Category Archives: group 2

Hi All,

Since last we met, I’ve been working on gathering research for my paper.  I’ve gotten a few articles and a few books on my topic, including one about the prison system by Michelle Alexander (thanks Professor Kafka), that I think will be useful in developing the explanations for my argument.  The only thing I am having trouble with is linking the economics of a city with its race relations, but I’m hoping that will come together in the next couple of weeks.

I am presenting tomorrow, so I hope to give you guys a glimpse into what I’m working on, and look forward to everyone’s presentations. Good Luck!

-Celeste

Hi All,

So, as many of you have done, I am finding a lot of information for my annotated bibliography.  However, I am running into some trouble with the evidence for my claims.  My claim of Broken Windows being used as a tool to marginalize, and incarcerate minority communities has led me to information that approaches the sociological realm.  The question I have is: how can I substantiate a sociological truth without 1.  having quantitative data other than high rates of incarceration (the cause/effect connection is blurry), or 2. without generating raw data of my own?

Hope everyone voted last week!  See you tomorrow.

-Celeste

Hi All,

Last week, I was having a bit of trouble.  My topic of the Broken Windows theory and how it affects relations between the police and urban communities seemed to be leading to a dead end.  Other than a few authors, including the two developers of the theory, no scholars seem to support this theory.  It has been argued that it criminalizes the poor and innocent, and creates a lack of trust between communities and the police, and the evidence supporting it is circumstantial.  However, after speaking with my group and Professor Kafka, it was suggested that I focus on why large cities such and New York and LA still enforce and support a policy that few in the academic world are willing to support?

This seems like an interesting question, but one I am having difficulty answering.  Is it because urban communities tend to be minorities, and therefore the conceptual “other,” that makes these policies more probable, or is it simply a way to reassure the public and retain residences in large cities where crime has historically been higher?  Should I look for historical connections, and if so, what sort of history, and whose history, am I looking into?  I’m hoping to narrow down these questions asap; otherwise, my research will be all over the place.

Happy Hunting to All,

Celeste

Hey guys (specifically group 2),

I think it was a great idea for us to have that group meeting on Tuesday. It gave me some great ideas that I probably would not have thought of. One of the questions that came up is how much has America really advanced socially and culturally in the decades since the Voting Act of 1965? I think one of the ways to answer this question is to see the difference in the perception of voter ID in the states that have administered them and those who have not. I have not yet done extensive research on this, but I am somewhat inclined to think that the demarcation lands between red and blue states, but research will only determine if that inclination is right.

It was also suggested during the meeting to perhaps compare the social events in terms of civil rights that are happening at this moment. One of the events that was brought up was concerning women and their reproductive rights. Do you guys think that there is some connection to be made as it relates to my topic? Does anybody else have any other ideas of the social events that are occurring today? The worldwide revolutions were brought up, but I think that is going way out of the box. But then again, I did read in one of my sources that the social movements in the 60’s were not just specific to America alone, but that other countries were also going through their own revolutions. Research, research, research!

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