Full episode available on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration
“Civil servants” are employees of the municipal, state, or federal government. Within cities they often live in far-flung areas that are colloquially referred to as “police neighborhoods" or “firefighter neighborhoods.” The tendency of civil servants to live amongst each other has caused them to develop a distinct set of customs and norms that can be described as “civil servant culture.”
On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by discussing whether civil servants constitute their own subculture or social class. They then talk about the symbols they use to identify one another such as thin line flags, punisher symbols, and regional accents. They then survey the areas that civil servants tend to cluster in Chicago (Beverly/ Mt. Greenwood, Garfield Ridge/ Clearing, and Norwood Park/ O’Hare) and NYC (Staten Island, Breezy Point), before concluding with a discussion on the differences between public facing and administrative civil servants.
Links:
Residency Requirements for City Employees by Connie M Hager
Mayoral challenger outlines plan to ease police staffing shortage by Fran Spielman
The thin blue line: The history behind the controversial police emblem by David Hernandez
The Thin Blue Line (1988)
First Responder American Flag, 3 x 5 Feet
Man walking to every CPD station to raise awareness for police mental health
The Punisher Skull - 99% Invisible
Infographic: Where Cubs and White Sox Fans Live
City Active Employees: Map and Census Data
Hey Jackass’s 2025 homicide map
Why is there no outrage over the Breezy Point Cooperative?
Burn After Reading (2008)
Toward a Theory of Street-Level Bureaucracy by Michael Lipsky
Bangladeshis Build Careers in New York Traffic by Jodi Kantor
How Stereotypes of the Irish Evolved From ‘Criminals’ to Cops by Livia Gershon
Cops Rarely Pull Over Drivers In Their Own Neighborhoods, Data Shows. Motorists In Black Neighborhoods Aren’t So Lucky by Pascal Sabin
Chicago’s first firefighters entrance exam since 2014 draws diverse pool, but rules have changed by Fran Spielman
Artwork:
ThrowbackThursday: Weekly Garbage Service - Eltham District Historical Society
Recorded on 10/5/2025
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