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.