PART 1
Hypothesis
Baltimore is creating good lives because
- Improving economic conditions allow a higher quality of life,
- Strong social diversity creates a more inclusive environment that stimulates youth, and
- Effective government services lead to better citizen engagement.
- Strong social diversity creates a more inclusive environment that stimulates youth
- Demographic numbers
- Immigrant/Hispanic population
- Children and the youth
- Maslow: Hierarchy of needs
- Effective government services lead to better citizen engagement
- Crime drops
- Intergovernmental support
- Social services
- Savitch and Kantor: Theory on population control and community development approach
- Other side
- Conclusion
PART 2
Introduction
Social work is integral in every city, in that it serves the wellbeing of citizens in many different ways, ranging from their health and security to their cultural enrichment and overall satisfaction. Quality of life is therefore the focus of social work, with funds therein going to programs that ensure satisfactory conditions in urban health. At the same time, favorable conditions in relations among the citizenry is also one aspect social work seeks to address, as it provides more welcoming spaces citizens of different social backgrounds can enjoy. Current trends in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, being one of the largest urban areas in the United States (US), is perceived to create good lives among its citizens from a social work perspective because of improving economic conditions that allow for a higher quality of life, strong social diversity that leads to a more inclusive environment that stimulates the youth, effective government services that can result to better citizen engagement.
Improving economic conditions allow a higher quality of life
Unemployment numbers
The Center for Sustainable Economy (2012/2013, 1) adopted into its report of the economic wellbeing in Baltimore the usage by Maryland of the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI). Defined “as an overall indicator of economic wellbeing,” the GPI focuses on the real economic state of households and communities in Baltimore by using economic benefits from consumption and assets from society and community, and hidden economic costs such as poverty, homelessness, crime and practically non-consumable expenditures such as insurance (Center for Sustainable Economy, 2012/2013, 1). Given the foregoing, it is thus crucial to evaluate the effects of unemployment and other relevant factors on economic wellbeing in Baltimore by using the GPI. Unemployment in Baltimore is formally included by the Center for Sustainable Economy (2012/2013, 7) under underemployment, a more comprehensive term that also includes those who are “marginally attached to the labor force, plus those working less than full time for economic reasons.” It is important to determine underemployment under the context of the economic recovery of Baltimore following the great recession that struck the US in 2008. In that regard, the Center for Sustainable Economy (2012/2013, 2, 7) determined that the GPI cost of underemployment rose by 6.6% from 2012 ($ 2,176) to 2013 ($ 2,320), a rather upsetting trend for Baltimore as it indicates the failure to “reestablish a strong base of well paying, full time jobs.” Therefore, one can say that underemployment continues to be a problematic issue in Baltimore, despite its economic recovery in recent years (Center for Sustainable Economy, 2012/2013, 7).
Minority firms
For one to have a stronger understanding of the status of minority firms in Baltimore, it is important to have a preliminary insight on working-class minorities in the city. In an issue brief by the Job Opportunities Task Force, in conjunction with the Associated Black Charities (2010, 12), it is specified that around two-thirds of the population of Baltimore are composed of a minority, African-Americans. Thus, it is important to maintain the wellbeing of African-Americans in Baltimore in order to keep the city economically sound. Given that, the Job Opportunities Task Force and the Associated Black Charities (2010, 12-13) have specified three ways to make said objective possible for middle-class African-Americans in Baltimore: expand good jobs, increase skills and education, and eliminate hiring and employment discrimination. The aforementioned ways stand to provide ample economic opportunities not only to African-Americans in Baltimore, but also to other minorities in the city. In turn, such could boost the entrepreneurial spirit among minorities in the city through the formation of minority firms. Minority firms in Baltimore recently received a positive development through the establishment of a new Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center in the city. The MBDA Business Center in Baltimore is one out of 50 nationwide established by the MBDA, which is under the Department of Commerce. The creation of new jobs and retention of existing ones for minorities, alongside providing support for minority firms seeking to expand their operations, stands as the key objectives of the MBDA Business Center in Baltimore (Office of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Baltimore, 2014). Such objectives are in line with the current need for Baltimore to combat its current problem on underemployment, as indicated by the Center for Sustainable Economy (2012/2013, 7), by providing economic opportunities to African-American residents and other minorities, both of which make up a large portion of the population of the city (Job Opportunities Task Force and the Associated Black Charities, 2010, 12-13).
White-collar jobs
The Baltimore metro area is home of a large majority of white-collar jobs in the city. Unemployment rate in the Baltimore metro area went down from 7.2% in 2013 to 6.7% in July 2014 – a promising trend despite the fact that it still exceeds the 10-year average unemployment rate of 5.9% (Transwestern, 2014, 1). Payroll employment, as termed by Transwestern (2014, 1), has risen to 34,600 for the past 12 months prior to July 2014 – a figure that is nearly three times the annual average of 11,800 for the past 20 years. A highly notable trend involves the contributions of the professional/business services and leisure/hospitality sectors in Baltimore, both of which have created at least 8,800 jobs in the past 12 months prior to July 2014 (Transwestern, 2014, 1). The aforementioned figures, notwithstanding the rather bleak declines that figured in the data presented by the Center for Sustainable Economy (2012/2013, 7) on overall employment in Baltimore, provides a promising outlook to workers who are into, and are looking for white-collar jobs in the city.
Logan and Molotch: Roles of universities and benefits of art and sports and
Logan and Molotch (1987, 75-81) specified specific aspects of urban redevelopment, all of which provide theoretical insights that can bolster economic conditions for residents of Baltimore: universities and facilities for the arts and sports. The construction of universities can introduce a number of concessions that can immediately benefit its surrounding areas, especially in rural areas. The value of real estate adjacent to grounds owned by universities can rise because such establishments attract a large number of people, mostly students and university personnel, whose need for services can stimulate business opportunities within their respective areas (Logan & Molotch, 1987, 75-76). Thus, sparsely used land within Baltimore, should there be any, can be donated to any interested university administration that can build a campus on it and subsequently generate entrepreneurial activities and jobs in the area. Facilities for the arts, such as museums, theaters and expositions, can provide avenues for economic opportunities to white-collar (professionals and artists such as curators, actors, architects, sculptors and painters) and blue-collar workers (construction and maintenance personnel such as construction workers, janitors and security marshals) alike, while raising the cultural profile of cities that can benefit its residents (Logan & Molotch, 1987, 76-79). Baltimore, being a large city, can benefit economically and culturally from museums, theaters and expositions, especially with its sizable population of white-collar workers. Facilities for sports, such as stadiums, training grounds and other specialized structures, are economically viable investments for cities, particularly for those that are looking for a sports franchise that can improve their image (Logan & Molotch, 1987, 79-81). To that effect, Baltimore can prove itself as a city worthy of representation by a sports franchise, particularly with its large investment base coming from its relatively developed urban areas and profile as one of the largest cities in the US.
Strong social diversity creates a more inclusive environment that stimulates youth
Demographic numbers
Strong social diversity is certainly the most suitable theme that could make the most out of the current demographic profile of the population of Baltimore. Based on 2013 figures, white Americans in Baltimore comprise of 31.6% of its estimated population of 622,104 (as of 2013). 63.3%, or almost two-thirds of the population of Baltimore are composed of African-Americans – a figure that significantly outnumbers white Americans. Additionally, Hispanics form around 4.6% of the population of Baltimore. The foregoing figures reflect that minorities form the majority of the population of Baltimore, henceforth making strong social diversity important in creating good lives in the city (US Census Bureau, n.d.).
Immigrant/Hispanic population
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the current Mayor of Baltimore, described Baltimore as a city that “has long been a home to immigrants from around the longwho come here (sic) seeking peace, stability, and a better life for their families.” Such description was made by Rawlings-Blake as part of her long-term strategy to attract more immigrants to live in Baltimore for them to stimulate economic growth of the city further mainly through entrepreneurship (Scola, n.d.). Despite criticisms against the preparedness of Baltimore to support immigrant populations, the announcement of Rawlings-Blake stands as a firm statement of her intent to make the city more immigrant-friendly, at the same time serving as a recognition of the economic contributions immigrants have since given to the city, particularly through entrepreneurship (Scola, n.d.). The Hispanic population in Baltimore has since received more support, thanks to the support of the local government on strong social diversity. Such, in turn, has led to developments such as the publication of the Latin Opinion, a free bilingual newspaper aiming to provide information to Hispanics about current events and their culture (Torres, 2005), and the proliferation of media outlets tapping into the Hispanic population for marketing and advertising efforts (Dash, 2005). Efforts to resolve health issues among the Hispanic population in Baltimore has since been well underway as well (Walker, 2011).
Children and the youth
Baltimore currently stands as a city that prioritizes the wellbeing of the children and youth living in it. One such program that benefits children and the youth in Baltimore, called Elev8 Baltimore, stands as a joint effort of the community, schools and families to make more students successful in school and life (Elev8 Baltimore, n.d., 1). Primarily implemented in East Baltimore, Elev8 Baltimore contains three central components, namely learning, health and family engagement. Under learning, Elev8 Baltimore provides initiatives to improve students in terms of their academic performance. Under health, Elev8 Baltimore works to promote the benefit of health services to children and to urge families to take advantage of those. Under family engagement, Elev8 Baltimore gives families tools that enable them to become more self-sufficient economically through employment, social services and housing in order for them to improve in terms of providing for the learning of their children (Elev8 Baltimore, n.d.). The foregoing initiatives, currently taking place in East Baltimore, should also be present in other similar programs serving other parts of the city for the further improvement of the formative development of all children and the youth living within it.
Maslow: Hierarchy of needs
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Effective government services lead to better citizen engagement
Crime drops
As of July 2014, violent crime has generally went down in Baltimore, with the city having experienced 17 fewer murders compared to the total tally of 234 people murdered in 2013 – making up for a murder rate of 7.8%. The number of people murdered in Baltimore throughout 2013 was a considerable downgrade from previous years – 217 and 197 were killed in 2012 and 2011, respectively (Ritchie, 2014). Despite such an apparent improvement, Police Commission Anthony Batts emphasized that there is still much work that needs to be done in order to keep crime down throughout Baltimore, especially now that communities are now more willing to cooperate and divulge any information that they have on any criminal activity (Ritchie, 2014).
Intergovernmental support
Baltimore receives generous intergovernmental support from the federal government, through its executive departments. The MBDA Business Center in Baltimore is an intergovernmental support initiative started by the Department of Commerce via the MBDA – one that aims to create and retain jobs for, and of minorities, as well as provide support for minority firms starting up or planning to expand their operations (Office of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Baltimore, 2014). The Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs (DVA-OPIA) also gave intergovernmental support to Baltimore through granting The Baltimore Train a $1.6 million-worth grant to The Baltimore Station for rehabilitating homeless veterans in the city, in recognition to their efforts to serve the US “during its greatest times of need,” in the words of DVA Secretary Jim Nicholson (DVA-OPIA, 2006).
Social services
The Baltimore City Department of Social Services has the avowed mission to “[preserve] families, [protect] vulnerable children and adults, and [promote] self-sufficiency (Baltimore City Department of Social Services, 2005-2008, 3). Given that, social services in Baltimore have so far been supplemented with innovative programs. The Healthy Baltimore 2015, a comprehensive agenda seeking to improve healthcare in Baltimore, includes among its objectives a 25% decrease in new HIV infections, considering that such has since prevailed as a worrisome threat to residents in the city (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2011, 2). Thus makes Baltimore a creator of good lives, given its steadfast focus on the issue of public health.
Savitch and Kantor: Theory on population control and community development approach
Savitch and Kantor (2002, 44-49) provided theoretical foundations under their rendition of an urban development model suitable for explaining effective government services as stated in the foregoing social-centered development and market-centered development. Social-centered development has been more apparent in the way citizens of Baltimore have become more empowered to report their knowledge on criminal activity, which has since contributed to the drop in crime throughout the city compared to 2013 figures (Ritchie, 2014). Social-centered development also took place in the form of the introduction of Healthy Baltimore 2015, which deliberately designed health targets for the benefit of people in Baltimore (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2011, 2). Intergovernmental support has also triggered social-centered development, in that the goals of the specified programs (MBDA Business Center and the grant for The Baltimore Train) all seek to preserve the wellbeing of citizens as well as enable them to enjoy derivable collective benefits (Office of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Baltimore, 2014; DVA-OPIA, 2006).
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Other side
The capacity of Baltimore to create good lives is currently hampered by the trends in rising costs portrayed by the Center for Sustainable Economy (2012/2013, 7), on underemployment, which is indicative of other problems related to the potential lack of respect for social diversity, as provided by the Job Opportunities Task Force and the Associated Black Charities (2010, 12-13) in their recommendation to lessen hiring and employment discrimination. One could therefore argue that Baltimore has yet to be fully capable of creating good lives since, given that a large portion of its population are composed of minorities, it has yet to adopt a fully inclusive sense of social diversity through the acknowledged existence of discrimination. However, it is equally important to acknowledge as well that the local government of Baltimore itself is highly proactive in fulfilling its objective to make the city more socially diverse through programs that condemn discrimination (Office of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Baltimore, 2014), promote cultural recognition for minorities (Dash, 2005; Torres, 2005) and support the influx of immigrants (Scola, n.d.). Youth engagement, also standing as a priority in Baltimore (Elev8 Baltimore, n.d., 1) and the general provision of social services in the form of crime reduction (Ritchie, 2014), healthcare (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2011, 2) and intergovernmental support (Office of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Baltimore, 2014; DVA-OPIA, 2006) all show that the city has since marked significant progress in developing its capability to create good lives – perhaps not in the most perfect sense, but in the best way it could that can develop throughout time.
Conclusion
One could therefore emphasize that Baltimore is currently doing all that it could to become a city that creates good lives. While occasional problems in the form of crime and discrimination still exists in Baltimore, the city has nonetheless proven that it recognizes the inherent flaws it has, which in turn have prompted it to act accordingly through a multifaceted set of programs that promote social diversity, economic productivity and greater engagement among the citizenry. Further studies earmarking the progress of Baltimore with regard to its constant development as a city that creates good lives are encouraged at this point, although the foregoing findings already provide ample insights on the positive foundations the city has since laid.
References
Baltimore City Department of Social Services. (2005-2008). 2005-2008 Strategic Plan. Baltimore, MD: Baltimore City Department of Social Services.
Center for Sustainable Economy. (2012/2013). Economic wellbeing in Baltimore: Results from the Genuine Progress Indicator. Washington, DC: Center for Sustainable Economy.
Dash, J. (2005, February 28). Latino media outlets finally find a market in Baltimore. Baltimore Business Journal. Retrieved from http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2005/02/28/story7.html?page=all
Elev8 Baltimore. (n.d.). Elev8: Changing the odds for children, youth and families in East Baltimore. Baltimore, MD: Elev8 Baltimore.
Job Opportunities Task Force and Associated Black Charities. (2010). Expanding Baltimore's black middle class: Workforce strategies for advancing prosperity. Baltimore, MD: Job Opportunities Task Force
Logan, J., and Molotch, H. (1987). Urban fortunes: The political economy of place. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Office of Mayor Stephanie Rawls-Blake, Baltimore. (2014). Mayor Rawlings-Blake, Congressman Cummings launch Minority Business Development Agency Business Center in Baltimore [Press release]. Retrieved from http://archive.baltimorecity.gov/OfficeoftheMayor/NewsMedia/tabid/66/ID/5230/Mayor_Rawlings-Blake_Congressman_Cummings_Launch_Minority_Business_Development_Agency_Business_Center_in_Baltimore.aspx
Ritchie, R. (2014, July 8). Crime is down in Baltimore but still much work to be done. CBS Baltimore. Retrieved from http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/07/08/crime-is-down-in-baltimore-but-still-much-work-to-be-done/
Savitch, H. V., and Kantor, P. (2002). Cities in the international marketplace: The political economy of urban development in North America and Western Europe. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Scola, N. (n.d.). The rise of the new Baltimoreans. National League of Cities. Retrieved from http://www.nlc.org/find-city-solutions/city-solutions-and-applied-research/immigrant-integration/the-rise-of-the-new-baltimoreans
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2011). Moving forward – Baltimore city HIV/AIDS strategy summary, 2011. Baltimore, MD: The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Torres, B. (2005, May 24). A bilingual newspaper looks to provide Baltimore Latinos with information on Hispanic culture and the issues affecting them. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved from http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2005-05-24/business/0505240105_1_hispanic-culture-spanish-media-baltimore
Transwestern. (2014). Real estate outlook Baltimore office market (Third Quarter, 2014). Columbia, MD: Transwestern.
VA announces grant for Baltimore, Md., homeless program. (2006, November 13). US Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. Retrieved from http://va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1245
Walker, A. (2011, October 20). Health disparities found for Baltimore Latinos. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved from http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-10-20/health/bs-hs-latino-health-20111020_1_baltimore-latinos-health-disparities-angelo-solera
