After reading Philip Bourgois's article on life in the inner city of Spanish Harlem, I could not help but see the similarities between the policies of survival for those living above and below the poverty line in the U.S. There are also many factors that correlate to why so many people in poor urban areas never advance besides the idea that they are victims of themselves.
It has been instilled in us at an early age that the greatest achievement we can obtain is in the ability to succeed at all cost. The mentality of looking out for oneself and getting as much as you can is prevalent in corporate America as it is with the drug infested urban youth population. Being relentless, arrogant and often times brutal to get ahead in both sectors is enough to garnish respect, intimidation of competitors as well as fear.
Status symbols can take on different forms but do portray the same message of power and position. While the vast populations of the inner city seem to fixate on products like jewelry, custom vehicles, and urban based clothing, upper class societies flock toward designer clothing, luxury vehicles, and refined living. It's not just because these items are affordable to the select few, but to establish their place in the world that sets them apart from the have-nots.
Uniformity between the two economically separate societies is the drive to obtain as much, money, prestige, and self-sufficiency with minimal work and in little to no time at all; even though chances for success are higher in communities with money, there is still an indication of laziness within them just as it is in the inner city which can actually be seen as more of a lack of self-determination because of their environment and experiences with those that don't care about their plight.
The violence in the inner cities can stem from many elements besides the focus on the reasons for the actions of those inflicted. Environmental influences has a profound impact on the decisions that they make; peer pressure, the need to be accepted by those with similar backgrounds, a belief that they can't succeed anywhere else because of past experiences with racism, and low wages in the workforce that are barely enough to survive on.
The dilapidated, crowded neighborhoods only add to the despondency of the occupants that have a limited view of their own future and are essentially stuck within the limits of an uncaring outside world. Parental influence is just as strong and maybe even stronger. Generations of families have lived in these poor conditions and are indirectly showing their children a look into their own futures; if their parents are not able to get out, then what chance do they have? It seems that successful parent's rear just as successful young adults, with the exception of those that might take a wrong direction or fall prey to alcohol or drug abuse. The chances of children given positive outlooks on their lives in the miserable surroundings is pretty slim, so if they don't hear it enough it does not become an option or even a possibility.
The living space should also be a reflection of the education system that these children are exposed to. Outdated textbooks, antiquated technology, and a crumbling façade and interior echoes to their spirits that no one cares about them or that they are undeserving of anything better. Hence education takes a back seat to fruitless aims such as drugs and violence. For those that make it through the education system and branch out to post-secondary schools soon find out that their past education was at a level that could not possibly sustain them in their pursuit of higher education thus deflating their enthusiasm even more.
The stereotypes of the inner city by those in monetary comfort have so much more depth than the shallow coloring of their lives that hold more in common with their polar opposites; the end result is the same and only the methods of achieving those goals can change due to one's environment. Numerous influences on their lives sadly dictate what the future has in store for them and deepens when they are overlooked and forgotten by people who a few decades ago were living in the same slums they abide today.
