Essay - Code of the Street' Decent Versus Street Families & Violence:...

Code of the Street"

Decent versus Street Families & Violence: Analysis ***** "Code of the Street" by Elijah Anderson

***** the book, "Code ***** the Street" by Elijah Anderson, the conflict between "decent" and "street" families is explored thoroughly in the author's attempt to understand how street violence is perpetuated in ********** American society. Apart from exploring the dynamics ***** decent and street families, primary among Anderson's objectives is the identification of what comprises a decent family, and what differentiates it ***** ***** street family, and vice versa. Understanding both the nature and dynamics among these two kinds of ***** that exist in America's *****s demonstrate that even in its most basic level, the family, America experiences a social strife that can potentially destabilize the stronghold of societies and communities in the country today.

This paper centers on Anders*****'s analysis of the two type of families that ***** in ***** streets—the decent and street *****. The analysis asserts that the both types of families, i.e., ***** decent and street *****, become what they are because of their social environment. For the decent *****, subsistence to violence is their way of coping with the violent social environment they were put into as street families invade somewhat peaceful neighborhoods and introduce the psyche of fear and insecurity among *****ir neighbors. ***** street families, on the other hand, cope with a soci*****l ***** that is predominantly poor and lacks the moral (***** financial) support that most decent families have. These ***** the social environments ***** both family types live in, and the realities that they ***** to live with, which inevitably results to violence as a form of power *****sertion ***** as a tool to maintain the hierarchy defining "*****" from "street."

Street families, and the attitudes they are known for, are formed and developed as a result of one ***** re*****lity that Ameri***** society, and even ***** *****, have failed to find solution to: poverty. The inescapable reality of not having the money ***** support one's self and h*****/her ***** is, as Anderson explicated, a reality that must be ***** ***** by being "tough." That is, one's morale ***** preserved ***** being branded as "tough" ra*****r than ********** in most street families, this is a better and more powerful description of themselves that they could live by. Indeed, ***** the ***** study on ***** streets proved, ***** tough meant being feared by o*****r people, and ***** feared comes the power of being able to assert one's control over a*****her—in the case of ***** street *****, they "rule" the *****s because ***** are capable of bringing violence in ***** streets, the only reason that makes decent families fear street families.

***** decent families, meanwhile, having stronger values and will ***** determine themselves as ***** "morally upright" than street families, also succumb to violence as a w*****y to prevent street families from dominating the *****s. Th***** is a response to the cultivation of the culture of fear and violence ***** street families. Not wanting