Socially Constructed Aspect of New Orleans' Nature
Within the realm of the social construction of nature, levees
are not the tourist spots of New Orleans and at first thought would not fall in
this category. The constructed landscapes that have been created by these man-made
walls are not for aesthetic purposes, but for functionality.
The definition of nature provided to us is “the state,
condition, or quality that is before, separate from, or outside of society,
human history, and volition”. This definition automatically denies the levees as
unnatural as well as outside the sphere of social construction. Levees are in
contradiction to all of the above. They
are very much so included in society, human history, and are under complete
control of the state.
For technical reasons, however, the levees could fall under
the natural or socially constructed category in some views. For the
geographical situation of this city—residing eight feet below sea level—levees are
an inevitable component to the continuation of the city. Without the water
walls, New Orleans would become the contemporary lost city of Atlantis.
Inevitability is a factor that constitutes a socially constructed aspect of
nature. There really is not a social or political argument for the levees, just
an environmental one.
The city relies on levees to survive its plot in the world.
You will never see a photograph of the levee on a tourist brochure, but you
will see them snaking throughout the parameters of New Orleans.
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| (Outline of the Levees that line New Orleans [post Katrina] Source.) |
So, the story about (narrative) of New Orleans always includes the French Quarter or the Mid City or the Garden District, but not the Lower Ninth Ward or certainly the levees, and is always about having a good time. The tourists don't see the gritty parts and its poverty, and they are never portrayed when people say we should save the city. So, what city do you want to save?
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