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Essay / Critical Review of “Code of the Street” by Elijah Anderson
This critical review focuses on the “Code of the Street” (COTS) authored by Elijah Anderson, an American sociologist. Key themes found in the book will be critically examined based on their engagement and evaluation in the form of violence. Anderson is one of the country's leading urban ethnographers and cultural theorists. An ethnographic research study is often a lengthy study used to produce qualitative research. The researcher fully immerses himself in the lives, cultures, customs and habits within a particular study situation for ethnographic study. The research was conducted in the field for four years in inner-city ghetto neighborhoods and parts of Philadelphia, USA. COTS is a follow-up ethnographic work by Elijah Andersons. Previous book: “Streetwise: Race, Class and Change in an Urban”. Community” (1990). This book was based on two urban communities: one black and poor, the other racially mixed and middle to upper class. Its focus was interpersonal violence, particularly among young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayCOFTS focuses on the nature of public life in the inner-city ghetto, particularly public organization. Anderson examines the importance of recognizing and respecting a “code” that citizens adopt when living in their neighborhood. Being “street savvy” is a code of civility and a code of conduct that is used for general behavior and daily communications within their communities. It examines what various cities in different countries, from many socio-economic backgrounds, are experiencing. The author shows the social downfalls that large communities face, such as poverty, teenage pregnancy, drugs and violence, as well as economic downfalls, while seeking levels of "respect" through understanding universal “Street Code”, also known as “rules of conduct”. the earth”. Anderson (1999) separates “decent” and “street” neighborhoods from primarily distressed/stressed and violent neighborhoods for the purpose of survival. It also explores how different social economy statuses drive various forms of violence. Anderson (1999) highlights that violence occurs depending on the environment and that the difference is explained in the context between that of the “decent” and that of the “street”. The author described "decent" families raising their children as goal-oriented with the aim of "building a good life" as well as "being content with what they have" and encouraged them to pursue the roots of education (Anderson, 1999: 38). The “decent,” especially men from disadvantaged neighborhoods, find it easier to “code-switch” because their middle-class values allow them to survive in inner-ghetto neighborhoods. For example, an honest student will hide his books under his jacket while walking to appear "street", because this is not respected in the "street". The “honest” often fear COTS means while the “street families” (SF) are likely to invest their values in the code. Because of this, “SF” often lacks a sense of values towards family and community and consideration for others. This can therefore increase the likelihood that children will adopt the same values. Anderson describes the "street" as exhibiting "a fundamental lack of social politeness and commitment to norms of civility", often referred to asof “ignorance” (Anderson, 1999: 50). This means that those on the “street” do not understand the need to resort to violence, even in cases of small disagreements. The American Sociological Association (ASA) has highlighted the problem that "individual and collective perceptions of violence and its severity are mediated by social change." and by cultural and social norms about what constitutes unacceptable behavior” (Levine and Rosich 1996: 3). Wolfgang and Ferracuti (1982) drew observations on homicide trends in Philadelphia from the document "Residence of Juvenile Delinquents in Chicago." (Shaw and McKay, 1969) concluded that some areas viewed violence as more acceptable than others. Due to the combined complexities of defining "violence", the author primarily linked violence to aggressive behavior in relation to the "ignorance" of "street" families. Albert Banduras (1977) Social learning theory connects to Anderson's point that violence occurs depending on the environment. . The theory arises from the findings of the “Bobo Doll” experiment (Bandora et al., 1961), the study of aggression by limiting the aggressive model. The finding that the interactions we have with others help shape our attitudes when interacting with family, friends, teachers, and colleagues (Ferguson CJ, 2010). The relationship between the ability to “code-switch” and the different sets of values between “street” and “decent” shows that the environment can either support or oppose violent behavior. Alternatively, one study examines the influence of genetics and evolution on acts of extreme and criminal violence (Ferguson & Beaver, 2009) and concludes that research explains the link with genetic polymorphism as being linked to the genetic risk found in the individual and in living conditions. environment can trigger an increase in extreme violence. The author primarily focuses on COTS and the occurrence of violence in relation to the environment, but he fails to address biological theories that can also cause violence. Anderson talks about the different gender roles in relation to violence and COTS in the inner city ghetto area. . He identified “deindustrialization” in Philadelphia that had devastating effects on employment in that region. This problem has given rise to problems such as teenage pregnancies, welfare dependency, and served as a gateway to the underground economy. Crimes such as prostitution, drug trafficking and welfare scams were used to make money by both men and women. For example, mothers on welfare were closely linked to the drug trade, acting as “support staff.” This is done by allowing their boyfriends or male family members to use their homes as “crack houses” or “drug depots” in exchange for money or favors (Anderson, 1999: 111 ). “The Campaign for Respect” (Chapter 4) emphasizes that a person can become “violent or aggressive” to gain “respect” in the inner-city ghetto and prove their “manliness.” COTS emphasizes that if one is not a “real man,” one is diminished as a person (Anderson, 1999). Masculine behaviors such as being active, dominant, strong and intellectual are described as being associated with male gender and biological sex. The limits to which young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods could reach have been blocked and their “survival” instincts lead them to “seek other ways to play their masculine role in their community» (Newburn, 1995). This supports the authors' reasoning as to why young men gravitate towards the "underground economy" to live up to their masculine role and "survive." In contrast, feminine characteristics such as being emotional, caring, weak, and submissive are associated with female gender and biological sex. Anderson (1999) focuses on gender roles within the inner ghetto under the COTS regime, but he focuses primarily on the male experience of violence in the inner city. Another ethnographic study, “Working 'the Code': On Girls, Gender, and Inner-City Violence” (Jones, 2008) demonstrates that young girls and women from disadvantaged neighborhoods face violence just as much as young boys. and men. The study results conclude, similarly to Anderson (1999), that men take a certain level of seriousness and that this increases anxiety in young people, mainly due to the emphasis on " virility” in the street. Alternative results showed a use of potentially lethal measures to prove their “manliness.” While young adolescent girls interviewed in this study generally used violence to end conflicts rather than to define conflicts.characteristics of being a woman. The theory of "chivalry" is society's belief that women are "nurturing mothers" when a woman violates her feminine characteristics, that is, she is aggressive or violent. Violent women are seen as "potentially evil", which is why the evil women theory reaffirms the idea that women deserve to be protected. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ, 2015) reported a 6% increase in female convictions as well as an increase in television license invasions and the MoJ (2017), showed on January 27, 2017, that there were “3,946 women and 81,240 in prison.” The remaining 77,292 inmates were male, which justifies why Anderson (1999) focused on male gender in relation to violence. However, statistics also support Jones (2008) that women are also involved in violent conflicts. Robert Merton's strain theory (1938) emphasizes the defined goals of a given society and how the society meets socially accepted goals. Merton (1938) considered those who respected the rules of a given society as “conformists” and those who did not respect them as “innovators” – criminals (Ferguson CJ, 2010). Low unemployment on the "streets" of downtown Philadelphia has led society's citizens to resort to the underground market and commit crimes such as prostitution, drug dealing, and welfare scams. for money. Anderson fails to address other motivations for violence, such as serial killers having sexual pleasure as their motive by torturing victims. Similarly, Merton's (1938) theory has been criticized for failing to provide a clear explanation of violence, as violence is not always defined by the goals of a society. COTS points out that black people face discrimination for law-abiding jobs, leading them to resort to illegal jobs. activities such as drug trafficking to “survive”. Anderson (1999) highlighted the study of employers' hiring strategies and inner-city workers' racial biases conducted in Chicago (Kirschenman et al, 1991). They found that many employers greatly preferred white women and immigrants to blacks (Anderson, 1999: 113). Mainstream media glorifies drug trafficking and.379-386.