Car Wash

This past weekend I took my car to a random car wash on my way home from school. The car wash BlueWave Carwash was situated on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and Westwood Blvd in Westwood about 5 mins from school. I could not take a picture of the workers and/or of the car being inside the machine so this picture is off the internet. Getting my car washed by other people made me think about Structuralism.

Structuralism is a theory that sees society as a whole. One large structure made of smaller structures each doing their part in society. The common analogy is

Society=Body

Social Groups=Organs

Individuals=Cells

Here the workers are acting as cells in a human body. Doing their job but at the same time helping society grow. In today's society a person working at a car wash is part of a lower social group. I noticed that most of the workers spoke in Spanish with each other. Like Herbert Spencer said lower groups serve vital functions and a content society is based on the lower groups acceptance of their place.

Bicycle Ride

This past weekend I rode my bicycle from UCLA to downtown Los Angeles for Ciclavia, this huge bicycling event that happens twice a year. It is a one day event where downtown streets are closed off and only bicycles are permitted on the streets. The route goes through MacArthur Park, down Figueroa until Echo park, and to Chinatown. Thousand of bicyclists and families attended the event ranging from children to the elderly.

So the trip to get to downtown took approximately an hour. For most part of the trip, I rode on Santa Monica and Wilshire. Once on Santa Monica I noticed more shops and little stores rather than houses like in Westwood. Once I reached Beverly Hills the scenery changed into more modern looking buildings especially near Rodeo Drive. Upon arriving in Downtown more people were out on the streets. I saw more homeless people out and sidewalks began to change into less taken care off.

Ciclavia itself was an amazing event, because it promotes outdoor activity instead of usual car congested Downtown. They were people of all races which made me see how LA is really a multi cultural city and how a common interest of people can make the whole city unite.

Week 1

Los Angeles is a prime example of a global city, meaning it is full of different ethnicity's, mainly immigrants from poorer countries. Although I was raised in the Los Angeles area my whole life, I do not think of it in such a way. The reason why i think Los Angeles is unequal in wealth and properties is because each city is home to people who make somewhat the same amount of income.



My name is Alberto Flores and I was raised in West Covina CA for most part of my life. West Covina is a city about 20 miles east of Downtown LA located in the San Gabriel Valley. I am taking this class because I plan on doing a minor in Geography and this class specifically gives me an opportunity to go out to the different regions of Los Angeles and try to see how the same city can be so different just a few miles down the road.