An effort to understand and explain violence and related problems in the

inner city

Code of the Street

Questions to bear in mindWhat is the “code of the street”?

How does the code of the street affect the day-to-day lives of individuals who live there?

Is Anderson’s characterization of life in the inner city on target?

Elijah Anderson’s Code of the Street

The “code” is a set of informal rules governing interpersonal public behavior, including violence

Respect is at the heart of the codeBelieved that there were two types

of families

What is the “code of the street”?Rules that govern encounters with

others in inner city neighborhoods

Respect is the key goal

Deterrence: the threat of vengeance

Violence becomes a common part of life

Decent FamiliesAccept mainstream values and

attempt to install them in children“working poor”Generally involved in a church

communityTend to be strict with childrenRespect authorityPolite, cooperative

Street FamiliesLack consideration for othersSuperficial sense of

family/communityDisorganizedAggressive with children ( physical

punishment)Children generally “come up hard”

Campaigning for RespectChildren from “street” groups go to the

streets to “hang”, stay out lateFriends are the primary social bondChildren from the “decent” families have

curfews, taught to stay out of troubleSome parents will impose sanctions if the

child is not aggressive enoughHave to “look” capable of taking care of

oneself

Self Image Based on “Juice”Presentation of self through

possessions/body languageObjects are important willing to

possess things that require defendingTaking possession from others gets

higher respectZero-Sum Quality the extent to which

a person can raise himself up depends on ability to put another person down.

Must be vigilant against transgressions or appearnace of transgressions

By Trial of ManhoodSomething valuable is at stake in

every interactionMust have “nerve” throw the

first punch, take another’s posessions, have no outward fear of dying

Girls on the StreetRespect is over assessments of

beauty, boyfriends, gossipMay feel required to “take up for”

friend who has been slanderedGirls will rarely use gunsWont put life on line like boys

Going for Bad/Oppositional CultureUncertain about how long they will live,

so they live on the edgeThey appear to “go for bad” but hope

they will never be testedCreate oppositional culture to preserve

themselves and their self-respect because they feel alienated from society

A street oriented demeanor is a way to express “BLACKNESS”

This demeanor is also often used by “decent” blacks

The Viscous Cycle

Street code

Negative feelings of whitesToward blacks

Hopelessness/alienation

Explanations of Poverty

Causes of povertyTheorists have accused poor of having little concern

for future and preferring to “live for the moment” and engaging in self-defeating behavior, characterized the poor as fatalists, resigning themselves to a culture of poverty in which nothing can be done to change their economic outcomes. Culture of poverty—which passes from generation to generation—poor feel negative, inferior, passive, hopeless, and powerless.

The “blame the poor” perspective is stereotypic and not applicable to all of underclass. Not only are most poor people able and willing to work hard, they do so when given chance. Real trouble has to do w/ problems as minimum wages, and lack of access to the education necessary for obtaining a better-paying job.

Effects of Poverty: Restricted OpportunityChildren who grow up in poverty suffer

more persistent, frequent, and severe health problems than do children who grow up under better financial circumstances.

Children raised in poverty tend to miss school more often because of illness. These children also have a much higher rate of accidents than do other children, and they are twice as likely to have impaired vision and hearing, iron deficiency anemia, and higher than normal levels of lead in blood, impairing brain function;

Big BrotherAccording to another theory, the poor

would rather receive welfare payments than work in demeaning positions as maids or in fast-food restaurants. As a result of this view, the welfare system has come under increasing attack in recent years. What is the problem of rent control?

Hint: Government created underclasses and ghettos??

Explanations of PovertyPoor families experience much more stress

than middle-class families. Besides financial uncertainty, these families are more likely to be exposed to series of negative events and “bad luck,” including illness, depression, eviction, job loss, criminal victimization, and family death. Parents who experience hard economic times may become excessively punitive and erratic, issuing demands backed by insults, threats, and corporal punishment.

Poverty continued….Sociologists have been particularly concerned

about the effects of poverty on the “black underclass,” the increasing numbers of jobless, welfare-dependent African Americans trapped in inner-city ghettos. Many of the industries (textiles, auto, steel) that previously offered employment to the black working class have shut down, while newer industries have relocated to the suburbs. Because most urban jobs either require advanced education or pay minimum wage, unemployment rates for inner-city blacks are high.

Feminist Perspective on Poverty

Significant increase in numbers of single women in poverty alone, primarily as single mothers. In last three decades proportion of poor families headed by women has grown to more than 50 percent. This feminization of poverty has affected African-American women more than any other group.

This feminization of poverty may be related to numerous changes in contemporary America. Increases in unwanted births, separations, and divorces have forced growing numbers of women to head poor households

Feminization of Poverty….Increases in divorced fathers

avoiding child support coupled with reductions in welfare support have forced many of these women-headed households to join the ranks of the underclass. Further, because wives generally live longer than their husbands, growing numbers of elderly women must live in poverty.

Exercise #1

The natural process of everyday labelingWhat are some things that we put labels or tags on?

What labels do we embrace or reject

One view of all of thisPersonal respect is something we

all desireFighting as a way of maintaining

respect has been a feature of several American subcultures (e.g., rural South)

Drugs and availability of guns has taken violence to a new level

Effects on day-to-day lifeIncreases risks to personal safety,especially

for young menIncreases confrontations between police

and young menContributes to racial profiling by policeCreates stereotypes of inner city residents

among those who live outside the inner city

Contrasting Life Styles within the Inner CityDecent and Street Families

Decent: civilly disposed, socially conscious, and self-reliant

Street: inconsiderate, ignorant, desperateAchieving and maintaining respect

Code-switching among decent kidsIs code-switching necessary for safety and

physical survival among decent kids?

Positive family role models within the inner cityDecent daddy

Works hardSupports his familyRules his householdProtects his daughtersRaises his sons to be like himEncourages other young people to exhibit these qualities

Positive Role Models, continued Factors that undermined the role of

the decent daddyChallenges from young blacks over

how to confront prejudice and discrimination (Black Panthers to themes of Hip Hop)

Rejection of white society by African Americans who are decent, who follow the rules

The Grandmother Important role in reality and in

folklore rolesTaking responsibility for children

abandoned by their parentsAsserting her moral authority for the

good of the familySometimes rearing children herself

Challenges faced by current inner city grandmothersConvincing young people that

being decent and acting right will bring success

Fewer and fewer women have the social capital (networks, respect in the community) that permit them to play this role

Wacquant, AJS (May 2002)Anderson replaces negative stereotypes of inner city residents with positive stereotypes of decent people trapped in a bad situation.

Parochial, solely American view of urban poor

close to his subjects with insufficient attention to larger sociological theoretical issues

Mad scramble for accessible books on sexy topics

Anderson is sexist

Overview of Anderson, 1-2, 5-6Most people in the inner city are

decent people trying to make the most of a difficult situation

Question: Is Anderson replacing negative stereotypes with positive stereotypes?

Anderson’s responseThe sociologist’s job is to challenge

conventional wisdom (The Sociological Imagination)

Ethnographic work, involving participant observation and personal interviews, gives one an in depth picture

Most people, including young people in the inner city, would like to be decent people

Respondents may be sexist but he is not

Overview, continuedThe social structure of the inner

city (lack of opportunities, drugs, violence) and the culture of the inner city reinforce one another.

Question: How responsible are individuals in the inner city for their personal behavior in this difficult setting?