrontation. Riders were quick to point out that this represents a small minority of those who participate in the rides—the vast majority is peaceful and cooperative. However, several riders also highlighted that, despite this overly aggressive group being the minority, they become the “face” of Chicago Critical Mass. This group is the one that the public comes to associate with the ride, and which results in negative associations with Chicago Critical Mass.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.