Community Analysis: Plymouth

Denisa Llangos
Community Analysis
Macro Theory and Practice
SW 4020
O4/02/15
EY 8514

Community Analysis: Plymouth

Introduction
Communities are the arenas in which macro practice takes place, but they are so
diverse that no definition or theory seems able to capture their total essence. (Netting, pg.
131) When most people think about communities that are important to them, they usually
think on a smaller scale remembering where they grew up, identifying with where they
live today, or focusing on relationships based on affiliations on interests rather than
geographic proximity. (Netting, pg. 131) Social workers, not only have to collect data
that comes personally from experience or other people experiences but every single detail
that makes a community. Everything and everyone is important. One of the big issues
addressed in the book by Netting is weather social workers are best served by looking at
communities from many different aspects and completing in needs would be a fit for
them or not. Based on life experiences, social workers will have their own perceptions of
what a community is, along with expectations about it would be. (Netting, pg. 131) A
community is the organization of social activities that affords people access what is
necessary for day to day leaving, such as the school, grocery store, hospital, house of
worship, and other such social units and systems.
There is nothing like home. Living in the community you where born is the most
comforting and best thing when it comes to you and your family. A community is the
heart and strength that us as people will hold, a feeling of fellowship with others, as a
result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. My family and I are one of the
luckiest to have lived in many communities around the world from third world countries
to well, USA. From a social worker point of view not only have I seen communities with
a very bad structure but communities with very strong structure. That is helpful for me

Community Analysis: Plymouth

and others to point out weaknesses and strength about a certain community or just your
own. I was born in Albania, Europe where was a little state where you dont have many
options everything is limited to simple things such as goods to bigger things such as
school and living. I have also spend half of my life here in Plymouth, MI where I got to
go to school get my education and other things that led me choose to write about this
community.
Plymouth
I moved to America 11 years ago at age 13. I was halfway done with my middle
school and completed the other half at Central Middle School in the city of Plymouth.
The school and the community were the most welcoming community at the time. I went
straight to my education and I had a lot of help when needed. When I think of Plymouth
as I was growing up as a teenager to an adult, I think of it as the most down to earth and
the best city to settle in. The neighborhoods are very safe, peaceful and they give me
nostalgia of a real downtown with some alive vibes and action going on. It is a very
welcoming city that includes its community not to sit at home but enjoy the goods and
participate in many activities and events. The homes are beautiful, old vintage look and
they are extremely neat and well-taken care off. There was no diversity in Plymouth
because in my school when I attended Central Middle School there was no ESL teacher
they had to hire one just for me. My community is a small town located 15 miles away
from Ann Arbor and 20 miles from Detroit. Its nearest cities are Canton and Northville.
According the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce the population of Plymouth
Township is 27,524 residents and the population of the City of Plymouth is 9,132
residents together as a whole the population sums up 36,656 residents. Plymouth is

Community Analysis: Plymouth

known of its multiple events within the community held by the residents and its
surrounding volunteers. The most famous events that it holds are the Easter Egg Hunt,
Showcase and Taste of Plymouth where all the restaurants gather and prepare foodtasting of the community, Plymouth Farmers Market, Community Band Concerts, Relay
for life, Fathers day Run many parades and the Ice festival where many come out of state
to watch. The diversity of the Plymouth is consisted off 94.1% White, 1.9% Hispanic,
1.6% African American, 1.4% two or more races, 0.9% Asian and 0.4% American Indian
decent. (citydata.com) The estimated median household income 60,769 and MI is 46,859
making it above average. The median for resident age is 39.2 years and Michigan Median
Age is 40.9 years. (citydata.com) Plymouth in general is a very quite city the crime rate is
very low given it is 65.3 comparing 214.00 U.S Average. Plymouth is the second low
crime rate making Northville the first city to be very low on crime rate. In addiction, the
unemployment rate in Plymouth is 2.30% and in the United States is 6.30%.
(bestplaces.net) The high school graduation rate is 94% in Plymouth making that higher
than the US average of 82%. (publicschoolreview.com) Manufacturing (29%) would be
the highest percentage of employment opportunities for residents followed by,
Professional, scientific, and technical services (14%), Retail trade (10%), Educational
services (8%), Finance and insurance (5%), Health care and social assistance (5%) and
last the Public administration (4%).
Community now and then
When our nation was young and before Michigan became a state, a tract of land was
registered as follows: "The United States of America, by John Quincy Adams, President
and Commissioner of the General Land Office to Luther Lincoln, Jr.", dated April 2,

Community Analysis: Plymouth

1825. Plymouth was settled in 1825, was incorporated in 1867, and became a city in
1932. It was George Starkweather, the first child born to settlers in present Plymouth
Township, who later in 1871 recognized the importance of a railroad to a community and
decided that the North Village of Plymouth would become the new center of town. He
built a new store on the corner of Liberty and Starkweather and opened a road through his
property for other new stores to locate. This area is presently known as "Old Village" or
Lowertown.
The Plymouth Railroad Station was built in 1871 by the Pere Marquette Railroad.
The only place in Michigan where railroad tracks go in all four directions, bringing goods
and services from points east and west, and north and south through the Plymouth
Community. Local residents may become frustrated when a breakdown on the train
causes some of our railroad crossings to be blocked and traffic is at a standstill in the
community. Before the coming of the railroad, Plymouth was serviced by a toll road
known as "Plymouth Plank Road" from 1850 to 1872. Planks were on the right side only
for heavy-laden wagons going to market. Wagons coming back to Plymouth empty were
to use the dirt side and there was no toll for the homeward trip.

Community Analysis: Plymouth

6
Reference

http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Plymouth-Michigan.html
http://www.plymouthmich.org/events.html
Kersterns K.Elizabeth Plymouths First Century Innovators and Industry 2002
published by Arcadia Publishing, Inc: Chicago, IL
Netting, Ellen; Kettner, Peter; McMurtry, Steven & Thomas, Lori (2012). Understanding
Communities (5th Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
http://www.bestplaces.net/economy/city/michigan/plymouth
http://www.publicschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/97369
http://www.ci.plymouth.mi.us/index.aspx?NID=300