Disorder? Art? Crime?

This week in class, we elaborated upon the "Broken Windows Theory".  Sampson states that "...the broken windows theory sees visual cues as objective and obvious in their meaning - signs of disorder serve as a signal of the unwillingness of residents to confront strangers, intervene a crime, or call the police" (Sampson 125).  This viewpoint of the theory argues that a neighborhood's physical appearance has a correlation to what the residents, as well as, passer-byes think of said community.  If a community has broken windows, graffiti, and run-down areas, then it is assumed that crime is evident in the neighborhood.  Sampson labels the above as physical disorder.  We have been socialized to believe in the broken widows theory. Believing the theory also includes thinking that the individuals within the community are disconnected from their surroundings.  We have associated graffiti and broken widows with lower class, drugs, gangs, so on so forth.    But is it really the case?  Or do other areas have more money in their system to clean up and repair the neighborhoods when necessary?  We have learned countless times as sociology students that people are products of their environments.  In urban communities the environment is often times not very favorable to certain demographics of people.  In class we discussed how New York City is extremely prone to aggressive police behavior, especially in the poorer, urban areas.  Policing in these neighborhoods is used to try and control the public.  People are harassed and ticketed for petty crimes that we would never see in an affluent community.  Some examples include sidewalk grilling, jaywalking, public drinking and graffiti.                                                                           

                                                                        below: the dilapidated Rosenwald Apartments, Chicago

Sampson goes on to explain whether disorder causes crime, and if the aforementioned aggressive policing prevents or reduces crime.  Sampson defines social disorder as solicitation of prostitution, drug usage, public drinking, and loitering.  He then refers back to physical disorders and the assumption of crime.  He states that the broken widows theory does not cause crime, it is crime itself which causes and exacerbates the stereotype and assumptions.  I agree with Sampson, because I look at street graffiti and believe that it is art.  I do not necessarily jump to the conclusion that the area must be riddled with crime.  I believe that street art enhances the area and shows the talent that some individuals have.  I have seen graffiti in both more affluent and poorer neighborhoods around Chicago and have not thought that it is a reflection of disorder within the community.  Now this might just be because I am a sociology student, so hopefully there isn't too much bias there, but perhaps it is just me thinking as the avid art enthusiast that I am.    

Chicago street art

City of Chicago graffiti removal services stating the perceived devastating effects of graffiti on a the community: http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/streets/provdrs/graffiti_blasters/svcs/mayor_daley_s_graffitiblasters.html

Paired with the broken widows theory is the assumption that disorder within a community is result of a lack of collective efficacy.  Collective efficacy is defined as "...the linkage of cohesion and mutual trust among residents with a shared expectations for intervening in support of neighborhood social control" (Sampson 127).  It is believed that in poor neighborhoods in physical disarray that collective efficacy is extremely low among residents, thus crime is prevalent and the community suffers.  In his study Sampson's data shows a correlation between lower collective efficacy, public disorder, and predatory crimes.  

I found an article that directly references Sampson's work.  It entails the homicide rate in different neighborhoods in Chicago.  In a larger sense, this article shows that poverty, geography, and race are all related to crime, and hints that this is why Sampson is studying it.

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/The-312/December-2012-1/Homicide-Social-Efficacy-and-Poverty-in-Chicago/ 

Broken Windows, Graffiti, and Collective Efficacy in a Neighborhood Context.

In chapter 6, Sampson talks about this idea of “Broken Windows”, the term broken windows can be taken both literally and figuratively. It is essentially referring to a neighborhood or community that is “broken” or in disarray. Also, the idea of “broken windows” is associated with chaos, violence, and disorder, both socially and structurally. Socially Sampson describes it as, “…commonly understood to mean public behavior that is considered threatening, like verbal harassment, open solicitation for prostitution, public intoxication, and rowdy groups of young males on the streets” (Sampson p. 121). Structural disorder refers to the actual neighborhood itself. Typically, the neighborhood will look as if it is uninhabited or possibly like a “ghost town”. Sampson describes structural disorder as, “typically refer to graffiti on buildings, abandoned cars, garbage in the streets, and the proverbial broken window” (Sampson p. 121).

                           

Sampson discusses this idea that a physical attribute to disorder is graffiti on run down buildings or cars. Is it the graffiti itself that is a physical marker for disorder? Or is it our perceived notion that graffiti automatically means run down and disordered. Also, could it be that it isn’t the graffiti itself that makes something look run down, but the actual position as to where the graffiti is displayed, maybe the only reason that graffiti is a physical marker for disorder is because of where graffiti is typically located.  With that, would a piece of graffiti that’s tagged on the side of a building still be a sign for disorder if that same piece of art was being displayed in an art gallery? Most likely the answer would still be yes, in America I don't feel we actually look at the actual images themselves. I feel that we already have such a pre-deceived of viewing graffiti has a sign or disorder, that is doesn't not matter where or what the graffiti is. It was also stated in class that once one window is broken, then more people will join in and break more windows. This will inevitably cause a chain reaction that leads a neighborhood down a path that is completely irreversible. However,  one thing that I would like to point out is the fact that graffiti is not always associated as being negative like it is for the most part in America. The picture above shows graffiti on a broken window, this image supports our pre-deceived notion of graffiti and disorder. But, the picture below represents a completely different side to how graffiti can actually be viewed. This depiction of graffiti is viewed in another country as an actual work of art, the artist was given permission to create this. As people walk by this daily they don't see it as a sign that the neighborhood is broken, they simply see it for what it is, art. This example just illustrates my point that the way people view something can change, and the idea they have about a given topic doesn't have to remain negative. 

                         

Another idea that Sampson brings up in relation to broken windows is collective efficacy. Sampson defines collective efficacy as, “the linkage of cohesion and mutual trust among residents with shared expectations for intervening in support of neighborhood social control” (Sampson p. 127). Although, these two ideas are very different from each other they can play an important role on one another. Broken windows is when a neighborhood is in a state of disorder, with violence and chaos present. Collective efficacy can combat this because the coming together of people in a neighborhood towards a common goal can deter or eliminate violence and disorder all together. An example that comes to mind that brings broken windows and collective efficacy together is the popular show “The walking dead”. When the main group gets the Alexandria, the entire world could be classified as “broken window” because there is violence, disorder, and chaos everywhere. But, this group of individuals comes together with another group in hopes of creating neighborhood social control within this chaotic world. Yes, this example may be a little far fetched, but I feel the aspects of “broken windows” and “collective efficacy” are present. Also, their present in a way that makes it easy to understand and grasp the actual meaning of each. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7NHqzNg2qE

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16096-graffiti-and-litter-lead-to-more-street-crime/

Collective Efficacy & Social Capital = Regional Impact

Competitive globalism has shifted the focus of how to attract economic revenue. In the past businesses and employment producers have focused on the metropolis itself, but now it is shifting to a metropolitan area approach to determine its location. Social capital and collective efficacy play a key role in determining the attractiveness of a region. At a regional scale we see the impact of collective efficacy from neighborhood to neighborhood and municipality to municipality. Social capital and collective efficacy are partly overlapping and complementary to one another.  They establish and help sustain the community’s social control. These concepts extend from a community image to a regional image.

Collective efficacy is the social cohesion among neighbors combined with their willingness to intervene on behalf of the common good and is linked to reduce violence. Collective efficacy and social capital intertwine with each other to make the region attractive. Social capital is a key component of regionalism. Without social capital nothing can be accomplished. Social capital refers to the features of social organization. A social organization is a social network that has norms and trust which produce coordination and cooperation for mutual gain. Social capital includes the institutions, relationships, the attitudes, values and beliefs that govern interactions among people and contribute to economic and social development. Together collective efficacy and social capital control the regions image on an individual level. If there are high crime rates, it is usually the result of a lack in collective efficacy and social capital.

An increase of collective efficacy leads to an increase in social capital. Civic engagement is a main part of social capital. Without the participation in voluntary associations along with activities like voting, there is a lack of communication. A lack of communication leads to a lack of social capital. The lack of social capital is interpreted as a lack of caring, goodwill, loyalty, sense of belonging, and sense of community leads to violence and economic loss. An improved economic performance does not lead to an increase in social capital. When there is social capital, there is more charitable giving, voting, and involvement in community which helps the region grow. Studies show that social capital or civic engagement are an important independent determinant of economic growth from a city-level and county-level. This indicates the region cannot grow to its potential without harvesting and cherishing social capital at a local scale.

In the future, communities must continually build their collective efficacy and social capital to develop social control of their landscape. Dense local ties promote social cohesion, but can grow negative networks such as gangs. It is a complex process, but can be controlled on an individual level. Shared expectations of social control will help build shared public expectations. Once individuals can trust and rely each other it can multiple to a regional effort of attraction for future investors and innovators. One person can make a difference if they can influence others to follow their vision. From a big picture perspective, collective efficacy plays a vital role in determining the output of a region. Social capital emphasizes on trust and norms in a social network while collective efficacy is a form of social organization that involves social cohesion and trust with expectations of social control. These two concepts build off each other. Regions that will prosper in the future will have the key attribute of a good collective efficacy and social capital mix.

Ansari, Sami. "Social Capital and Collective Efficacy: Resource and Operating Tools of Community Social Control." Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Criminology 5.2 (2013): 75-94. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.

Rupasingha, Anil, Stephan J. Goetz, and David Freshwater. "Social Capital and Economic Growth: A County-Level Analysis." Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 32.2 (2000): 565-72. Web. 

Broken Windows. Broken Neighborhoods.

Sampson talks about the concept of broken windows in Chapter 6. The concept is not just about windows, but it is about the disorder and dilapidation of neighborhoods as a whole. It is important to understand how these “broken windows” come about and what they lead to. In the book Sampson talks about the ideal of Collective Efficacy and how there is a lack of such in these neighborhoods with high social disorder. Collective efficacy would be a complete want and hope to make the neighborhood  better and for it to thrive. This effort would have to come from a majority of the community for their lives and their neighborhood to improve. With disorder comes higher rates of crime, which creates a vicious cycle of bad reputation in these communities.

            In class we talked about whether social traps or broken window effect comes first. This is something we may not ever be able to find out, but the cycle will always continue if there is disorder. We do know that just fixing some broken windows will not fix a neighborhood, but when there is pride in where you live there would be responsibility in keeping it that way. I do think that the increase in broken window policing did not help. I am a big advocate for the police since I am looking to go into law enforcement, but I do know there is not always a possibility to be trained for every situation. Just like approaching a person with mental illness there should be a way to approach someone with any situation even homelessness. I think there would need to be a way to keep the police safe as well as keeping the citizens safe at the same time. Unfortunately, I do not think this form of training could be possible at least on the large scale. It is good to know that police presence without enforcement can be helpful. I live in a small town and even see the police making their positive presence known. I went boating over the summer and the water police pulled us over just to make sure the children all had life vests and even gave them ice cream. Also, the police stopped when my  cousins were outside playing basketball and played with them for a little. I think it is important to teach our children that police can be good and that they are there for our safety, so that when they do have a run in with the police good or bad it can go a positive way. The article I shared gives an insight into the initial purpose of broken window policing and how it got to where it was.

            I posted a short video that seems a little silly and the voices are terrible, but the idea is actually pretty good. So some people will claim that a kid breaking a window is a good thing , because it creates jobs and pumps money back into the economy. Sure giving people job opportunities sounds good, but the owner of the business ultimately still lost money they would of spent on something else which would of also put money back into the economy. We would not want someone to damage a whole town or all the buildings just to create jobs would we? Again it is a cycle of when just one person displays criminal behavior and now the whole neighborhood is judged for it. Should one kids actions determine the whole vibe of the neighborhood? Probably not, but we do judge the neighborhood and not the person who broke the window in the first place.

            In class again we talked about how different forms of art are viewed in different places. Graffiti or street art is looked down upon in cities or run down neighborhoods, but it is viewed as art in European cities. How could there be such a discrepancy? Well it turns out it is not about the graffiti at all, it is about the things we hear, see, and sense in the neighborhood the graffiti is in. Seeing a mural of spray paint on a brick wall next to a view of the ocean or view of a church would send a different message than the view of a broken down car or bullet holes in a window. It is the exact same thing, just in a different context. People do not always know how to perceive things for what they are and not where they are. This is an example of the untrained mind. We as sociologist would take the time to try and understand how a neighborhood become run down or to see a picture for what it is. Others would look at a situation and judge it for just what they see rather than how it came about. We still have our own biases that will never go away, but being able to analyze a situation and unearth the stigma and disorder gives better understanding of how things came about rather than just the fact that they are there. Stigmas of these “broken windows” to most represent lack of pride, care, and determination but to sociologist they would represent lack of opportunity, self expression, or collective efficacy. The people in these neighborhoods do not want to live this way, they just have yet to find effective ways of improving these conditions in a positive and influential way. Improvement will probably never happen to all neighborhoods and even if it does that will not guarantee all problems related will be fixed, but it could bring hope to the neighborhood and to let it thrive again.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/broken-windows-theory-poor-policing-ferguson-kelling-121268           

https://youtu.be/hXC9FI1nAqs

Society's Mindset

When you hear implicit attitudes, what do you think of? Implicit attitudes means evaluations that occur without conscious awareness towards an attitude subject. For example when you say you don't like math that is an implicit attitude. There is an implicit attitude test called "The Implicit Association Test," this test is used to see what attitude you have without consciously being aware of it. This test reminds me of the Dolls test that Kenneth and Mamie Clark. They chose to study how kids view race by using dolls. The results showed they Black and White children preferred the White doll over the Black doll because they associated the Black doll with bad and the White doll with the good. The Implicit Association Test reminds me of the Doll test because even though they were little they still had a attitude towards something that they were conditioned to think certain things.
When you think of Broken windows what do you think of? I think of a area that has buildings with broken windows and crime rate is high and graffiti on the walls as well. People assume that a area with broken windows is a bad area. Who really knows, only the people that live in that area knows it's a good or bad area. We associate broken windows with high crime areas. Broken windows theory is the norm setting signaling effect of urban disorder and vandalism. Another topic that was touched on would be the broken window policing. Police enforce laws extremely in certain areas, such as the urban areas. They decide to police areas and make arrests on petty crimes. This may be the reason why Eric Garner is dead, because of this reason. A black man that was approached by seven police officers
because they assumed that he was selling untaxed cigarettes. There was a struggle trying to arrest him and one cop decided to put him in a choke hold, which ended in his demise.  This Broken window policing does not work it just causes more trouble and issues. Of course there are police officers that profile certain people and we have a jail filled with individuals for petty crimes. I believe the broken window theory and implicit attitude will always be around because changing society will be impossible because it doesn't want to change.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2014/12/broken_windows_policing_doesn_t_work_it_also_may_have_killed_eric_garner.html
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/education.html
http://www.understandingprejudice.org/iat/

Dilapidated Dwellings and the Underclass

Most people have heard of the upper class, middle class, working class, and lower class, but there is another socioeconomic class of people that needs to be recognized more often in order to deal with ongoing economic issues.  The underclass is the lowest group of people on the socioeconomic scale.  Most of the people in the underclass live in poverty and are unemployed.  In Chapter 5 of American Apartheid, the authors discuss the many factors that contribute to poverty.  As indicated in Table 5.2 of the book, “blacks have experienced systematically greater concentrations of poverty than whites” with the average level of black poverty concentration being 27% in 1970 compared to the level of whites in poverty at 11% in 1970.

Reads: "Look At These Homes NOW!
An entire block ruined by negro invasion.
Every house marked "N" now occupied
by negroes. ACTUAL PHOTOGRAPH OF
4300 WEST BELLE PLACE.
SAVE YOUR HOME!
VOTE FOR SEGREGATION!"

One of the structural factors that affects poverty is segregation. If, for example, there is a neighborhood that has recently transitioned from white to black due to segregation and white flight, the expected percentages of poverty can predict that there will be a downfall in the upkeep and homes based on income levels.  The authors give more details with this example discussing how the homes and apartments are originally well maintained with no abandoned housing or physical dilapidation, but if the new black residents have lower incomes, black renters can afford less rent and are less able to make investments in upkeep.  Due to a lack of upkeep with the homes and apartments, the buildings will begin to show physical dilapidation.  “Racial segregation makes neighborhoods where blacks live particularly vulnerable to this sort of disinvestment and decay. Poor blacks are more likely than the poor of any other group to be trapped in neighborhoods caught in the grip of such downward spirals, because segregation acts to concentrate poverty and all things associated with it.”

Racial steering was another way that property owners contributed to segregation and furthering poverty.  This term refers to the concept that property owners would steer white home and apartment seekers into white areas and black home and apartment seekers into black areas.  If there were many whites left in neighborhoods with more blacks, they often became part of the ever famous white flight and eventually left those neighborhoods.  When poor communities are filled with people that are mostly poor, there is not enough economic flow to bring better things to the community.  Overall, there are many ways in which the many factors of poverty overlap and intertwine.  From an institutionalized way of poverty, to segregation, to racial steering, most, if not all, cases are largely revolving around race and socioeconomic status.

http://atlantablackstar.com/2015/11/30/8-ways-segregation-economic-depravity-perfected-chicago/4/

https://zcomm.org/zmagazine/from-ferguson-to-baltimore-the-fruits-of-government-sponsored-segregation/

Concentrated Incarceration

To us sociology students, it is no secret that the United States of America has the largest inmate population.  It is unmatched across the world.  America hold 5% of the world population, but the also house 25% of the worlds criminals.  Robert J. Sampson states that from the 1920’s to the 1970s the inmate population averaged 110 inmates per 100,000 persons.  Across this time frame, it matched other nation’s incarceration rates.  From 1970 until present time, the incarceration rate has exploded.  Sampson states that in 1990 the rate jumped to 197 inmates per 100,000 persons, and in 2008 the figure skyrocketed to 504 inmates per 100,000.  These current figures greatly impact disadvantaged youth in urban areas.  Incarceration has almost been normalized in the lives of the aforementioned disadvantaged people. 

Above: an info-graphic depicting America's incarceration rate vs. other countries

Right: two grams of crack-cocaine

There are a few outstanding reasons as to why these numbers have reached unprecedented rates.  In the late 1970s, legislation was created to target urban areas.  This legislation sparked a war that the government still pursues today: The War on Drugs.  Crack-cocaine was created and found its way into poorer urban areas giving way to dealers and users.  Crack was cheaper than traditional powder cocaine, but because of its potency and necessary human adulteration, the drug landed in the schedule II category.  The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 increased penalties for crack cocaine possession and usage.  It mandated a mandatory minimum sentence of five years without parole for possession of five grams of crack.  If a person was caught with 500 grams of cocaine, they would receive the same sentence.  Individuals of color are more likely to use crack, and richer, more affluent people are more likely to use cocaine.  The legislation in place unfairly targets those who are poorer and more susceptible for crack usage.  Those who are poorer and caught with crack-cocaine are less likely to afford legal representation.  Crack has contributed to the mass incarceration of those of color and of lower class. 

Housing segregation has given rise to poor urban areas, allowing drug use and gang violence to explode.  We learned in class that often times the southern part of urban areas are impoverished, for reasons unknown.  As the housing boom in the late 1960s erupted, segregation was still deeply engrained in American society.  Neighborhoods did not want colored families living with them.  Sampson mentions a “tangle of pathology”, also known as social dislocation.  The tangle of pathology is amplified, more durable, and qualitatively distinct in the black community.  Sampson uses Chicago as an example of an urban area which displays intensely segregated urban structure.  We have learned from William Julius Wilson that the “Ghetto” is persistent in these highly segregated, mostly colored, urban areas.  Individuals in these areas have extremely limited upward mobility, jobs are scarce, and gang behavior and drug usage is common. 

Everything placed in legislature regarding drugs and urban behavior has been tailored and executed in order to mass incarcerate those who are of lower class.  We know that the prison system in America is flawed, yet it seems that things are only progressively getting worse.  A major change needs to happen especially to those who are convicted of non-violent drug offenses.  It costs tons of money to place people into the prison system, with countless dollars spent on policing and drug enforcement every year. 

A brief history of the crack epidemic: http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/crackcocaine/a-short-history.html

Chicago housing segregation: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-segregation-declines-neighborhoods-change-met-20160103-story.html