"Code of the Street" and Sociology

Paper Summary:

The paper examines "Code of the Street" where Elijah Anderson researches the lives of people in Philadelphia's inner city neighborhoods, in order to identify how prevailing conditions caused by poverty combine to produce pervasive drug or alcohol abuse, violence and broken families. The paper discusses Anderson's sociological approach and his evidence that living in poverty and being subjected to racism produce a vicious, recurring cycle of cause and effect. The paper is of the opinion that this book provides important and conclusive insights into the flawed and destructive culture of America's inner cities.

From the Paper:

"Reading Chapters 3 and 4 of Code of the Street confirms that Anderson's sociological methodology was based upon extensive personal observations and interviews, which provide convincing evidence that living in poverty and being subjected to racism produce a vicious, recurring cycle of cause and effect. Using the ethnographical research he conducted in Philadelphia during the 1990's, which entailed studying African Americans in poverty-stricken areas of the city, Anderson reflected upon the information he obtained from informants and from his own observations, and concluded that a fundamental cause and consequence of crime in inner cities is the code of the street that prevails in these neighborhoods. (Anderson 107-110)"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Anderson, Elijah. Code of the Street. New York: W. W. Norton, 2000.

More papers on "Code of the Street" and Sociology:

• Book Review # 132236 : "Code of the Street: A Sociological Analysis"
• Analytical Essay # 57538 : "The Sociology of Deviant Behavior"
• Book Review # 98733 : "The Code of the Street"

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