As he talks about the Code, there are two separate, yet intersecting groups that are discussed: the "decent" residents and the "street" residents. Decent parents tend to be slightly better off financially than the street ones, and they tend to accept and teach their children mainstream values. On the other hand, street parents tend to have a "superficial sense of family and community" and many of them "are unable to cope with the physical and emotional demands of parenthood" (p. 111-112). Even though the more street-oriented group established the rules of the Code, it makes no difference when in public, because knowing the Code and what it consists of it is extremely vital if one wishes to stay alive. Hence, many lives have been saved by the Code.
One section of the text, Girls and Boys, is what resonated with me the most. Although it was pretty short in relation to the other sections, I believe it to be one of the most important. It was the only real part that discussed how teenage girls use violence in comparison to boys. There are striking similarities. For example, their main goals are the same: "to get respect, to be recognized as capable of setting or maintaining a certain standard...using abusive language and the use of violence to resolve disputes" (p. 118).
The song, "He Say She Say" Ieshia reflects what the reading says about why teen girls fight. Having your business put out in the streets by a so-called "friend" and having them talk about you behind your back is never a pleasant feeling. And the Ghetto Girls reiterate the extensive measures that girls take all the time in these inner city neighborhoods when they feel disrespected. This is the video:
Although Anderson mentioned that there are definitely tough girls who are now literally fighting their own battles in the streets, he touched on the fact that their fights are rarely life-or-death situations. It made me think, "why are men using guns and making their fights life-or-death situations if their reasons for fighting are relatively similar to that of girls?" Now, I understand a man's pride and how they will go to great lengths, making sure it is in tact. But, when will they start valuing their lives a little more? Life does have a lot to offer, even when living does not seem worth it due to the uncontrollable environmental factors. Lebron James said it best in the commercial that we were also assigned for today: Wake up!
After reading and decoding the Code, it helped me to understand why street people do the things they do. I know that all of their actions may not be morally right, but the reasons behind their actions are the same as many others in society. Instead of using physical violence, however, we may cope and handle situations differently. Just as the reading from July 1st talked much about, where you are born and to whom you are born to plays a key role in how you develop into an adult. But sometimes, you just have to take things for what it is and do your best to get out. Like the decent families, who I can strongly relate to in the ways that they handle difficult times, "rather than dwelling on the hardships and inequities facing them, many such decent people, particularly the increasing number of grandmothers raising grandchildren, see their difficult situation as a test from God and derive great support from their faith and from the church community" (p. 111).
While reading these articles, much like Christiana, I gained a much higher understanding and respect for 'the code' and what it really entails.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Reston VA a suburb of DC and a very business centric, wealthy area. Almost all of my friends and children in my neighborhood opted to attend a private school instead of the public high school South lakes due to it being near a section 8 housing area (where the housing for people is basically subsidized or completely covered by the government -- very 'ghetto' and poverty stricken) and it literally scared the adults. My parents and I argued for many months but I finally got them to allow me to attend South Lakes (due to there IB program).
While I was there I played two sports: track and field, and baseball. Track quickly became my main sport and I loved it. I along with three other kids my age, Armando Ian and Brain we're always in contention for the 4x4 state title. We all ran around a 49.5 -50 second 400 each. Brian Armando and Ian quickly became my best friends and we literally hung out everyday. It wasent until about half way through my sophomore year when Armando invited me over to his house for a sleepover (we always went to my house). Till that night I never knew that they all lived in the section 8 housing and when I got there I was literally shocked. Not shocked that they lived there but shocked because I knew they were too embarrassed to tell me. Regardless, that night we decided to go to the basketball court to play some pick up games, on our way there we passed several groups of people, but this one moment I will never forget, Armando stopped us, looked at me directly in the eyes and said, " nathan, keep your fu**ing head down for the next two minutes or this will literally be the worst mistake of your life." Obvious to say I listened but when we got to the basketball court they all acted like nothing happened and still to this day I never summoned the courage to bring it up and never understood exactly why I was told to do this.
During the Anderson piece everything fell together to me, much like Christiana, and I realized just how real the 'respect' aspect in environments like that was. Everyone was scared of the 'main man' and if you did not show me respect by looking away or being afraid there are countless things he could do (as im sure the same is for girls). They were literally shaking when we passed his group that night and they made sure to get a ride back (which was literally a 5 minute walk) back to Armando's apartment. While I was finishing the article I was literally stricken by the type of lifestyle these boys had to live and how they were able to keep it out of their athletics and from me, one of there best friends. This article has really made me question a lot of my actions towards them and really sympathize on the situation they had to push through. Lucky to say our 4x4 got an All most full ride to Virginia Tech to run and all three of those boys took it and are excelling. Sorry my story was so long, I just feel like the background information was the most important part to why I am agreeing with the authors statement.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this post, I found myself thinking back to my childhood. I grew up in a part of Michigan that was quite conservative and it was rare to hear about things happening in the “streets.” In my part of town, almost everyone is white. Although I didn’t deal with the violence and aggression discussed in this reading, I dealt with other problems that were brought up. I dealt with the problems of appearance, that what you wore in public said something about who you were. It was easy to pick out who belonged to certain cliques based on their clothing. Another large issue was gossip, because in such a small town everybody loved to know other people’s business. Because of this, many girls had to stand up for themselves in ways they wouldn’t have had to if the rumor hadn’t been spread. I also found this point sticking out from the others in the reading.
Another thing I found interesting was that the families of “decent” were more apt to believe in some sort of religion and thinking of their situation as a “test from God.” This coincides with my hometown because most people believe in some sort of God and partake in the rituals of a religion. I think that in some cases, not all, these beliefs allow the people to use their religion’s set of morals as a guideline when deciding how to handle a situation. This also made me think about our discussion on geographical contingency, because I have noticed a change in how religion is thought about in Ann Arbor verses my hometown. The beliefs in my hometown will not always coincide with the beliefs of another city.
I agree with you Nathan about this being a very eye-opening article. I did not realize that there are rules that govern this type of behavior; rules that must be followed. While the idea that it is most important to be dominant, feared, and respected may not make much sense to us, their actions seem to be right in the context in which they are placed. With racism, joblessness, and hopelessness, violence is used as an escape from these things.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that there is a significant devaluation of human life, yet can you blame them? When respect and securing manhood is all these people have, it is understandable why they would be willing to give their lives. I suppose in this context, this is an example of a noble death-something that is viewed as inherently masculine anyway (i.e. to die in a fight securing respect is incredibly honorable.)
In regards to the Girls and Boys section, this makes sense because women are viewed as being much more passive than men. The “street “residents seemed to have adopted strict rules on what exactly it means to be a “man,” therefore the more dominant and aggressive behavior is left up to the real men.
The article "Saved by the Code?" by Elijah Anderson brought up interesting points of surviving in communities. The display of toughness among men and the measures teen girls take to gain respect ties in with the idea of geographical contingency discussed in class and mentioned by Sarah in the blog. The thought that each individual’s social identity, behavior, and experience is contingent upon their geographic origin and cultural practices really shines through in this article. People are influenced by the environment and act in such way to protect themselves against harm based on the social setting, which is why the code of survival comes into play. I grew up in a small city within Detroit called Hamtramck. When I mention where I am from people ask me whether the city of Hamtramck is safe because it is within Detroit. Usually there is a high level of insecurity among people because of the amount of violence displayed through the media, but after I elaborate on parts of Detroit and the small community in Hamtramck, people tend to be at ease. Hamtramck is not as violent as people may assume it to be but the residents also behave a certain way to get along with community members. Since it is a small community, majority of the people know each other and a lot of gossip flows from one person to the next. Therefore, in order to avoid all the rumors and assumptions, it’s better to be social enough with everyone, but also to keep enough distance as to where they will respect you. My point is that based on where we are from or where we live; there is always a common rule in order to survive whether it is a community with a high level of violence, a wealthy area, or poverty-stricken area. We act in a way to protect ourselves and our families which is a natural way of human survival. Our actions are seemed socially acceptable in that community.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteWatching documentaries about gangs I have heard about their street code that some gang people and other living in high crime rate area live by. I didn't understand why a huge empathize was placed on the honor of protecting the type of lifestyle that they live by even through death. From the outside looking in, it sounds absolutely ridiculous that people will sacrifice their life for something that seem so not important. Not until now did I realize this is their way of life. I agree with Christiana comment “knowing the Code and what it consists of it is extremely vital if one wishes to stay alive” When the streets is all you know. In order to get protection or to continue on living you have to abide by some governing rules or street code that are implemented. Just like how we follow the laws laid out to us. And when that's all you know life just seems normal.
I think that many kids that live in those inner city areas that pose high crime rates, and violence aren’t bad kids because that’s the way there were raised; many act the way they do because they are influenced by their environment. This ties back to the geographic contingency that we discussed in class. We defined geographic contingency as "Each individual's social identity behavior and experience is contingent upon their geographic origin and by cultural practices." The street code are a cultural practice among the people that live by it. They are not enforced by the local law agencies, but by the street-oriented people who live and die by these rules. Due to this it has become an unwritten part of their society; a norm in their daily lives.
Evidence of the street codes are everywhere in todays’ world. Twani comment about in her community being able to be "social enough with everyone” is exactly how it is in my suburban neighborhood. It seems that we have self consciously formulated our own "street codes" Everyone in my neighbor maintain a certain clarity on who their neighbor is. It is not uncommon to have multiple get together with the neighbor because our "street code" is to get to know your neighbors and what they are up to. Its kind of how we keep track of the type of people we are surround by and to make sure our way of life is not endangered in some way.
After reading Elijah Anderson’s “Code of the Street” examining the social order and innerworking of inner city life, it became apparent that Manza’s “Social Structure” and the concept of social hierarchy tied in very well. In the case of inner city ghettos, the hierarchy is determined through violence, aggression, and one’s response to conflict. This hierarchal system, when combined with the governmental institutions in place create a social infrastructure. I found it interesting that law enforcement holds relatively no power and are viewed as unreliable. “The police are most often seen as representing the dominant white and not caring to protect inner city residents”. The lack of faith in the government institutions put in place only reinforces the notion that people must fend for themselves and be ready for any fight at any possible moment.
ReplyDeleteThe men attain power and prestige through the assertion of “manhood”. Manhood is the tendency towards violence and the intrinsic need for respect and power. I agree that although women of all cultures gossip, the stakes are amplified within this setting. The women obtain a hierarchy as well; however not to the same violent means as the men. The ambitions of females are very similar to men: seeking respect, popularity, beauty and power, yet, women are rarely willing to die over conflicts even if they turn violent. This greatly differs from the men who, “Feel that it is acceptable to risk dying over the principle of respect”. This could be related to the fact that women are typically the sole parental figures in children’s lives and although harsh in punishment, they do care deeply for the children (especially “decent” mothers). Anderson writes, “Because they [decent families] have a certain amount of faith in mainstream society, they harbor hopes for a better future for their children, if not for themselves”. Therefore, the “decent” families value life and opportunity more than the “street” families. Even though the women are not willing to die for respect, its importance should not be downplayed. I found it very insightful that within this culture, backing out of a conflict is viewed as being weak, losing self-esteem and forfeiting honor. For the inner city dwellers, the risk of violence does not dissuade them from protecting self-esteem. This differs greatly from the traditional middle class suburbia in which I grew up. I never once engaged in violence and rarely did I see other fight aggressively. It was not uncommon to witness my peers or role models walk away from arguments in the effort to avoid violence and it did not seem to harm their self-image or respect. In this regard, it is difficult to completely understand this inner city culture, but when considering the historical context, time period, and social structure in which they live, it becomes apparent that all of these factors influence individuals, their behaviors, and decisions.
What stood out to me the most after reading Christiana's blog post was the idea that there is an option to avoiding an individual's history and that "sometimes you just have to take things for what [they are] and do your best to get out." Relating this point back to an example Jeff Manza's Social Structure where being born into a rich family will often lead to becoming a rich adult and being born into a poor family reduces the chances of becoming a rich adult. Manza says the reason for this is because of social structure and how rich children have more opportunities for growth, whereas poor children may not.
ReplyDelete