Nation for him. Neighborhood Courtyard: Shared, Casual, Focused Social Space The final vital place I consider is right outside residents’ front doors: the neighborhood courtyards. The courtyards are shared spaces that allow for observation of and acquaintance with neighbors; offer a venue for casual socialization without commitment; and contain certain focal points (e.g., barbeques and picnic tables) which enable both the establishment and maintenance of supportive relationships among neighbors.Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptSoc Sci Med. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2015 April 07.WaltonPageThe shared BAY 11-7083 site aspect of the courtyards allows for observation and provides a space to make acquaintance and develop relationships with neighbors over time. One African American woman said, “The courtyard gives me an opportunity to see [my neighbors] and introduce myself. I get to know other people and families.” Another African American woman described the courtyards this way, “If you’re out in a courtyard area, then you see people coming and going, being outside. So, you get to know them. You may not speak the same language, but you know, you do say `hi’ to each other. They’ll ask me how I’m doing. I’ll ask them how they’re doing. So, it’s more like a family”. In this passage, she transitions quickly from surface-level sociability in the courtyards to Lixisenatide site expressing that her neighbors feel like family. This is typical of many residents, who described just saying “hi” to a lot of people, but simultaneously feeling well-known and accepted in the community. The ability to see people come and go frequently in the courtyards was a solid foundation for the development of trusting, familiar relationships among neighbors. The courtyards also provide a casual venue for socializing that is away from the private sphere of home. One older white woman described the social interaction in the courtyards this way, “I guess we’re just passing by and we stop and talk a few minutes. I mean, I don’t go to anybody’s doors and stuff, but it’s more or less when you’re out and around, it’s good to communicate.” Specifically, she was not willing to make the commitment to enter her neighbors’ private spaces, nor invite them into hers, but she was more than happy to socialize in the shared courtyard. Another young woman, an immigrant from Cameroon, revealed a similar sentiment, “My neighbors down there, I think they are from Mexico, we talk. I don’t go to their house and sit. They don’t come to mine. We meet outside, we talk, ask how things are going.” The courtyards provide a space where neighbors can casually make acquaintance without making a commitment; they allow neighbors to build a kind of rapport over time that may not be possible in an apartment building or even on a street lined with single-family homes. Within the courtyards, barbeques and picnic tables serve as focal points of interaction. An older woman described the ubiquitous barbeques as being conversation starters, saying, “If we’re out there barbequing, [neighbors] come by and look at the grill.” A college-aged Hmong woman talked about meeting one particular neighbor often while she was out studying at the picnic table in front of her apartment. She said, “There’s a picnic table right in front of my house, so that’s convenient. My neighbor here, he’s Hmong too. He’s really friendly. He always talks to me when I go out there.” The neighbor she spoke of, an elderly Hmong.Nation for him. Neighborhood Courtyard: Shared, Casual, Focused Social Space The final vital place I consider is right outside residents’ front doors: the neighborhood courtyards. The courtyards are shared spaces that allow for observation of and acquaintance with neighbors; offer a venue for casual socialization without commitment; and contain certain focal points (e.g., barbeques and picnic tables) which enable both the establishment and maintenance of supportive relationships among neighbors.Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptSoc Sci Med. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2015 April 07.WaltonPageThe shared aspect of the courtyards allows for observation and provides a space to make acquaintance and develop relationships with neighbors over time. One African American woman said, “The courtyard gives me an opportunity to see [my neighbors] and introduce myself. I get to know other people and families.” Another African American woman described the courtyards this way, “If you’re out in a courtyard area, then you see people coming and going, being outside. So, you get to know them. You may not speak the same language, but you know, you do say `hi’ to each other. They’ll ask me how I’m doing. I’ll ask them how they’re doing. So, it’s more like a family”. In this passage, she transitions quickly from surface-level sociability in the courtyards to expressing that her neighbors feel like family. This is typical of many residents, who described just saying “hi” to a lot of people, but simultaneously feeling well-known and accepted in the community. The ability to see people come and go frequently in the courtyards was a solid foundation for the development of trusting, familiar relationships among neighbors. The courtyards also provide a casual venue for socializing that is away from the private sphere of home. One older white woman described the social interaction in the courtyards this way, “I guess we’re just passing by and we stop and talk a few minutes. I mean, I don’t go to anybody’s doors and stuff, but it’s more or less when you’re out and around, it’s good to communicate.” Specifically, she was not willing to make the commitment to enter her neighbors’ private spaces, nor invite them into hers, but she was more than happy to socialize in the shared courtyard. Another young woman, an immigrant from Cameroon, revealed a similar sentiment, “My neighbors down there, I think they are from Mexico, we talk. I don’t go to their house and sit. They don’t come to mine. We meet outside, we talk, ask how things are going.” The courtyards provide a space where neighbors can casually make acquaintance without making a commitment; they allow neighbors to build a kind of rapport over time that may not be possible in an apartment building or even on a street lined with single-family homes. Within the courtyards, barbeques and picnic tables serve as focal points of interaction. An older woman described the ubiquitous barbeques as being conversation starters, saying, “If we’re out there barbequing, [neighbors] come by and look at the grill.” A college-aged Hmong woman talked about meeting one particular neighbor often while she was out studying at the picnic table in front of her apartment. She said, “There’s a picnic table right in front of my house, so that’s convenient. My neighbor here, he’s Hmong too. He’s really friendly. He always talks to me when I go out there.” The neighbor she spoke of, an elderly Hmong.
