Louis Wirth's "The Ghetto"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Louis Wirth, in his book "The Ghetto", studies the Jewish ghetto throughout history in different countries and cities, especially Frankfort, Germany, and the Chicago ghetto of the 1920s. The author points out that Wirth's examination of the ghetto in Chicago suggests that this ghetto was more a matter of economics because the rents were the lowest in the ghetto area as compared to other areas. The paper relates that, although this sociological study is in some ways outdated because it was written before the Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel, the book remains valuable because it reveals the history and form of the Jewish ghetto, which is applicable to other similar ethnic communities, and a technique for studying present day ghettos.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Ghetto
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Wirth also makes it seem that the changing of laws that allowed the Jews to leave the ghetto would have had a different effect in a different type of community, though in truth, it is not surprising that many of the Jews remained in the communities they knew and had built over a long period of time rather than exit to seek an unknown existence in the larger society. This attitude is reminiscent of that expressed by many blacks in the 1960s when it was made to seem that black children would be able to learn and adapt more readily if they were seated next to white children in school."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Alihan, M.A. (1938). Social Ecology: A Critical Analysis. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Louis Wirth (2006, February 27). American Sociological Association. Retrieved April 12, 2006 from http://www.asanet.org/page.ww?name=Louis+Wirth&section=Presidents.
• Ward, S. (1999, March 22). The Ghetto. Review of Books. Retrieved April 11, 2006 from http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc3.asp?fr=1&full=yes&docid=1G1:54867651&refid=ls_pub&skeyword=&teaser=&origurl=http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc3.asp?docid=1G1:54867651&refid=ls_pub&skeyword=&teaser=.
• Wacquant, L. (2003). What is a ghetto? Columbia University. Retrieved April 12, 2006 from http://socialjustice.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/images/5/5d/Ghetto.pdf.
• Wirth, L. (1928). The ghetto. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

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