Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Superintendents play a large role in the formation of relationships and networks within their neighborhood; and yet, no study in social science has focused on them. Williams closes this knowledge gap through ethnographic fieldwork, providing an in-depth analysis of the daily life of superintendents in the lower Harlem area in New York City.
Synopsis
Harlem Supers is a micro ethnography and in-depth analysis examining the superintendent occupation within the broader context of the city and a primary focus on various Harlem communities. Williams aims to provide an understanding of the life of superintendents and the role they play in the city, the building, the block, and the neighborhood as contributors to the analysis of migration patterns, community-building, and displacement in specific American urban areas. Examining the life of the community facing a rapid process of gentrification, displacement, desertification and renewal, Williams explores superintendents as an essential component in the life of most New Yorkers, and the role they play in the formation of relationships and networks within the neighborhood.