DOCSLIB.ORG

Shocks to the System: the Politics of Decision Making in Sanfrancisco Public Schools

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Shocks to the System: the Politics of Decision Making in Sanfrancisco Public Schools SHOCKS TO THE SYSTEM: THE POLITICS OF DECISION MAKING IN SANFRANCISCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND THE COMMITTEE ON GRADUATE STUDIES OF STANFORD UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREEE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSPHY Michael Dunson May 2010 © 2010 by Michael Leon Dunson. All Rights Reserved. Re-distributed by Stanford University under license with the author. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial 3.0 United States License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/ This dissertation is online at: http://purl.stanford.edu/cj379jt8818 ii I certify that I have read this dissertation and that, in my opinion, it is fully adequate in scope and quality as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Joy Williamson, Primary Adviser I certify that I have read this dissertation and that, in my opinion, it is fully adequate in scope and quality as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. David Labaree, Co-Adviser I certify that I have read this dissertation and that, in my opinion, it is fully adequate in scope and quality as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Samuel Wineburg Approved for the Stanford University Committee on Graduate Studies. Patricia J. Gumport, Vice Provost Graduate Education This signature page was generated electronically upon submission of this dissertation in electronic format. An original signed hard copy of the signature page is on file in University Archives. iii ABSTRACT I trace the history of two education policies in San Francisco that flared into public controversy during the onset of a major crisis. The first controversy, which transpired in the wake of the 1906 Earthquake, involved the San Francisco Board of Education’s attempt to segregate Japanese students. The second was the drive for school construction during the Great Depression. School officials and other political actors resiliently pursued their agendas even when faced with the turmoil caused by the crises. Politics did not subside; in fact, politics gave meaning to chaos. Two generalizations help to explain this finding. First, political actors searched for opportunities in crisis. When crises radically altered the physical and material infrastructure of the school department, people seized whatever resources they could to achieve their goals. Second, crises forced political actors to adjust their rhetoric by adapting their language to fit the circumstances. Prior to the earthquake and depression, political actors attempted to sway the public in their favor by defining the core values involved in segregation and school construction. The crises generated a new set of values. Political actors adjusted their rhetoric by integrating new values into the old political discourse. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Earning a Ph.D. brings many personal accolades, but this accomplishment was a true community effort. Without the help and support of numerous people, I would not have completed the degree. I begin with special thanks to the Stanford University Teacher Education Program (STEP). From the beginning, STEP supported me financially, intellectually, and emotionally. In particular Ruth Ann Costanzo, your support and understanding helped me work through some difficult times. And Rachel, I’m not going to try to summarize in one sentence all you’ve done for me. You’re amazing. The history of education family is an amazing collection of brilliant scholars and genuinely wonderful people. Larry Cuban, Leah Gordon, Jack Schneider, thank you for all your support. Lori, we came in together and that’s how we’re leaving. It was great to have you as a partner. To David Tyack and Elisabeth Hansot, thank you so much for your mentorship and friendship. I cherish our lunches and conversations. One reason I’m excited to stay in the Bay Area is that we will be able to spend more time together. I want to send a special thank you to the Stanford IT staff, Debbie, Chris, Paul, and Tom. You four are awesome. To Tami Suzuki and the archivists at the San Francisco Public Library History Room, you helped make research a pleasant experience. You all do a great job. Most graduate students are lucky to have an amazing advisor; I was blessed with two, David Labaree and Joy Williamson. David, you never gave up on me. You v trained me and patiently let me grow into a better writer and researcher. Joy, you brought me to Stanford and encouraged me every step of the way. I am so thankful to have you as a mentor and as a friend. And Sam Wineburg, you pretty much adopted me as an advisee. When my aunt passed away and I wanted to quit the program, I called and you answered. Thank you all. I’m a better scholar, teacher, and person because of you. I am blessed with an amazing collection of friends and family. My first reading group: Django, Laurie, and Heather. We’ve all made it through. Nathalie, Ross, and Jeanette, you adopted me into the family and helped make the Bay Area feel like home. To the Ashby crew: You opened your doors to me. Thank you so much. Heather, you’re a spark of life. Cullen and Jay, I would not have survived the first four years without you. The support, jokes, and encouragement gave me a way to escape the stress. Adrian and Carl, my guys. I can’t wait to come home and watch a game (graduate school stress free) with y’all. Wes, Simone, Camden, and Jacobi. You have no idea how much I relied on you. On many occasions, I entered your home stress out and depressed, but each time, I left with my spirits up and recharged. Thank you so much. Mr. and Mrs. Norment. You practically raised me. I love you both so much. Dave and Mike, we’re at 30 years together. That’s crazy when you think about it. We’ve been through it all. You two are my brothers. Coach you helped me become a man. Todd thanks for the constant check-ins and support. You made sure I stayed connected to home. Allen Temple: Ralph and Kathi, Reg, Willie, Mike and Judy. From the first time we met, you embraced me and you haven’t let go yet. To class 5, vi your spirit, faith and fellowship guided me through the final stretch. To my 2003- 2007 BGSA crew, most especially Faruq, Christen, Jide, and Erica. You stayed with me through the craziness and long silences. Thank You. Salina, you’ve seen me at my best and worst; you have the full picture. I thank you and IS for keeping me stable and giving me something to believe in beyond the research. I love you dearly. To my aunts, uncles, and cousins, “It’s good to be a Johnson.” My sister, Joy D., we’ve been through a lot over the last few years and we’re still here. Love you so much. To my ladies, Carol, Shacole, and Sennice, you are my heart. On my saddest days, thinking of you made me smile. Dad, thank you for all your support and help. You keep pressing forward. Love you. Reg, my big brother, my mentor, my role model. When I see you, I see mom: her strength, her spirit. Love you with all my heart. Over the course of this journey, much as changed. Many wonderful people have entered my life; many I hold dear are no longer with me. Steve and Spankie, even in spirit, I know you’re still fixing cars and painting graffiti. Joe, I still see your smile and hear your laugh. Mr. Weiner, a survivor in every sense of the word (Karen you are a beautiful person and you embody the spirit and strength of your father). Mr. Buckley, thanks for the great times at Jones Beach. Aunt Gloria, the perfect Godmother. You believed in me more than I believed in myself. Mom, you and Aunt Gloria wanted to see me walk across the stage to accept the degree. I know you are looking down on me. I’m fighting to be the man that you raised, and even though I often fall short, I keep going because of you. I miss you so much. vii CONTENTS Introduction 1 The Politics of Segregation: Japanese Segregation and the “Great Calamity” 19 Politics of School Construction: Progressive Reform and the Great Depression 76 Conclusion 154 Bibliography 170 viii Introduction Education and politics have historically made a volatile mixture. At the end of the 19th century, politics were branded as the scourge of education. Americans criticized school officials for letting politics corrupt their decision making. Decisions ranging from school construction to hiring personnel were viewed as tainted by the twin evils of politics and patronage. In response, educational reformers proclaimed their intent to exorcize politics from the public schools. They vowed to create school systems that rejected self-interested politicians and embraced rational experts. Nationwide, reformers erected bureaucracies to shield education from the vagaries of politics. Hierarchical systems of governance became the standard model for decision making in urban school districts. Bureaucracies were designed to establish boundaries and place constraints on participation. By restricting access, reformers hoped to streamline the decision making process by putting experts in charge and shunning laypersons. With experts making the decisions, reformers presumed that research and science would replace politics as the mechanism for deciding educational policy. Reformers were certain that a corporate model of governance would transform urban school systems into rational, efficient, well- managed enterprises.1 The reformers were widely successful. By the middle of the twentieth century, they upheld bureaucracy as the preeminent model for urban school governance.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Council Enters Into Historic Community Workforce Agreement with UCSF, Creating 1,000 Long-Term Construction Jobs
    121th Year OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL OF SAN FRANCISCO Volume 121, No. 2 February 2021 www.SFBuildingTradesCouncil.org Council Enters Into Historic Community Workforce Agreement With UCSF, Creating 1,000 Long-Term Construction Jobs w The 10-year, $3 Billion Project Will Result in a New State-of-the-Art Hospital for the City, Good-Paying Work for Tradespeople, and More an Francisco’s Gonzalez said. “It couldn’t have OF UCSF COURTESY building and con- come at a more crucial moment struction trades in our city’s history.” workers can count To ensure the highest quality, a massive new safety, and efficiency in con- projectS in the “win” column: struction, the Council will enter construction of the new hos- into the agreement on behalf of pital at UCSF Helen Diller its 60,000 local skilled workers Medical Center at Parnas- in 32 trade unions. The pact, the sus Heights. Last month, the first of its kind for the Univer- San Francisco Building and sity of California system, is a Construction Trades Coun- formal agreement between the cil, together with UC San Council and HBW, the general Francisco and Herrero Boldt contractor hired by UCSF. It Webcor (HBW), announced a ensures that the $3 billion build- Community Workforce Agree- ing project will employ a union ment (CWA) that will pro- workforce with strong represen- The UCSF Parnassus Heights Campus is seen here as it currently exists. The new hospital will take better mote collaboration between tation of local labor. advantage of its beautiful surroundings, with a plan in place to better integrate it into the serene green the university, labor unions (continued on page 9) space at the foot of Mount Sutro.
    [Show full text]
  • 50 Years of Spur 100 Years of Building a Better City
    Issue 482 Agents of Change p5 Summer programming p26 Ironies of history p32 Planning in pieces p35 City of plans p45 Your turn! The San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association is 6|7.09 a member-supported nonprofit organization. Our mission is to promote good planning and good government through research, education and advocacy. Write to us at [email protected] SPUR Urbanist AGENTS OF CHANGE: AGENTS Published monthly by San Francisco SPUR Staff Events Manager Volunteer and Planning & Urban Kelly Hardesty x120 Intern Team Leader Research Association Still time to get SPUR main number [email protected] Jordan Salinger x136 415.781.8726 [email protected] on the boat! Deputy Director Membership Manager Sarah Karlinsky x129 Development Vickie Bell x121 [email protected] Associate [email protected] Rachel Seltzer x116 Public Engagement [email protected] 11th Annual Bay Accountant Director Terri Chang x128 Julie Kim x112 Transportation THE CITY BUILDERS Discovery Cruise [email protected] [email protected] Policy Director Dave Snyder x135 Citizen Planning Development Director [email protected] C M onday June 8, 2009 Institute Director Amie Latterman x115 IVI THE PROGRESSIVES & CLASSICISTS Jim Chappell x125 [email protected] Capital Campaign C [email protected] Manager ID Event Assistant Sarah Sykes x123 Join us for dinner, dancing Publications Assistant Nikki Lazarus x119 [email protected] EA Mary Davis x126 [email protected] and to see the latest in [email protected] Sustainable Develop- LI Administrative Director ment Policy Director S 50 Bay Bridge construction! Urban Center Director Lawrence Li x134 Laura Tam x137 M Diane Filippi x110 [email protected] [email protected] THE REGIONALISTS AN YEARS [email protected] Executive Director Regional Planning Go to spur.org/baycruise for D Executive Assistant/ Gabriel Metcalf x113 Director OF SPUR tickets and information.
    [Show full text]
  • Opera As Politics the Troubled History of San Francisco’S War Memorial Opera House
    LETA & MILLER Opera as Politics The Troubled History of San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House ABSTRACT This article describes the troubled, politically fraught path to the realization of San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, the first municipally owned operatic performance venue in the nation. Although envisioned prior to the 1906 earthquake (in which the two most important opera houses in the city were de- stroyed), the realization of an innovative concept in which the people of the city would found and maintain an opera house took a quarter century to materialize. Supporters of the idea ascribed to the common sentiment of the time that classical music had an “elevating” and “ennobling” potential to “uplift” the poor and create a more responsible citizenry, but opera’s historic association with wealth and elitism counteracted these argu- ments and blocked progress on the building until at last, in the 1920s, San Franciscans raised $2 million in direct contributions and voted for a $4 million bond issue. KEYWORDS: San Francisco Opera, War Memorial Opera House AN FRANCISCO’S War Memorial Opera House, the first municipally owned operatic performance venue in the United States, opened with great fanfare in October S 1932. The 3,200-seat hall continues to the present day to provide a home for the San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Ballet and, until the erection of the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in 1980, also served as the venue for the San Francisco Sym- phony. The path to the building’s realization, however, was torturous, obstructed by road- blocks, attacked with vituperative rhetoric, and derailed by political maneuvering over the course of more than two decades.
    [Show full text]
  • The Greening of Paradise Valley
    The Greening of Paradise Valley The first 100 years (1887-1987) of the Modesto Irrigation District By Dwight H. Barnes Commissioned by the Modesto Irrigation District In recognition of its centennial year Dedication In the span of recorded history, the story of the San Joaquin Valley and that portion of it served by the Modesto Irrigation District is quite brief. The impact of a region upon a nation, however, cannot be measured by time alone. Settled by adventurous, innovative, courageous people who had the vision and determination to change a huge valley which was desert waste in the summer and whose flood-swollen rivers ran 10 miles wide in the spring, the San Joaquin Valley today is the nation’s most productive agricultural region. This was the home of people such as Irwin S. Wright, who in 1868 invented jerk-line control of long pulling teams; of Benjamin Holt, inventor of the Caterpillar tractor who subsequently made possible the first army tanks; of George Stockton Berry, who, starting with a discarded portable steam engine, built the first mechanically-driven combine to harvest, thresh and sack wheat in a single operation, and of political and military leaders such as John C. Fremont, the first presidential nominee of the Republican Party, and famed General William Tecumseh Sherman. It was in this region that the farm cooperative received its greatest stimulus, resulting in the development of the world’s largest cooperatives such as the Milk Producers Association of California and Tri/Valley Growers, both of which were founded in Modesto. More than a century ago, enterprising leaders of this caliber envisioned the rich potential of the region’s agriculture; needed was a practical means of bringing water to the land throughout the summer months.
    [Show full text]
  • The Story of a Reformer's Wife an Account of the Kidnapping Of
    · ; McCLURE'S MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATED PUBLISHED MONTHLY VOLUME XXXIII MAY TO OCTOBER 19°9 S. S. MCCLURE COMPANY NI:w YORK & LONDON \ 1909 I would close my C'y,.~ When he put III arms around me ;11111 kissed me, I gave iii, I promised. I forgol everything thai mother had said. I forgot this old hOII\\1 STOR Y 0 FAREFORMER'S WI FE of ours. .I took hi, face in my hands. I ACCOUNT OF THE KIDNAPPING OF FREMONT OLDER, ran myfingersthrou"h his hair. Itwas swe2, THE SHOOTING OF FRANCIS J. HENEY, AND oh, so sweet, daddy! THE SAN FRANCISCO DYNAMITE PLOTS - and so wonderful!' "I told her yes. I BY MRS. FREMONT OLDER knew all aboutit. YOII know what I said III ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS you, Norrbin, about nightslikethat? Heh? So, soon after, Shl HAT was, the motive of sale; the town cynically smiled; Ruef, they went away - back 10 the San Francisco Graft said was a smart fellow. The public prints her own home. TonI Prosecution? has been re­ were silent. Mr. Older, however, was not si­ has been to see m' peatedly asked, Why was lent, and San Francisco smelt the first smoke too. 'They are reall; it started? Was it a busi- of the Graft Prosecution when the Bulletin at­ happy. After a whil s revenge of Rudolph Spreckels?, For the tacked Schmitz and Ruef. they will come when son that I have been in the closest possible With the Mayor's reelection, in '903, by an Sophie is here, and it ciation with the investigation from its be­ increased majority, he obtained control of all "HER MOTHER FORBADE HER TO GO" will be all rightagain." ning, and have lived through the fever and the commissions; hitherto these had been held "I hope so," I said b of its successes and failures, I have been by ex-Mayor Phelan's appointees.
    [Show full text]
  • San Francisco, the Great War, and Urban Identity
    UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE “THE CITY THAT KNOWS HOW”: SAN FRANCISCO, THE GREAT WAR, AND URBAN IDENTITY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY By HEATHER A. CLEMMER Norman, Oklahoma 2008 “THE CITY THAT KNOWS HOW”: SAN FRANCISCO, THE GREAT WAR, AND URBAN IDENTITY A DISSERTATION APPROVED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY BY Dr. Donald J. Pisani, Chair Dr. Robert L. Griswold Dr. Albert L. Hurtado Dr. R. Warren Metcalf Dr. Zev Trachtenberg ©Copyright by HEATHER A. CLEMMER 2008 All Rights Reserved. To Jason and Jonathan Acknowledgements The process of researching and writing a dissertation is a long, arduous journey, but mercifully not one made alone. At each stop along the way (and some of my stops were longer than others), I received tremendous support and encouragement from mentors, scholars, friends, and family. I would like to start by thanking my advisor, Donald Pisani, for his guidance through this process. I genuinely appreciate his ability to maintain a good humor, despite my many delays, while providing advice and insight that kept me motivated. I would also like to thank the other members of my dissertation committee – Robert Griswold, Albert Hurtado, Warren Metcalf, and Zev Trachtenberg – for their willingness to read this work and provide valuable comments and suggestions. While each member of my committee has contributed to making this a better dissertation, those errors still imbedded in this work are solely my responsibility. I would be remiss here at the end of my graduate experience if I did not also take a moment to thank Steve Gillon.
    [Show full text]
  • A Lawyer's Walking Tour of San Francisco Gerald F
    Santa Clara Law Santa Clara Law Digital Commons Faculty Publications Faculty Scholarship 1-1-1982 A Lawyer's Walking Tour of San Francisco Gerald F. Uelmen Santa Clara University School of Law, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/facpubs Recommended Citation 68 A.B.A. J. 958 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Scholarship at Santa Clara Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Santa Clara Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Lawyer's Walking Tour of San Francisco d, By Gerald F. Uelmen steps away. Join m , for a brief walking tour of" SAN FRANCISCANS are a litigious lot some of the legal land- Nearly every scandal that has rocke d marks of San Francisco. the city is preserved for posterity in th e pages of the appellate reports. Scoun drels are immortalized with an "In re " 1. The Fairmont Hotel in front of their names. The humbles:t California and Mason Streets citizens, as well as the most celebrated I We start our tour at appear with a "v." between thei r the top of Nob Hill in the names. Some of these cases are familia.r luxurious lobby of the Fair- as "landmarks" of the law. The rea.1 mont Hotel. The Fairnont "landmarks," where events chronicle d isnamed for James G. Fair, in the cases took place, are just a fexv who once planned to build a palatial mansion here, towering over his wealthy neighbors.
    [Show full text]
  • The Haight & the Hierarchy: Church
    The Haight & the Hierarchy: Church, City, and Culture in San Francisco, 1967-2008 Sarah Anne Morris Dr. Thomas A. Tweed, Advisor Dr. Kathleen Sprows Cummings, Second Reader Department of American Studies University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, Indiana March 16, 2016 CONTENTS List of Figures…………………………………………………………………………………….………..ii Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………….………… iii Abstract…………..…………………………………………………………………………………….…..v Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Methods and Sources…………………………………………………………………………….. 6 Literature Review………………………………………………………………………….….… 8 Significance of the Project……………………………………………………………….….……11 1. 1967 | Unity: The Trial of Lenore Kandel’s “The Love Book”…………………..…………………15 Church and City Take on “The Love Book:” Institutions Join Forces…………..…………….…19 The Trial: Defending Catholic Clean Culture………………………………………………….…22 An Unnerving Future: Catholicism and the City after the Love Book Trial……………….…….27 2. 1987 | Tension: Pope John Paul II Visits the City………………………………………..….……… 29 Majority without Authority: The Church Adjusts to Its New Status…………………………..….30 Church and City Navigate New Waters: Episodic Discomfort………………………………….. 34 Task Force on Gay/Lesbian Issues & AIDS: Sustained Conflict………………………..…..……37 Preparing for the Pope: Diplomacy Amidst Anger……………………………………….……… 41 A City Holds Its Breath: Pope John Paul II Visits San Francisco……………………….………. 44 A Mixed Bag: San Francisco Catholics Reflect on a Symbolic Visit…………………………… 47 3. 2008 | Division: Proposition 8 Tears Church and City
    [Show full text]
  • The Fabulous Fior OVER 100 Years in an Italian Kitchen
    THE FABULOUS FIOR OVER 100 YEARS IN AN ITALIAN KITCHEN By Francine Brevetti The History of San Francisco’s Fior d’Italia America’s Oldest Italian Restaurant, Established 1886 Second Edition THE FABULOUS FIOR Over 100 Years in Italian Kitchen by Francine Brevetti Second Edition Copyright © 2006 by San Francisco Bay Books 13966 Beitler Road Nevada City, CA 95959 www.fabulousfior.com ISBN 0-9753351-0-3 Printed in South Korea (?) Notice of Rights All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written premission of the publisher. For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact San Francisco Bay Books. To my mother Tecla Brevetti, my grandparents, Alberto Puccetti, who worked at the Fior d’Italia over 100 years ago, and his wife, Gemma Lenci Puccetti and Chef Gianfranco Audieri TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword . 3 Introduction . 5 Acknowledgments . .7 CHAPTER I: The Gold Rush to 1900 . .9 Veal scaloppine . .16 CHAPTER 2: The Fior Presents Its Cuisine . 17 Osso buco . 21 Risotto with saffron . 22 CHAPTER 3: Shaking in 1906 . 23 Pasta and bean soup . .28 CHAPTER 4: From the Depths to the Heights . .29 Brown stock . .36 CHAPTER 5: Red Coffee . .37 Potato croquettes . .42 CHAPTER 6: Prohibition Be Damned. Celebrities Revel. .43 Eva Biagini’s Italian fried cream . .49 CHAPTER 7: The Great Depression . 51 Pavian soup . .56 CHAPTER 8: I Clienti (The Customers) . .57 Poached salmon . .64 CHAPTER 9: Lock the Doors. Lock the Windows. 1940-50 .
    [Show full text]
  • Copyright by Rina Cathleen Faletti 2015
    Copyright by Rina Cathleen Faletti 2015 The Dissertation Committee for Rina Cathleen Faletti Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Undercurrents of Urban Modernism: Water, Architecture, and Landscape in California and the American West Committee: Richard Shiff, Co-Supervisor Michael Charlesworth, Co-Supervisor Anthony Alofsin Ann Reynolds Penelope Davies John Clarke Undercurrents of Urban Modernism: Water, Architecture, and Landscape in California and the American West by Rina Cathleen Faletti, B.A., M.F.A., M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May 2015 Undercurrents of Urban Modernism: Water, Architecture, and Landscape in California and the American West Rina Cathleen Faletti, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 2015 Co-Supervisors: Richard Shiff and Michael Charlesworth Abstract: “Undercurrents of Urban Modernism: Water, Architecture, and Landscape in California and the American West” conducts an art-historical analysis of historic waterworks buildings in order to examine cultural values pertinent to aesthetics in relationships between water, architecture and landscape in the 19 th and early 20 th centuries. Visual study of architectural style, ornamental iconography, and landscape features reveals cultural values related to water, water systems, landscape/land use, and urban development. Part 1 introduces a historiography of ideas of “West” and “landscape” to provide a context for defining ways in which water and landscape were conceived in the United States during turn-of-the-century urban development in the American West.
    [Show full text]
  • Dealing with Disaster: the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 Christoph Strupp
    Dealing with Disaster: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 Christoph Strupp German Historical Institute, Washington, D.C. This paper was presented at the Symposium “San Francisco Earthquake 1906: Urban Reconstruction, Insurance, and Implications for the Future,” Institute of European Studies, University of California at Berkeley, March 22, 2006. It is a thoroughly revised and up- dated version of an article originally published in German as “’Nothing destroyed that cannot speedily be rebuilt’: San Francisco und das Erdbeben von 1906,” in: Andreas Ranft, Stephan Selzer, eds., Städte aus Trümmern: Katastrophenbewältigung zwischen Antike und Moderne, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2004, 132-71. I want to thank David Lazar from the German Historical Institute and Ina Sondermann for their editorial assistance. (c) Dr. Christoph Strupp, Research Fellow, German Historical Institute, 1607 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20009 - [email protected] 2 I The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 has been in the news lately not only because of its onehundredth anniversary, but also because of Hurricane “Katrina” and the destruction of large parts of New Orleans. Within days of “Katrina” the Washington Post - and many other papers alike - referred to the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871, the Galveston hurricane of 1900, and most prominently the San Francisco earthquake to prove the point that “ravaged cities stand their ground” in America. Cities are like the mythical Phoenix, which is featured in San Francisco’s city seal. They have been resurrected in the past and, therefore, the argument goes, the outlook for New Orleans is anything but gloomy.1 Historians in Europe and the United States who have looked at cities and their response to disasters more closely in recent years, certainly would agree with this conclu- sion.
    [Show full text]
  • A History of the Musicians Union Local 6, American Federation of Musicians Steven Meicke April 7, 2003 LABR 300 Research Method
    A History of the Musicians Union Local 6, American Federation of Musicians Steven Meicke April 7, 2003 LABR 300 Research Methods for Labor Studies Professor Brenda Cochrane San Francisco State University Introduction The musical arts are arguably the most popular form of entertainment in the culture of the United States, and musicians often attain celebrity as a result of this popularity. In this process, musicians become the subject of intense media attention. The sensational portrayal of celebrity musicians by entertainment media serves to mystify the perceptions that ordinary people have of musicians in general. To think of a musician as a member of the working class goes against these sensational impressions. However the majority of working musicians are not celebrities. They are in fact workers. Despite our romantic notions of musicians as creative artists that are in some way extraordinary, musicians, more often than not, are literally employees. Musicians are skilled craftspeople that work for record companies, orchestras, theater production companies, restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, churches, private events and even government. Similar to the experience of workers in many other industries, musicians regularly encounter exploitative working conditions. These conditions have led to the formation of trade unions that engage in collective bargaining on behalf of working musicians. By far, the largest labor union for professional musicians in the United States (and Canada) is the American Federation of Musicians, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO. This paper traces the history of one particular local chapter of the American Federation of Musicians - Local 6 in San Francisco, California. San Francisco rose to prominence as a major metropolitan city in the 1800s, largely due to developments in the local economy and infrastructure such as the California Gold Rush, the transcontinental railroad, the industrial revolution, and the major ports in the San Francisco Bay.
    [Show full text]