Question

In the reading "The Code of the Street," Elijah Anderson characterizes two types of families residing in Philadelphia's inner city neighborhoods as "decent" and "street." Anderson argues that a major difference between the boys from "decent" and "street" families is that "decent" boys can switch from a civil code of social interaction to the "code of the street" when the situation demands, whereas "street" boys interpret all behaviors according to the "code of the street."

Answer 1

The concepts of 'decent' and 'street' families in Elijah Anderson's work relate to social disorganization theory, which indicates crime is tied to the cultural ecology of a neighborhood rather than ethnicity, with boys from 'decent' families being able to navigate both the civil societal norms and those of the 'code of the street'.

Step-by-step explanation:

Elijah Anderson's characterization of “decent” and “street” families in “The Code of the Street” is a reflection of the broader social disorganization theory and cultural ecology. The theory, developed in the 1920s and 1930s at the University of Chicago, suggests that crime is most likely to occur in communities with weak social ties and the absence of social control.

According to Anderson, boys from “decent” families are able to navigate both the civil code and the “code of the street”, shifting between them as required by their social environment. In contrast, “street” boys interpret all behaviors according to the “code of the street”, which may be due to more entrenched socialization within an environment that does not reinforce the civil code.

This distinction is a clear implementation of social disorganization theory, where geography matters and the cultural ecology of a neighborhood affects the behavior of its residents, independent of ethnicity.