My home is socially constructed in many ways. The design and layout of my home were not planned by me as I was not able to buy a brand new home and had to buy one that was about 22 years old at the time I purchased it. It is a small townhome with an open floor concept which is what many people like as there is that cultural emphasis on family togetherness and having get togethers to socially interact with others. The main floor has that with a living room and dinning room combo without any walls separating the two and then a kitchen in the back that has a window cut out in the wall so it doesn’t feel closed off but rather part of the open concept feel as well. While the entire first floor is only 500 square feet, the open concept design makes it feel bigger and more spacious. The upstairs is also 500 square feet and has 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. Again, I had no say in the layout as the home was already built, but since the home has two bedrooms, socially we can agree that this home was built most likely for a small family.
While my home was not brand new when I purchased it, I saw the potential to change things later on if I wanted to. The downstairs was more updated and had nicer hardwood floors, and so I knew I would need to eventually do some work to make the upstairs reflect current social trends. I was not able to start big right away but I could do little improvements over time as my economic status changed. Simple things such as paint were easy to do on the inside of the home and the outside door to update the curb appeal. A new large planter box under my bay window out front was noticed by my neighbors as I built it myself outside one summer and filled it with new plants, mulch, and decorative rocks. The neighbors complimented my efforts and worked on their own planter areas throughout the summer as well creating a cohesive look to our row of homes. While our HOA (Homeowners Association) does not require us to keep to a certain standard within the community when it comes to our planter boxes, they do however make sure that when the paint on your front door starts to fade, you put a nice fresh coat of paint back on to keep all the doors looking good.
I was finally able to start a more substantial renovation project this year as I was able to purchase hardwood floors for the 500 square feet of the upstairs in my home. So far I have torn out the now 26 year old carpet in one of the rooms and have started to lay down the new flooring all by myself. In doing this I can hopefully bring the value of my home up as social trends and expectations have changed over time when it comes to the type of flooring we see in homes today. I grew up in Europe and have missed seeing hardwood floors in all the rooms, and this will be a breath of fresh air when I finish as this is a much cleaner, more modern look that is more my taste than carpet. I also have 3 cats and think cleaning up after them on hardwood floors is a lot easier than carpet. I have not decided what to do with the stairs yet and have watched a lot of home improvement shows without any ideas so far.
My economic status at the time I wanted to purchase a home prevented me from purchasing in certain locations in Utah and it also prevented me from purchasing above a certain price range. The exact same townhome I bought in Provo (down to the age it was built) was $35,000 more expensive in American Fork where I was currently living. While homeowner status changed the way I viewed myself (it gave me more self esteem among other things) I had to move 30 minutes South to achieve this dream.
The neighborhood my home is in is also socially constructed. I live in a community that has an HOA and with that come rules that all of us must abide by to be good citizens of the community. The role of being a neighbor, especially since I live in a townhome which shares a wall on both sides, is especially important as socially you should be courteous and respectful to those living around you anyways. There are even laws in place that protect citizens against neighbors who are in violation of community or social guidelines such as when a neighbor is violating noise ordinances at 3 a.m by having a loud party on a random Tuesday. Getting to know your neighbors and interacting with them occasionally can build social relationships and avoid miscommunications in the future.
The way my home engages with my neighbors and community (HOA) contributes to the overall aesthetic. By making sure the outside of my home is clean, kept up, and well maintained, I am making sure my relationship is not sour and my home has a good place among the rest of the homes in the area. By also making sure the inside of my home is updated and in good working condition, by replacing outdated appliances and such, I can make sure my home fosters social bonds inside as well because my kids will want to come over to visit me. Friends and acquaintances can come over and feel at ease inside of a home that is clean, organized, put together, and see the space where I can showcase my cultural art and personal identity creating many different topics of conversation.
[Paper written for SOC 3520 class UVU Fall 2024]
Amy Brouwer . 2024 . All Right Reserved
