Elitism in the Tech Bubble

As I write this post, I am sitting in the Queen Street Commons Cafe, and affordable coffee shop run by the Working Center in the heart of Downtown Kitchener. There is a division in the people I see around me. Some are locals, they sit together greeting familiars as they enter, they know the staff by name. The other group stand-out from the rest. They, like me, sit by themselves, headphones on and tapping away on their laptops.

This, I feel, is a good representation of the current tensions at work in Downtown Kitchener and one that lies at the heart of many blossoming creative cities. I was surprised throughout the year to hear many of you say that you considered Kitchener a sketchy, dangerous place and that it has failed as a creative city. I spend a lot of time in DTK and aware of a wealth of arts and culture events that take place throughout the year and contribute to a vibrant and active creative scene within the local community. However, I feel like Kitchener's reputation makes it difficult to bridge the gap between its locals and those employed by its tech companies.

I've heard it said that it takes five years to break into Kitchener's inner circle because it's such a close-knit community. What are your thoughts on this? Another classmate mentioned a failure to communicate as being one of the reasons for this lack of engagement, do you believe this to be true? Are you aware of yourself as being "separate" from the community in certain situations? What are your thoughts on how to bridge this gap?

Comments

  1. Xavier Prosper5 April 2018 at 15:16

    I believe that in Kitchener has two close knit community, the long time locals and new workers from the tech sector. Kitchener was originally a blue collar city, filled with a ton of manufacturing jobs. As tech began to become a priority for the city in terms of economic development it created a divide between long time locals and tech workers.

    It's true that all these startups bring a ton of money and exposure to the city but not everyone is able to see the benefits. The gentrification created by influx of tech workers can often push out long standing citizens as living cost become higher to reflect the new demand.

    Because i am involved of my previous experience working at a startup i personally do not see myself as separate form the Kitchener community. I identify with the city's tech workers as since i have a passion for the industry. Students not interested in tech aren't likely to feel the same way, identifying with neither group of workers in the city.

    I personally do not have a suggestion on how the divide in the city could be fixed...but here's an interesting read on the topic.

    https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/gentrification-hurting-neighborhoods-downtown-kitchener-canada/1028786/

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Changes in the Interviewing Process

Hi Everyone, Since most, if not all, of us are graduating and will be looking for full-time jobs, I thought it might be helpful to give some insight into how the job interview process in general has changed, so that we can be more prepared for them in the future. Spark Hire provides a useful comparison of then vs. now, helping to show the kinds of things that we should take into consideration for interviews. There are 9 changes in particular that are mentioned: Your reach is much more expansive Drastic improvements in video interviewing technology It’s much easier to schedule interviews An increased focus on cultural fit Candidates run the show There’s a greater emphasis on employer branding Networking happens in many different places The kind of employee hiring managers want has changed There’s a greater focus on data and analytics The two that I feel connect the most to what we have discussed in this course are number 6 (there’s a greater emphasis on employer bran...
Read more

Innovation Mirror

Image
Innovation is about the creation of new ideas as well as the revolutionizing of old ones. To me, innovation stems from creativity, the ability to use the imagination and foster original ideas—this is where innovation begins.
Read more

Technological Innovation and the Workforce - Amazon Go

Image
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/180126023346-amazon-go-inside-780x439.jpg) Could technological innovation be a problem for the future workforce? In the past several years there has been a significant shift in workplace culture and the presence of employees in the workforce. The increased integration of technology into this workforce has been consider a large factor in these changes. As this integration becomes greater through increased technological development and changes in company operations, we are beginning to see a new workforce comprised of these new technologies. Companies are restructuring to put in place innovative technological systems, and this often means the removal of first-line workers (people who customers engage with).             Just like when we walk into a Shoppers Drug Mart or a grocery store, we can now see how technologies are increasingly being used to replace employ...
Read more