ANDERSON "Code of the Street"?
What is the "code of the street"? [Pay close attention as you read Anderson to the definitions he provides.] Be specific. Does Anderson at times offer competing definitions?
What are the code's positive impacts? Give a specific example. At what levels do these/do this take place? What are it's negative impacts? Give a specific example. At what level do these occur? {When asking about level, you can think across psychological, social psychological, and community levels.)
What are the causes of the code of the street? (Be specific about levels of analysis and time frames, but be succinct as well.)
What is the decency code? Who represents that?
Explain the connection between the rise of the code of the street and: police behavior and shifting confidence in the criminal justice system. Give one specific example of police or criminal justice system actions that is/are relevant to this point.
Is the code of the street a theory? Explain your answer.
How many codes does Anderson talk about?
The analysis of the "code of the street" relies on several different underlying theoretical perspectives at different points including: dramaturgical (See E. Goffman "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life"), social capital, strain, cultural/subcultural, and game theory. Can you give examples of how each of these link to his analysis?
The "code of the street" is space and age graded. Explain this, and give an example of each.
What are staging areas and why are they important?
What is "code switching", why do people do it, and what are the short and long term advantages and disadvantages of code switching, both for those within and outside the community? (Note the last part of this question sets up a 2 X 2 X 2 table for you to fill out.)
Does Anderson's "Code of the street" present us with an integrated model for delinquency and violence? Answer yes or no, being sure to explain what you mean by "integrated."
Does the "code of the street" cause more violence? Less violence? Or Both? Different types of violence? Explain, with at least one specific example.
How does Anderson connect macro-level economic shifts with changes in household composition and street life in lower income, African-American Philadelphia neighborhoods. If you can give a specific example, that's great.
Do you think the code of the street is specific to African-American, lower income neighborhoods? Would it / does it also apply to lower income Hispanic neighborhoods? Explain.
For Anderson, do gangs "cause" violence or crime, or lead to these outcomes, and if so, in what ways?