Join Dr. Christopher Dum, an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at Kent State University, as he discusses, “Exiled in America: Life on the Margins in a Residential Motel.”
Residential motels have long been places of last resort for many people cast aside by mainstream society. Whether they are returning from prison, struggling with physical, drug, and mental issues, or unable to keep up with rising housing costs, they survive in squalid, unsafe, and demeaning circumstances that few of us can imagine.
For a year, Christopher Dum rented a room at the Boardwalk Motel to better understand its residents and how they survived. He witnessed moments of violence and conflict, as well as those of care and compassion. As told through the voices and experiences of motel residents, “Exiled in America” paints a portrait of a vibrant community whose members forged empowering identities and created meaningful lives despite crushing economic instability and social marginalization. In addition, this talk chronicles the tenuous relationship between the Boardwalk’s existence and the local community. The culmination of this battle is a powerful lesson about the dangers of stigmatization, NIMBYism, and social inequality.
Friday, April 14 at 12:00pm to 1:00pm in 406 Oswald Tower and on Zoom