COMMUNITY SYSTEM OBSERVATION

Community System Observation

Community System Observation

Environmental Factors

Environmental problems have manifested most directly in the form of pollution. Evidence of environmental destruction is seen in the form of air, water, and land pollution that has a direct impact on the health of the human population. One of the most direct links between pollution and negative health effects has been identified since the creation of the petrochemical industry in the 1940s. Since this time, we have seen more cases of cancer and respiratory illness in the human population. The rate remains high even when controlling for mitigating factors, such as the effects of advanced medical technology in treating these illnesses, and lifestyle factors, such as diet and smoking.

Description Of Housing

Housing is, in general terms, a tangible structure where people live. It provides protection from the elements and supports basic physical human needs such as a place to eat and sleep. However, the importance of housing is broader than its physical functions. Housing also provides the space for family interaction—the basic building block from which society is formed. For humankind, housing is as basic a need as is water or food.

Housing, examined from a more complex approach, is a commodity with unique attributes and peculiarities. First, it is produced and consumed in the same location, essentially exhibiting spatial fixity—an attribute uncommon in other commodities. Unlike other consumptive goods, traditional housing is fixed in space and cannot be moved to another location. In other words, the production and consumption of housing depends on road networks that make it accessible to other areas. A housing unit is both a commodity and an investment. Housing as a consumptive good helps define the quality of life or socioeconomic standing of its consumer. Housing is generally the primary investment for many families and can transfer wealth in the form of inheritance to subsequent generations. In urban areas, the housing unit is the primary building block of neighbourhoods.

Neighborhoods

Neighborhood can be defined in various ways. A neighborhood can be an area where the housing units are similar in design or type, a geographical area with a distinguishable character or physical feature, or a relatively homogeneous social unit formed by religious, ethnic, or socioeconomic ties. Thus, a neighborhood might share various characteristics throughout a determined geographical area that might delineate a specific type of subdivision of the housing market or submarket. Therefore, housing is strongly influenced by neighborhood characteristics that might influence its value.

Air Pollution

The standard composition of a well-mixed atmosphere is approximately 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, 0.93 percent argon, and 0.038 percent carbon dioxide, plus water vapor (spatially and temporally variable) and numerous trace constituents. Because of the negative impacts of poor air quality, such as acid precipitation or compromised human health, an understanding of both normal and disturbed atmospheric conditions is necessary. Air quality is an assessment of the state of the atmosphere that which uses a combination of various characteristics describing the ambient atmosphere, including concentration of pollutants, visibility, turbidity, and thermal ...