Lawnscaping: The Social Construction of Lawns in American Suburbia

In: https://digitalcollections.saic.edu/islandora/object/islandora%3Athesis_43573

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the origins of the lawn-aesthetic as it was developed in the twentieth century to be controlled spaces. The social construction of the manicured lawn built upon preexisting correlations to social and economic status within a suburban community. The lawn-aesthetic and maintenance of American white-suburbia during this time was implemented within a system specifically created for those of a certain class and race, namely white and rising middle-class. In pursuing greener grass, homeowners sought conformity and monoculture despite the byproduct of environmental toxicity. I propose, through my research into the history of the social and economic factors of the white-suburban lawn, that the contemporary upkeep of these dated expectations should be kicked to the curb to make room for new landscaping methodologies that have the intention of cultivating a space for communication, inclusion, and activism rather than aesthetic conformity. For such spaces to be developed, there needs to be a shift in the ideology that public presentation correlates to social, economic, and political status. This shift can occur if the social implications and expectations of the lawn-aesthetic no longer encompass a reflection of the social and economic position within the community. This thesis argues for the reformation of associations and assumptions made by a public audience of a private space, as determined by the property line, through the analysis of what it means to participate in the lawnscaping culture of American white-suburbia.