Position of Blog:
The pressure and “Code of the Street,” have caused inner-city students to view school as unnecessary or a waste of their time.
Discussion Questions:
1) Have you ever had to/known someone who has had to abide by the ‘code of the streets?’ Do you/do they continue to follow the code?
2) How does the ‘code of the street’ tie into education? Is it possible to follow the code and continue to receive an education?
3) What can be done to convince students that school is worth their time?
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Multimedia Resource (Albert Laing)
Scene from"The Wire"
I chose the TV series the “Wire” because it speaks exactly about what goes on in the urban city, with the youth and how it affects them in school. The central ideas of the Blog were “code of the streets”. This TV series I am showing shows just want the book and our blog was talking about and what our stand is. The pressure of the young kids growing up poor in ubran settings is hard; hard for them in school and out of school.
The scene shows 9th grade a student coming home from school to find out there is no food in the house. The young black student, asks his mother what happen with the all the groceries he just bought. The mother told him, she sold the food for drugs. Watching this makes you feel so bad. These kids come to school with things like that going on. So the pressure of going to school and learning is not in the mind of most of these kids; growing up in these similar circumstances happen to most kids in urban city areas. Also the student’s step-father is shown in the scene and he was just released on rape charges/molestation of young boys. Now the young student is angry when he seen that his mother sold their food for drugs and brings back this “creep”. The pressure and stress of these kids in urban-city settings is tough. This is a reason why he hated school, his environment was not in the norm.
The connection from our point of the blog connects well with this video clip. It shows why the pressure is so hard on kids it the poor cities. His mother sold their food for drugs. If you see your parents doing that, how would u feel about school. You worried about eating more than getting a education. “The code of streets” meaning it’s just some things you live by and you learn. The student could have easily told his teacher, but the “code” isn’t like that. I found this video to fight directly in what our stand of the blog is, the pressure to learn is harder for kids growing up in areas like this. Imagine what the next day of school was like, to feel so sad and worried about life.
Popular Articles (Christopher J. Brooks)
Popular Articles
Code of the street is a pretty cut and dry, what it stands for doesn’t necessarily have to be accepted but it’s required to be respected. An instance of this would be if there was a shooting that happens in Philadelphia and their were any witnesses to the crime they are expected to keep their mouth shut or in other words if they don’t keep they’re mouth shut “Snitches get Stitches”. The saying originated from schools but it has taken a violent turn when it comes to the streets, for instance there are some cases in Philadelphia homicides that have no leads because they don’t want to go against the code of the streets. An example of this type of mindset coincides with this article about the same type of situation encountered by the Harrisburg police department when they state that “However, we have seen all too often the unfortunate results when small incidents that could have been resolved are allowed to go unchecked until they become a major problem. These same young people grow up to become adults who do not get involved or speak up when unfortunate situations happen in the community.”
The code of the street is a difficult code to follow but it must be followed for your safety. An example of this would have to be from a recent altercation in south Philadelphia, when there was a shooting not only on 26th and Tasker street but also on 31st and Tasker street, these altercations were in different places but they were one in the same in a way. The reason that is because they were shootings by the same person, the shooter initially started on 26th street shot one guy in the head and then transitioned his way to 31st and shot another man in the head and then shot a female in the face. This was significant to me because it almost perfectly matches to the code of the streets slang “Snitches get Stitches” because I live close to the areas of the shootings and when I opened my door to figure out what was going on I overheard a conversation that was very disturbing. Even though the conversation was disturbing to me I know that it’s so true, the conversation went something like this:
Boy 1: Yo it’s getting crazy around here, did you just hear about what just happened around the corner?
Boy 2: No what happened?
Boy1; This dude just shot three people in like 15 minutes.
Boy 2: Are you serious? Stop playing.
Boy 1: Dead serious he started on 26th street then worked his way to 31st street and did the same thing. I got a pretty good look at him too…
Boy 2: Yo don’t tell any body else that because you know what’ll happen.
At first boy number two baffled me by what he said about not saying anything but when I thought about it clicked. If they guy would’ve told someone what he saw and they went to the cops and told the shooter would’ve found him.
The code of the street is a very cut and dry code and whoever goes against it can cause dire reaction such as a retaliation shooting or a retaliation killing. We aren’t saying that this code is right but “Snitches get Stitches” is a part of the “Code of the Street” and it doesn’t seem as its going to change.
http://www.pennlive.com/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/
Code of the street is a pretty cut and dry, what it stands for doesn’t necessarily have to be accepted but it’s required to be respected. An instance of this would be if there was a shooting that happens in Philadelphia and their were any witnesses to the crime they are expected to keep their mouth shut or in other words if they don’t keep they’re mouth shut “Snitches get Stitches”. The saying originated from schools but it has taken a violent turn when it comes to the streets, for instance there are some cases in Philadelphia homicides that have no leads because they don’t want to go against the code of the streets. An example of this type of mindset coincides with this article about the same type of situation encountered by the Harrisburg police department when they state that “However, we have seen all too often the unfortunate results when small incidents that could have been resolved are allowed to go unchecked until they become a major problem. These same young people grow up to become adults who do not get involved or speak up when unfortunate situations happen in the community.”
The code of the street is a difficult code to follow but it must be followed for your safety. An example of this would have to be from a recent altercation in south Philadelphia, when there was a shooting not only on 26th and Tasker street but also on 31st and Tasker street, these altercations were in different places but they were one in the same in a way. The reason that is because they were shootings by the same person, the shooter initially started on 26th street shot one guy in the head and then transitioned his way to 31st and shot another man in the head and then shot a female in the face. This was significant to me because it almost perfectly matches to the code of the streets slang “Snitches get Stitches” because I live close to the areas of the shootings and when I opened my door to figure out what was going on I overheard a conversation that was very disturbing. Even though the conversation was disturbing to me I know that it’s so true, the conversation went something like this:
Boy 1: Yo it’s getting crazy around here, did you just hear about what just happened around the corner?
Boy 2: No what happened?
Boy1; This dude just shot three people in like 15 minutes.
Boy 2: Are you serious? Stop playing.
Boy 1: Dead serious he started on 26th street then worked his way to 31st street and did the same thing. I got a pretty good look at him too…
Boy 2: Yo don’t tell any body else that because you know what’ll happen.
At first boy number two baffled me by what he said about not saying anything but when I thought about it clicked. If they guy would’ve told someone what he saw and they went to the cops and told the shooter would’ve found him.
The code of the street is a very cut and dry code and whoever goes against it can cause dire reaction such as a retaliation shooting or a retaliation killing. We aren’t saying that this code is right but “Snitches get Stitches” is a part of the “Code of the Street” and it doesn’t seem as its going to change.
http://www.pennlive.com/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/
Piece of Literature (Maria Ciffone)
Code of the Street
“Code of the Street” by Elijah Anderson is a poignant look at the challenges facing the members of society living in inner-city Philadelphia. Those living in these areas categorize themselves as either “decent” or “street”. Anderson (1999) defines “decent” as “a strong, loving ….. family committed to middle-class values” and “street” as those “whose norms are often consciously opposed to those of mainstream society” (pp 32-33). Anderson speaks at length about the youth who are greatly affected in these deteriorating neighborhoods. The decisions that these inner-city kids make while on the street, such as an affinity toward violence, mirror their behavior in the classroom. If a child is repeatedly exposed to “street” behavior through family and/or peers, Anderson believes that most of these kids chose the code of the street by fourth grade. This is the time that the “street” way of life begins to dominate. These children usually continue to exhibit this negative behavior throughout their schooling years. The children who adopt the “street” mentality often run these schools in urban areas and force the kids who are struggling to be “decent” portray a tough exterior in order to maintain credibility and avoid harassment, which is defined as “code-switching”. An example of “code-switching” is seen in the behavior of a fifteen –year- old boy whom Anderson observed. After leaving his home (and out-of-sight from his mother ), he would quickly change into a black leather jacket on his way to school and hide his books inside his jacket in order for his peers to see him as “street”. Many children in these urban neighborhoods battle these dueling ideologies regularly. Due to many variables such as lack of adult supervision, the lure of quick money through the “underground economy” of drug dealing, problems within the home and/or ill-equipped teachers and school administrators, many times the “street” mentality takes over a child’s life. This way of life does not leave room for an education and may lead to expulsion or dropping out of school. In order for these kids to overcome the many obstacles of degradation and violence in their communities, I feel a return of positive role models and educated activists are needed to spearhead community leadership initiatives in these urban neighborhoods. If successful adults are visible in these communities, and play an active role in the betterment of these inner-city areas, it may be possible for the children to witness first-hand the importance of an education and the possibility of hope and prosperity as they grow to adults.
Anderson, E. (1999). Code of the Street Decency Violence and the Moral Life of the Inner City. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
“Code of the Street” by Elijah Anderson is a poignant look at the challenges facing the members of society living in inner-city Philadelphia. Those living in these areas categorize themselves as either “decent” or “street”. Anderson (1999) defines “decent” as “a strong, loving ….. family committed to middle-class values” and “street” as those “whose norms are often consciously opposed to those of mainstream society” (pp 32-33). Anderson speaks at length about the youth who are greatly affected in these deteriorating neighborhoods. The decisions that these inner-city kids make while on the street, such as an affinity toward violence, mirror their behavior in the classroom. If a child is repeatedly exposed to “street” behavior through family and/or peers, Anderson believes that most of these kids chose the code of the street by fourth grade. This is the time that the “street” way of life begins to dominate. These children usually continue to exhibit this negative behavior throughout their schooling years. The children who adopt the “street” mentality often run these schools in urban areas and force the kids who are struggling to be “decent” portray a tough exterior in order to maintain credibility and avoid harassment, which is defined as “code-switching”. An example of “code-switching” is seen in the behavior of a fifteen –year- old boy whom Anderson observed. After leaving his home (and out-of-sight from his mother ), he would quickly change into a black leather jacket on his way to school and hide his books inside his jacket in order for his peers to see him as “street”. Many children in these urban neighborhoods battle these dueling ideologies regularly. Due to many variables such as lack of adult supervision, the lure of quick money through the “underground economy” of drug dealing, problems within the home and/or ill-equipped teachers and school administrators, many times the “street” mentality takes over a child’s life. This way of life does not leave room for an education and may lead to expulsion or dropping out of school. In order for these kids to overcome the many obstacles of degradation and violence in their communities, I feel a return of positive role models and educated activists are needed to spearhead community leadership initiatives in these urban neighborhoods. If successful adults are visible in these communities, and play an active role in the betterment of these inner-city areas, it may be possible for the children to witness first-hand the importance of an education and the possibility of hope and prosperity as they grow to adults.
Anderson, E. (1999). Code of the Street Decency Violence and the Moral Life of the Inner City. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Scholarly Articles (Jake Innis)
Street Crime and Street Culture
This scholarly source analyzes street crime, street culture and essentially the ‘code of the street,’ from an economists point of view. This is very interesting, as many people tend to view crime as an economic factor, instead of a result of poor economic status in an area. The article points out that individuals go through a decision making process in which they decide whether or not the crime they are considering committing will reap benefits that will outweigh the potential cost of punishment of their actions. This view is almost identical to a store owner deciding whether the cost of the product they purchase will be worth it in the end when it is sold to customers. In other words, is the revenue worth the cost?
The article contests that the code of the street is followed because it entails many social benefits in an urban neighborhood. In order to receive such benefits and respect, one may be prompted to commit a crime as a right of passage for the individual into the acceptance of their peers. Silverman argues that although the street code can persuade many individuals into committing crime, there are a great deal of cases where the risk exceeds the gain, or the gain does not directly benefit the person committing the crime, which may lead to a break from the person and the crime. In other words, if a person recognizes the possible charges they could face as outweighing the possible benefit’s the could gain from committing the crime, they will become dissuaded from committing such a crime, and put themselves above the code of the street.
Unfortunately, this is an exception to the rule, rather than the rule itself. The code of the street dominates impoverished neighborhoods across the globe. Acceptance of one’s peers exceeds all other factors in one’s life in importance, and one will do anything, including falling to crime, to gain such acceptance. It is no wonder why many of these people drop out of school - they view education as a waste of their time. Many believe that they will end up in the same run-down state regardless if they graduate high school or not, and therefore, drop out the first chance they get. Others believe they can become more successful selling drugs or robbing people on the street than they will with whatever job they can attain with a high school degree. This shows the direct correlation between teenagers abiding by the code of the street and drop out rates.
Students will not be able to stay in school so long as the outside pressure of the code of the street exists. The code presents education as frivolous and a waste of a person’s time, as they will not succeed with or without a degree, so they should stop wasting their time, and pursue their life of crime early. In many cases, students are directly discouraged from going to school, as they are jeered and attacked for doing so. When, and only when, education redeems itself as the worthy cause it is, will a person’s motivation to attend school overshadow the pressure a student experiences in an inner-city neighborhood.
Silverman, Dan Street Crime and Street Culture. International Economic Review, Vol. 45. Blackwell Publishing, Economics Department of the University of Pennsylvania, 2004.
Gangstas, Thugs, and Hustlas:
Identity and the Code of the Street in Rap Music
This scholarly article begins by defining the code of the street as a ‘black youth culture.’ This is appropriate (although it does not strictly pertain to black neighborhoods) as the code of the street has turned into something that resembles a culture far more than it does a passing fad or ‘code.’ Entire neighborhoods are dominated by such a culture, which is marked by the undesirable pock characterized by high crime rates, drug use, violence, and theft.
Rap music is the main focal point of the article, which is interesting to read about in a scholarly article. The article analyzes the prominence of the code of the street in music, and how it advocates violence and crime. The article is sure to point out that the activities condoned by the music is not only alive in the songs, but it is rather a direct representation and reflection of real life on the streets of inner-city communities. These conditions in impoverished areas of cities have created cultural adaptations which run in accordance with the code of the streets more so than they do with federal and local laws.
Regrettably, in places where the code of the streets reigns as the supreme authority and influence, violence is almost always prevalent and accepted as a common part of life. This means, wherever there is a code of the street, there is violence. Violence is viewed as a means of attaining anything one may desire as well as a resolution to most conflicts. People in these areas learn to communicate with their fists or weapons better than they do with their words, which further oppresses and constrains an area, causing a vicious cycle which inhibits progress and improvement.
The article analyzes 403 rap songs which were released between the years 1992 and 2000. Unsurprisingly, a great deal of these songs advocate, portray, and glorify violent actions and ideas. This generates further pressure to accept violence in areas governed by the code of the streets, and it has essentially granted social control to those who are most violent or feared. This is a very primal principal, as many animals create societies with a leader who has intimidated all other prospective leaders. A person’s role in society becomes based upon how violent they are, and how outward they tend to be with their violence.
Kubrin, Charis E. Gangstas, Thugs, and Hustlas: Identity and the Code of the Street in Rap Music. Social Problems: Vol. 52, No. 3, University of California Press, 2005.
This scholarly source analyzes street crime, street culture and essentially the ‘code of the street,’ from an economists point of view. This is very interesting, as many people tend to view crime as an economic factor, instead of a result of poor economic status in an area. The article points out that individuals go through a decision making process in which they decide whether or not the crime they are considering committing will reap benefits that will outweigh the potential cost of punishment of their actions. This view is almost identical to a store owner deciding whether the cost of the product they purchase will be worth it in the end when it is sold to customers. In other words, is the revenue worth the cost?
The article contests that the code of the street is followed because it entails many social benefits in an urban neighborhood. In order to receive such benefits and respect, one may be prompted to commit a crime as a right of passage for the individual into the acceptance of their peers. Silverman argues that although the street code can persuade many individuals into committing crime, there are a great deal of cases where the risk exceeds the gain, or the gain does not directly benefit the person committing the crime, which may lead to a break from the person and the crime. In other words, if a person recognizes the possible charges they could face as outweighing the possible benefit’s the could gain from committing the crime, they will become dissuaded from committing such a crime, and put themselves above the code of the street.
Unfortunately, this is an exception to the rule, rather than the rule itself. The code of the street dominates impoverished neighborhoods across the globe. Acceptance of one’s peers exceeds all other factors in one’s life in importance, and one will do anything, including falling to crime, to gain such acceptance. It is no wonder why many of these people drop out of school - they view education as a waste of their time. Many believe that they will end up in the same run-down state regardless if they graduate high school or not, and therefore, drop out the first chance they get. Others believe they can become more successful selling drugs or robbing people on the street than they will with whatever job they can attain with a high school degree. This shows the direct correlation between teenagers abiding by the code of the street and drop out rates.
Students will not be able to stay in school so long as the outside pressure of the code of the street exists. The code presents education as frivolous and a waste of a person’s time, as they will not succeed with or without a degree, so they should stop wasting their time, and pursue their life of crime early. In many cases, students are directly discouraged from going to school, as they are jeered and attacked for doing so. When, and only when, education redeems itself as the worthy cause it is, will a person’s motivation to attend school overshadow the pressure a student experiences in an inner-city neighborhood.
Silverman, Dan Street Crime and Street Culture. International Economic Review, Vol. 45. Blackwell Publishing, Economics Department of the University of Pennsylvania, 2004.
Gangstas, Thugs, and Hustlas:
Identity and the Code of the Street in Rap Music
This scholarly article begins by defining the code of the street as a ‘black youth culture.’ This is appropriate (although it does not strictly pertain to black neighborhoods) as the code of the street has turned into something that resembles a culture far more than it does a passing fad or ‘code.’ Entire neighborhoods are dominated by such a culture, which is marked by the undesirable pock characterized by high crime rates, drug use, violence, and theft.
Rap music is the main focal point of the article, which is interesting to read about in a scholarly article. The article analyzes the prominence of the code of the street in music, and how it advocates violence and crime. The article is sure to point out that the activities condoned by the music is not only alive in the songs, but it is rather a direct representation and reflection of real life on the streets of inner-city communities. These conditions in impoverished areas of cities have created cultural adaptations which run in accordance with the code of the streets more so than they do with federal and local laws.
Regrettably, in places where the code of the streets reigns as the supreme authority and influence, violence is almost always prevalent and accepted as a common part of life. This means, wherever there is a code of the street, there is violence. Violence is viewed as a means of attaining anything one may desire as well as a resolution to most conflicts. People in these areas learn to communicate with their fists or weapons better than they do with their words, which further oppresses and constrains an area, causing a vicious cycle which inhibits progress and improvement.
The article analyzes 403 rap songs which were released between the years 1992 and 2000. Unsurprisingly, a great deal of these songs advocate, portray, and glorify violent actions and ideas. This generates further pressure to accept violence in areas governed by the code of the streets, and it has essentially granted social control to those who are most violent or feared. This is a very primal principal, as many animals create societies with a leader who has intimidated all other prospective leaders. A person’s role in society becomes based upon how violent they are, and how outward they tend to be with their violence.
Kubrin, Charis E. Gangstas, Thugs, and Hustlas: Identity and the Code of the Street in Rap Music. Social Problems: Vol. 52, No. 3, University of California Press, 2005.
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