"Making Bathrooms More 'Accommodating'" covers many of the same issues presented here. However, these two articles working in conjunction paint a much broader picture, showing that there are schools and institutions across the country facing similar issues. This will undoubtedly lead to a Supreme Court case where there will be a final decision.

Whenever there is something that people don't understand, there is going to be conflict, no matter what. Depending on how this current situation over transgender restroom usage, there is sure to be another situation that will cause controversy. One of the largest problems with any of these situations is that the general public, as talked about by Bazelon, is not informed well enough to fully understand both sides of an argument. Only when both groups understand a topic are they able to make a concise decision.

This relates back to Bazelon's article, "Making Bathrooms more Accommodating." There are many situations arising in which there are members of communities that are transsexual, and are therefore trying to make use of the amenities provided to their identified gender. Accommodations for privacy as a whole may serve to solve a large number of these problems.

Bazelon, Emily. “Making Bathrooms More ‘Accommodating.’” The New York Times 17 Nov. 2015. NYTimes.com. Web. 17 Oct. 2016

Throughout this article, there is a presentation of the debated issues regarding transgendered members of society. In recent times, there have been many debates regarding the rights of some minority groups in America, most notably being the LGBT community. However, once gay marriage was legalized in 2015, another important topic that came up was the discussion of transgendered people and their rights and access to different parts of the community. Many people have brought forth concerns about having biologically male or female people in the opposing restrooms if they identify as male or female (Bazelon). Unfortunately, there is a widespread backlash in areas in which schools and public restrooms allow transgendered people to use their restrooms and locker rooms. How can they ensure the safety of all people involved? Even though this article does a good job of discussing the issue of transgender people, there are some details that they do not address. One of the main talking points was male-to-female members of society, and how some people perceived a possible threat to the biologically female citizens. While this may be a valid concern, it does not properly discuss a female-to-male members. If a male who has transitioned to a female is required to use a men’s room, there may be threats and or actions taken against them, and it may escalate the situation. There needs to be a higher level of privacy providing features that would enable all members of an area, no matter if they are trans or not, to be able to use the area effectively and feel safe in doing so.

Education about the issue will dramatically help. Whenever there is a situation that arises, it is paramount that all individuals involved understand completely what they are getting into. Without a full understanding, there can be no real concensus. People need to understand the mind set of the trans members of their society so that they are able to understand their struggles and work to improve the situation for everyone, ensuring an atmosphere in which everyone is safe.

This is one of the biggest problems. These outside groups are making their own determination as to the gender of the other person, and that should not be the case. If "Student A" perceives herself to be female, then no other person has the right to tell her that she is not.

Times have changed dramatically. America has become a very private society, and this is especially the case with young children who are beginning to change, both physically and mentally. By being forced to change in front of other people, many people experience anxiety. There needs to be a total overhaul of the system so that all people have a higher level of privacy, and this would help solve some of the issues that arise with these new debates over transgender accommodations.

Gender roles have been deeply engraved into the minds of many people. It is with this most recent generation that some people are beginning to break away from these norms. Women are no longer expected to stay at home and take care of the kids, gay people are more widely accepted. As a whole, society is advancing to a point in which they are accepting of the non-conformative people breaking these gender norms.

This is a good start. Rather than alienating the transgendered youth, they are making provisions for both groups of people, allowing them to coexist in the same area. Education about the topic is the best place to start, and if people are better able to understand the situation, it may lead to better regulations.

But would this really work? Theoretically, this law may be able to help transgendered people in one way or another, but that is not going to stop the harassment from outside groups. It is one battle won in a larger, more violent war. Trans members of society have a much higher chance of not only suffering from depression and suicide, but as well as having a much higher murder rate. How much would this law really do?

To me, this appears as though she is saying that this sudden focus on transgendered members of society is a result of their previous focus on gay marriage, which is now legal. It is almost as if they area a scapegoat.

I think that the mainstream understanding of a lot of things is changing. Just a few decades ago, such things as sexuality, gender, and social norms were very rigid. However, in recent years, society is beginning to be more understanding of and accepting of what was once considered a great disparity of society.

If the elected officials don't follow the desires of a majority of their constituents, they risk losing following elections. By responding to the wants of the majority, they can create a situation in which they have supported those that can vote them into office again.

Why do many places not take action against these structures? In many of these areas, the people living within the gated communities are wealthy individuals. These homeowners are more likely to participate in decision making for the community because they have made a hefty investment, and they want to keep their area safe. If the cities take action to prevent these walled-off communities, it could cause the wealthy citizens to move to other areas, affecting revenues for the city.

I believe that this still occurs today, albeit in a much more subtle manner. Certain neighborhoods are given priority, and their resident's concerns are of much more importance. For this reason, there are aspects of the environment that deter the entrance of people that are not as affluent.

Some of these exclusions may not be due to the structures design or construction, but from the regulations pertaining to the business or family that moves into it. In many instances, the regulations surrounding a business are made to help the majority of people. Some of these rules make it harder for some minority groups, such as those with autism, to participate in activities. As time has progressed however, more people are being included, opening the doors for all members of society to be active participants.

Architecture definitely plays a role in the everyday lives of citizens. I do, however, think that these regulations are beginning to change in the built environment. As discussed in the article, "Five places in Manchester that cater for children with autism," these regulations are beginning to change in a way that allows a wider range of people to have access to the amenities that higher members of society have had access to forever.

In the article, “Five places in Manchester that cater for children with autism,” it discusses several business that have begun to accommodate children with special needs. In the past, there have been many businesses and structures in cities that have not made it possible for all types of people, including those with disabilities, special needs, and the elderly, to take advantage of them. However, change has begun to occur in many places. As the article discusses, there are now businesses and companies that are beginning to host events specifically for those people with autism. Some of these, such as movie theatres and play centres, have been difficult for children with autism to go to because they are generally full of a lot of guests, which can cause anxiety in some of these children.

What this article shows is that not only are companies beginning to make accommodations so that more members of society are able to make use of their services, but society as a whole is progressing to include everyone. Autistic children were once not able to go to movies and attend large activities because the lights, sound, and sheer number of people could cause them to have bad anxiety. It is a way to ease the stress that presses down on the caretakers of the children, because they are unable to do activities with their children like others. This is a sign that in the future, more and more people with disabilities of any kind will be able to enjoy the luxuries other people get to in a way that makes them comfortable.

Emma Gill. “Five Places in Manchester That Cater for Children with Autism - Manchester Evening News.” Manchester Evening News. N.p., 19 Sept. 2016. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.

Living in Atlanta has provided an interesting insight into this particular case. While walking around downtown, I have recently noticed a lot of work crews repaving the sidewalks with ramps enabling disabled residents to have easier access to the safety of the sidewalks. What this shows is that only recently have people been able to enact change by making it a bit more equal for all people to have access to certain amenities.

This has come to light quite a bit in recent times. In many different neighborhoods across the countries, especially those with a large Caucasian population, it is possible that members of the community are more likely to report unkown individuals of another race because they do not fit the stereotypical member of that area.

This is an interesting point. Homeowners are going to be more active in community decision making because they are permanent residents. Renters are relatively able to move whenever and are less likely to vote because they can simply move away if something they don't like occurs to the area. Homeowners, on the other hand, have invested much more money into the area, and they are going to try and keep it as good and to their liking as possible.

As the article discusses, the built environmeny can be used as a form of regulation, making it work for some and using it to push away others. However, is it possible that some officials could pass laws preventing this kind of subtle regulation? They are often implemented as a way to deter the lower class from straying into areas populated by wealthier members of society, so is it right? If more people understood what was happening, would there be more concern with it?

When the public thinks about the laws and regulations that govern society, they often think of those passed by the federal and state governments. However, it is interesting to think that more subtle things are capable of regulating the people. Minute details in the construction and implementation of objects can play a role in determining who can use them, and who they may deter.

This is one of the main focuses of this section. Every structure in an area is built to serve a purpose. No matter how small the structure may be, people would not direct resources to its implementation if it did not better, at least somewhat, the area in which it is being built. The possibility for items to be built is based upon the area in which it is being placed, but it can also be used as a way to dictate who can use the space and in what way.

Schindler brings forth an interesting point in this section. In many instances in which companies and the like are creating public structures, it is important to strike a balance between both aestheticism and functionality.

As Carter and Cromley discuss, vernacular architecture is a very hands-on experience. You can't learn everything there is to know by simply looking at pictures or reading papers about it. You have to examine all of the finer details to build a picture that incorporates all of the true purposes of the building or area.

This line reminds me of some topics discussed in "The morbid and mortal toll of sprawl." By investing the money in a small project that would allow the Dubois' to come across as affluent and monetarily sound, they created an outward image, at least on part of the house, that represented this. This is similar to the roads that are being built today. The roads are "built to support sprawl, designed to modern safety standards" (Steuteville 1). In my mind, this is much like the situation with the Dubois house. Many people say that it is safer for drivers, and that in the long run it will work better, however by looking at the statistics, there are more casualties associated with these new roads that with those made before the 1950s. On paper, these ideas may seem much better, but in practice it may not be so.

The authors say that the owners chose to make only the front of their house out of this relatively expensive material as a way to present themselves in a light that made them seem more wealthy, and because of this, they appeared to have a higher position in the social hierarchy. However, this would only work if the people viewing the house did so in passing, such as driving. For anyone living in the neighborhood, they would realize what the family had done.

Less wealthy people are unable to afford larger homes, so when the time comes for expansion to occur, these are the people that lose out. When areas are targeted for demolition for the construction of larger, more expensive homes, the poorer people in these areas may be forced out.

In the past, many things were handmade, and because of this, there was a little bit more of the creator in each piece. This particular passage reminded me of the story about the Mohegan painted baskets. Our culture and our personal identity serve to help us produce items that allow others to see into the creator's life.

Every building still around today has some form of character. Every material and every design was specifically chosen to serve some purpose, and these all build up to tell a story not only about the building itself but about the area in which it exists. For example, in many large cities, the buildings are very tall, and a lot of people live in apartments because there is a strain on the space, and they can't fit enough people into it.

These artifacts are a physical representation of the culture of the person who created it. By looking into the designs, materials from which it was made, and what it was used for, we may be able to discern a lot of information about the people who made it, as well as its intended purpose if it isn't the traditional house or building.

Everything around us has a purpose, however what we intend to happen does not happen at all. As the article discusses, we began to construct roadways differently than we had in the past, as a way to "protect" people from driving carelessly (Steuteville 1). However, this change in our cultural values to a more relaxed view has actually led to an increase in the number of deaths, showing that what we may have valued and tried to achieve did not actually pan out.

-This is a chart taken from the article "The morbid and mortal toll of sprawl." Steuteville, Robert. "The Morbid and Mortal Toll of Sprawl." CNU. N.p., 26 Aug. 2016. Web. 31 Aug. 2016.

This can relate back to many things. As people perform research into the way people think and interact, there have been changes in fields that have't changed in a long time. For example, many classrooms have now implemented flipped classroom practices, in which the students teach, or they reorganize the class and allow for more student participation and discussion.

As with anything, good work takes time. To truly understand the importance of something, time must be taken. As the authors write, time in the field does not pass quickly. However, it is well worth it when, in the end, the researchers are able to accurately discuss the studied piece.

This relates back to what we read in "Understanding Comics." The two main goals for us as humans is to survive and to reproduce. Everything that we produce, in some way is making out lives easier and more enjoyable, but ultimately, the point of these items is to help us survive.

In what ways can we attempt to stop the biasing and perceptions of the people that analyze a building, material, etc.? From an early age, we are trained to perceive certain traits of things based on how they look, etc., and it can be hard to overcome that.

The article, “The morbid and mortal toll of sprawl,” is a very interesting read that discusses some of the changes that have occurred within society in the past few decades. Change occurs all the time, whether we like it or not. However, some of the things that are done as a way to try and help the majority of people actually do the exact opposite. The roadways that we put in place to help the majority of people actually led to more problems (Steuteville 4). The article goes on to discuss the fact that on paper, many of these roads and highways are safer for the majority of people than those that were built prior to the 1950s. The charts, on the other hand, tell a different story; more deaths occur on these newer, “safer,” roads (Steuteville 4).

When looking at the information, it is easy to understand. But why do people not fight for roads that are truly safer? It is because we accept what we are told. The companies building these roads say that they are better for the overall safety of the drivers, and no one looks further into it. This causes a problem, because without people voicing their opinions and making their own ideas, nothing is ever going to change. More and more dangerous roads will be built, and only when the numbers start to climb even higher will people finally take notice.

Steuteville, Robert. "The Morbid and Mortal Toll of Sprawl." CNU. N.p., 26 Aug. 2016. Web. 31 Aug. 2016.

To understand the significance of buildings, you have to look back into when it was built and by who. Then you can look at the people that lived or worked inside of it, because each of them has their own individual story, and it is likely that they left some piece of themselves behind, either in decorations or other aspects of the building.

Over the years, culture changes, and thus our physical environment changes. Over time, we have seen a change in the way in which homes and other buildings have been built so that they provide more function or provide for the maximization of land. In many ways, this is very similar to the ideas brought to mind in "The morbid and mortal toll of sprawl" (Steuteville 1). Roadways have changed, allowing drivers to "feel comfortable driving carelessly" (Steuteville 1). As a people, with more things drawing our attention and more technology providing distractions, we have had to make accommodations for those people because there is a realization that not everyone is going to do what they are supposed to do, but I believe this actually makes it more dangerous for those people that follow the law and do as they are supposed to.

To get the true meaning of anything, you have to be able believe in, and support, your ideas concerning whatever it may be. You have to fight for what you believe in, and stand up for your beliefs no matter what. More than likely, there are other people that will suppoort you and who have the same ideas as you, but you just have to ge the ball rolling. As stated by Steuteville, "our complacency is killing us" (1).

Western society, as viewed by many, is very self-centered. If it does not fit into our previous definitions of what is considered language or writing, we cast it aside.

Could this be because to many of these people it was not a simple sign of what the original crafter was able to do, but instead a physical embodiment of the culture of the people and the journeys they had all been through?