Adults and Children Essay

A gated community is a type of residential community that upholds privacy and exclusivity. Residential houses within gated communities are bounded within limited proximities that are bordered by walls, gates, fences, and such. Access or entrance to gated communities is highly restricted not only for pedestrians, but also to various types of transportation as well. Within gated communities, residents are provided with services or amenities that are exclusive only to them. Sometimes, gated communities adapt the concept of larger communities by providing services and amenities that will allow residents to enjoy a comfortable home and lifestyle within the bounds of the area. Large-scale and highly private or exclusive gated communities even provide small to medium sized shopping centers, recreational facilities, food and dining centers, and such that enables residents within it to enjoy daily living tasks and activities comfortable within its proximities. (Blandy & Lister, 287) The purpose of establishing gated communities is to provide the community with safe and secure housing opportunities for individuals allowing them to experience a peaceful and relaxed home environment. Security systems established within gated communities for limit access from non-residents ensure individuals that the area is sheltered and guarded from criminal activities. (McGoey) Another objective for the establishment of the concept of gated communities is to allow residents to control or manage the community or environment they live in by granting them the power or authority to supervise roles or activities within it. Gated communities are guarded by appointed security officers, but it is usually managed by a Homeowner’s Association – a group or organization which handles everything that has something to do with living within the gated community. The owners of the properties within the gated community gather and elect leaders who will be in charge of overseeing all needs, problems, concerns, and other issues that might require urgent attention and resolutions. In addition, gated communities also serve as housing facilities that promises to provide residents with the best quality of life by offering unlimited access to fun, entertainment, and privacy. For instance, some large-scale gated communities have golfing areas that are accessible only to residents. Residents are allowed to play within the golfing areas without any limitations. (â€Å"Explore Gated Communities! †) Due to the benefits and advantages of living in gated communities, some discussed previously, it has become a major trend in modern housing. (â€Å"Explore Gated Communities! †) However, although the positive attributes or aspects of gated communities have been discussed, there seems to be some issues raised on its influence or effect to the behavior and lifestyle of adults and children who live within and outside the community. Adults and children who live in and outside gated communities acquire both positive and negative qualities and perspectives from the context or dimensions of walled housing arrangements. The effects of living within gated communities vary from emotional and psychological, to moral and social influences. The remainder of this paper will discuss how the behavior and lifestyle of adults are influenced by the structure of gated communities. In terms of the relationship between adults and children, living within gated communities allows parents and older members of families to feel at ease with the whereabouts of their children within the community. The focus of gated communities on providing safe and secure home environments ensure parents that their children are safe without their close supervision as long as they stay within the confines of the gated community. (Le Goix, 2003) This helps them to focus on other urgent things or concerns as they feel no worries or stress regarding the safety of their children. On the other hand, parents who live outside gated communities feel the worry and stress due to the relocation or concentration of criminal activities outside the walls of gated communities. Since the difference between gated communities and the public is most observable in terms of safety and security measures, the distinction between these two kinds of communities gives way to the unequal division or distribution of criminal activities within the entire community. Criminal activities will converge on areas neighboring non-gated communities. (â€Å"Diagonal Mar – A Gated Community,†) This concern allows parents to feel worried or stressed about the safety of their children leaving them deeply involved with ensuring that they keep them protected at all times.