Behind the Gates: Life, Security, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Fortress America

Setha Low

Taylor & Francis, Apr 25, 2003 - Social Science - 288 pages

Explores the trend for the upper and middle classes to move into gated communities. It looks at what has sparked this phenomenon and what life is like inside these suburban fortresses.

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Behind the gates: life, security, and the pursuit of happiness in fortress America

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Why do people move to private gated communities, and what does this mean for the enclave within the gates and for the larger society without? Inspired by an awkward visit to her sister's high-security ...

About the author

Setha Low is Professor of Anthropology and Environmental Psychology at the CUNY Graduate Center. She is the author or editor of numerous books, including Theorizing the City: The New Urban Anthropology Reader; Housing, Culture, and Design; Cultural Spaces; and Place Attachment.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Behind the Gates: Life, Security, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Fortress America
• Author: Setha Low
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis, 2003
• ISBN: 0203491254, 9780203491256
• Length: 288 pages
• Subjects: Social Science / Human Geography; Social Science / Sociology / General; Social Science / Sociology / Urban