“Who is a ‘New Yorker’ ?”, “How does one become a New Yorker?”, “How do ‘New Yorkers’ find a sense of belonging in New York?”
We explored this question by learning the topic from a diverse group of people who now or used to live in NYC and questioned what real belonging for them looked like compared to their lived experiences in NYC.
In this project, our team used a design-led research approach with various methods to understand people’s experiences of belonging and being a part of a community. We also investigated structural factors that enable or prevent people from feeling like they belong in a community and identify potential intervention opportunity areas.
The Transdisciplinary Design MFA academic program is a 2-year Master Program that is as a part of Parsons School of Design, The New School, New York. The program addresses pressing social, economic, political, and environmental issues by uniting the theoretical focus of the social sciences and the transformative possibilities of artistic and design practices.
The program curriculum brings together research and action-oriented approaches in the exploration of political and philosophical questions and develops operational capacities aimed at advancing equity and justice.
What are the different definitions and understandings of what it means to be a “New Yorker” and how do these intersect, overlap and also contradict each other? Where are some tension points?
What do people do to integrate into New York and find a sense of belonging in New York?
Secondary Research & Stakeholders Analysis
We grounded our research in the concept of the American Dream, utilizing media analysis, stakeholder affinity mapping, and visits to sites like the Museum of Immigration and the Tenement Museum. We discovered that the boundaries between different migrant groups are often blurred and contested. This exploration revealed how socio-cultural and political histories in media significantly influence migrants' experiences of assimilation and belonging in NYC.
Autoethnography
We conducted an autoethnographic exercise, reflecting on our own experiences and discussing these with others to delve into belonging. This helped us identify how belonging is influenced by the city's spatial and temporal characteristics and personal openness and vulnerability in adapting to new environments.
Cultural Probe Kit & Interview
We deepened our research with interviews and distributed cultural probe kits to 11 diverse participants to gather nuanced insights about their lives in NYC. The probe kits prompted participants to personify New York City and describe their evolving relationship with it, highlighting areas of connection and disconnection within the city. The responses were insightful, reflecting various personal experiences and perceptions.
Our stakeholders mapping and synthesis from our secondary research on media analysis and literatures on migration
Autoethnography sharing of our project team members where we reflect on our last 5 months in New York City. It helped us understand that belonging is influenced by the city's spatial and temporal characteristics and personal openness and vulnerability in adapting to new environments.
The Cultural Probe-Kit design and participant responses provided deep insights into New York and how individuals perceive and navigate their relationship with the city.
We conducted a two-tiered synthesis process. Initially, we grouped ideas directly expressed by our participants. In the second layer, we delved into what these insights mean for our community in New York City, surfacing deeper questions and identifying potential opportunities for intervention.
Synthesizing our findings enabled us to reflect on the entire process and our multifaceted roles as researchers, designers, and residents of New York City. This comprehensive reflection provided valuable perspectives on potential areas for future intervention.
Our research revealed how people perceive New York City and identified critical areas for potential design interventions. Key themes emerged on the insights include:
Exploring what it means to be a New Yorker revealed the city's complex dance of identity, belonging, and resilience, where every struggle and connection paints a broader stroke of belonging in the urban tapestry.
From this project, I learned much, not only about New York City itself but also about the structural aspects that influence one’s sense of belonging, what belonging to a community means, and who’s privileged to that. The design-led research approach also helped me understand a way of understanding through making, which enriches my craft as a researcher and designer.
I also learned more about how different mediums can shape the narrative of our stories. To effectively convey the complex themes and insights from our research, we selected interactive animation as the medium. This choice allows us to best communicate our nuanced exploration of New York City. Please view the interactive animation presentation [here] or watch the video version below.