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Analysis Of Code Of The Streets By Elijah Anderson

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The Codes of the Street The world in which we live in is full of violence; impersonal or interpersonal. As a matter of actuality, interpersonal violence is said to inflict havoc every single day to many members of the society. In the article Code of the Streets, written by Elijah Anderson, the daily norms of a certain inner city neighborhood can reinforce the use of violence in one’s social relationships. Additionally, simply living in those neighborhoods puts young people at risk of being affiliated with aggressive behavior. According to Anderson, the “code” is a set of unofficial rules that informs and influences an individual’s interpersonal behavior in inner city neighborhoods. They are the informal rules that guides one’s response when confronted with aggressive or criminal behavior. In the core of the code lies respect—which must be earned, easily-lost and must be guarded. Anderson believes that there are two types of families; the “decent” families—who …show more content…

Therefore, many youths fall victim of becoming aggressive and engaging in criminal behavior just by residing in those troubled neighborhoods. He goes on to assert that the strive for “respect”—or being treated “right”—induces violence and criminal behavior in the society. And according to Anderson, this is true because some alienated members of the society, who believe that they have no positive or dignified position in the mainstream are still convinced that they deserved some sort of personal ‘respect’. So, those people show and display “nerve”, devising and exercising rules in violation of mainstream norms so that they can gain respect. In effect, when one abides by the ‘code’ and manifests ‘nerve’—so that people don’t mess with him/her—the end result, if successful is the

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