The Cosmopolitan Canopy Elijah Anderson Summary

Elijah Anderson wrote an interesting book, The Cosmopolitan Canopy: Race and Civility in Everyday Life, which describes social settings and people interactions in different parts of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. This book was published on March 28, 2011 by W. W. Norton & Company. Anderson has observed these places in Philadelphia for over thirty years. He uses the observations he made and the stories that people shared with him during his endeavor to answer the following questions: “How do ordinary people in this diverse city interact across and along racial lines? When and how do racial identities figure out into these encounters? When and how do city dwellers set aside their own and other’s particular racial and ethnic identities to communicate

in more cosmopolitan ways? What conditions enable people in some urban places to consort with others with such civility?” (xiii) Based on these questions, I think that the main concern of the author is that even though there are places where people get along regardless of their racial or ethnical background (which he calls cosmopolitan canopies), there are still people who deep down have racial biases.

These biases start to show when move out the cosmopolitan canopies. Thus, they are more likely to discriminate against the opposite racial group. In these case black minorities are the ones who suffer the most because there is a high chance that they will experience the “nigger moment” at least once in their lifetime. Also, it is important to note that Anderson answers these questions by analyzing these observations and the experiences that other people shared with him based solely on his personal views and opinion. This paper is going to start by discussing the Reading Terminal in more detail because it is fascinating that people of different races can get along so well in this beautiful place. Then, talk about some of the major points that Anderson addresses on his book. At the end, will conclude by suggesting how we can minimize the racial discrimination in places where cosmopolitan canopies do not

exist.
Cosmopolitan canopies are safe zones. By safe zones, I mean places where people with different racial and ethnic background have the opportunity to interact with each other without discriminating one another. This is how Anderson defines cosmopolitan canopies: “settings that offer a respite from lingering tensions of urban life and an opportunity for diverse people to come together.” In another words, when one thinks of the canopies, he or she will get a welcoming feeling in such a place and would not hesitate to socialize there. Many people, especially black minorities, fear that they will be discriminated based on their skin color. This is because “in public, stereotypically, white skin color is most often associated with respectability, civility, and trust, and black skin color is associated with poverty, danger, and distrust” (2) usually, they have their guard up when they interact with other people; mostly, when they interact with white people. This is why it is important to have places where people feel safe and are encourages to interact with other people from different backgrounds.
Anderson plays a crucial role in this book, not just as an author, but as an active participant. He is the voice of reason. Not only he describes the places and interactions between or with other people but he also encourages the reader to think critically about these issues. He does not want to just show the reader what is going on. He wants the reader to understand what is going on and then think why this is happening. After reading the book, I feel like I have been in this places and observed this people myself. For every page I read I felt like I was sitting beside Anderson and observing this people with him; interviewing people with him; interacting with them. Also, I couldn’t help by wonder how my life relates to this experiences. I was aware that there were still people who were racist but after reading the book I felt so close to the people who share their stories and now I am more skeptical about how other people think and behave. For example, Anderson said in his book that when people sit on the train people tend to sit next to the white person unless the train is full and there is no other place. After reading this part
Author’s identity as Black is a crucial part of the puzzle because he can relate to what he is talking about based on his experience. I think his words are more credible than that of a white sociologist. What makes the book unique is that there is a mix of author’s opinion, personal life, and the in-depth description of everyday life and practice he provides for us from his ethnographic research.
One of the problems is that Anderson starts by explaining different places that fall under the cosmopolitan canopies then he transitions to the “nigger moment”. It is hard to go form this wonderful places where everybody gets along to read about this interaction that show us how racist some people can be. His background is important in writing this book because he is an elite black man who has majored in one of the best universities and he still encounters moments where other people think of him as someone that comes from “ghetto. It is clear that his skin color marginalizes him and makes him wonder about his position in the society. In his book he raises questions about racism and how it is portrayed in different social settings. Also he talks about to different kinds of people that come from cosmos and ethnos

Areas in the city called Cosmopolitan Canopies, where racial relations are very positive and people interact with each other without thinking of the other person’s race.
Anderson became aware of this phenomenon during by doing ethnographic research in Philadelphia for over thirty years. By observing people in everyday life Anderson noticed that people develop understandings of their needs in their everyday life. This understanding then are passed to people they care about or have a relationship. They develop a local knowledge about things they know (including prejudices). Anderson taps in in this local knowledge and tries to apprehend it aurally. Tries to take the story he is observing, taking what is going on in everyday life, and describing it on his own words in his book. So people who have never been in this settings can understand what is going on. Describe what people are doing together in the urban environment.
People from different cultures and ethnicities are in this places. Good food is a big factor in this. Many black people no longer live in ghettos segregated. They have moved on in other areas and participate in the “white” society. We have had a tremendous amount of migration offer the past few years, which adds to the diversity of the city.
Various kinds of people come together and get along even though they come from ethnocentric spaces. When they come here its time out from that. They keep those feelings to themselves. People watching is the big part of this places. People watch each other black white everyone is there. Being nice to each other. Reading terminal market.