Sociology Exam #2
Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986
$1.7 billion: for new prisons ($97M), education ($200M) and treatment ($241M); created mandatory minimum sentencing policies. Nancy Reagan's Just Say No campaign preceded and motivated attention and legislation...made sentencing much stricter; had to go to jail for a certain period of time if you committed a certain crime....US spent far more money on prisons than on education (Under President Reagan)
What kinds of cities saw decreases in crime?
"The table reveals that relative to other cities, the cities where crime reductions were largest were themselves larger, had higher shares of minority and foreign-born residents, and had slightly higher poverty rates. These "large-decline" cities also started off the 1990s with higher rates of crime... Finally, the cities that experienced the largest reductions are also disproportionately concentrated in the Northeast and least likely to be in the Midwest
Drug War Legislation
Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 -- $1.7 billion: for new prisons ($97M), education ($200M) and treatment ($241M); created mandatory minimum sentencing policies. Nancy Reagan's Just Say No campaign preceded and motivated attention and legislation...made sentencing much stricter; had to go to jail for a certain period of time if you committed a certain crime....US spent far more money on prisons than on education Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 and 1989 Establishment of Office of National Drug Control Policy headed by the "Drug Czar"; tried to prevent young people from using illegal drugs, reducing number of users, and decreasing drug availability 1994 Crime Bill -- $30 billion: for new prisons ($8B), for incarcerating illegal aliens ($1.8B), for policing ($8.8B), for prevention ($7B); crime control bill-harsher criminal policies; Important sentencing developments include "mandatory minimums," "truth in sentencing," and "three strikes" policies. Mandatory Minimums-Mandatory minimum sentencing laws set minimum sentences for certain crimes that judges cannot lower, even for extenuating circumstances. The most common of these laws deal with drug offenses and set mandatory minimum sentences for possession of a drug over a certain amount. Truth in Sentencing-a collection of different but related public policy stances on sentencing of those convicted of crimes in the justice system. In most contexts, it refers to policies and legislation that aim to abolish or curb parole so that convicts serve the period to which they have been sentenced Three Strikes- significantly increases the prison sentences of persons convicted of a felony who have been previously convicted of two or more violent crimes or serious felonies, and limits the ability of these offenders to receive a punishment other than a life sentence Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 reduced the powder/crack sentencing disparity from 100-to-1 to 18-to-1.
Schools, Cities and Inequality
Are schools mechanisms of social reproduction? Or are schools mechanisms for increasing opportunity? How does city and metropolitan fragmentation or cooperation help to answer these questions?
How Cities Change Immigrants: Theories
Assimilation Segmented Assimilation Transnationalism Hybrid Minority Cultures
Immigration in European Cities
Colonialism and Postcolonial migrations -Colonialism: rule of one people over another foreign culture -Postcolonial: former colonized nations and their people, as well as the to former colonizing societies and a global situation of power; occurring or existing after the end of colonial rule. Labor shortages Refugees and Asylum seekers -A different perspective from a declining German town-German town in decline sees Refugees as path to revitalize the economy-analysts say migrants could be the source of young workers that Europe needs Tensions arise over race, religion, language, space
Urban Progressivism
Empower and distribute resources to poor and minority neighborhoods without deference to business interests Deference-humble submission and respect
Trump's "Contract with the American Voter" on Education
I will work with Congress to introduce the following broader legislative measures and fight for their passage within the first 100 days of my Administration... School Choice And Education Opportunity Act. Redirects education dollars to give parents the right to send their kid to the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school of their choice. Ends Common Core and brings education supervision to local communities. It expands vocational and technical education, and makes two- and four-year college more affordable. Common Core-a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA). These learning goals outline what a student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade. Education Supervision-a term used to identify the work duties of administrative workers in education. Educational supervisors make sure the educational institution operates efficiently and within the legal requirements and rules. Vocational Education-organized educational programs offering a sequence of courses which are directly related to the preparation of individuals in paid or unpaid employment in current or emerging occupations requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced degree Technical Education-a term applied to schools, institutions, and educational programs that specialize in the skilled trades, applied sciences, modern technologies, and career preparation
Images and representations of the city
Iconography that may have common or contested meanings: e.g., Paris's Eiffel Tower; gray Seattle; some city's iconic skylines
Transnationalism
Immigrants are no longer just "of" their sending country; they live in both places at once through transnational politics, remittances, cultural exchanges, etc. Ex-"Each month, Sheryl Jacosalem would send some of the money she earned in [Toronto] Canada to her family in the Philppines. It helped put her siblings through school and to build a home for her parents."
How Immigrants Change Cities: Population
Immigrants fuel Growth
Immigration Overview
Immigration as international issue. How immigrants change cities. How cities change immigrants.
Hybrid Minority Cultures
In a majority minority context "a new kind of multiculturalism [emerges], not of balkanized groups huddled within their own enclaves, but of hybrids and fluid exchanges across group boundaries" Also see Cheng: These new majority minority suburbs depart "from the exclusionary principles of normatively white suburban space in American history by articulating relationships to property based on distinctly antiracist, nonwhite identifications" (18). Ex-Having a hospital sign written in English, Chinese, and Spanish
Crime trends in cities and suburbs
In both cities and suburbs crime is decreasing
Crime and Incarceration
Incarceration Rose Even After Crime Fell, Relative to 1978
Urban Liberalism
Incorporate low-income residents, working classes, and minorities, without challenging or alienating business interests -Atlanta's East Lake neighborhood bringing together big developers, PGA golf, and (some) former public housing residents
School Reforms-School Level
Instruction Curriculum Class size School day length Teacher training Tracking (or not) School climate Leadership
U.S. Immigration Legislation
Naturalization Act of 1790 put no restrictions on immigration, but restricted citizenship to "free white persons."; restricted citizenship to "any alien, being a free white person" who had been in the U.S. for two years. In effect, it left out indentured servants, slaves, and most women. Legislation after that - such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (prohibited) all immigration of Chinese laborers and the Emergency Quota Act of 1921 (restricted immigration into the United States) - got generally more and more restrictive, until.... 1965 Hart-Cellar Act (then got more restrictive again with...) 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act
How Immigrants Change Cities: Population (in a different way)
New Immigrant Gateways Immigrant Gateways-city with fairly high immigration and a growing foreign-born population
More Place-Based Initiatives
New Urbanism Metropolitan Governance (regionalism) Smart Growth Right to the City
Crime trends and recent headlines
News headlines often lend the idea that crime rates are increasing when this is in fact not true Ex: "The overall crime rate in 2016 is projected to remain the same as in 2015, rising by 1.3 percent. Twelve cities are expected to see drops in crime. These decreases are offset by Chicago (rising 9.1 percent) and Charlotte (17.5 percent)" Homicide Rates Jump in Many Major U.S. Cities, New Data Shows..." But almost as many cities reported a notable decline in recent months..."
Do immigrants commit more crimes?
No. -Immigrant neighborhoods have lower violent crime rates (look at picture) -Immigration has gone up in last decades but crime has gone down. -Incarceration rates of native-born are 2 to 5 times higher than for foreign born. -Immigrant youth have lowest delinquency rates and immigrants are less likely to report anti-social and violent behaviors.
Place Disparities in Criminalization-the difference
Northeastern University criminologist Simon Singer (America's Safest City, 2014) studied over 1,500 youth in Amherst, NY, a predominately white, middle-class suburb of Buffalo. According to self-report data, "the vast majority (71%) committed a delinquent act that could have landed them in juvenile court" (209). However, "The risks of Amherst adolescents facing arrest were relatively low compared to, say, those of Philadelphia youth, 32 percent of whom experienced a recorded police contact by their eighteenth birthday... Amherst police supports a maximum-tolerance rather than a zero-tolerance view of adolescent offending" (239).
Racial Disparities in War on Drugs
Number of drug related admission to US prisons is mostly composed of black men
1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act
One-time amnesty for unauthorized immigrants Tightened border control Penalized employers for hiring unauthorized immigrants
Place-based myths, narratives, and collective memories
Parades, museums, mottos, legends that give meanings to events in a place. Ex: -Mexico City's Cathedral on top of and alongside the Temples of Tenochtitlan demands that the city recognize and incorporate new narratives of Spanish colonialism -These myths, memories, and narratives are always contested. -The Cubs' Curse of the Billy Goat...Billy Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, was asked to leave a game during the 1945 World Series. He then cursed the Cubs to never win again.
The Long List of Factors that Create Educational Disparities across the Metropolis
Per-pupil funding disparities, which can affect -Class size, technology access, enrichment activities, advanced classes, ELL supports, socio-emotional support, differences in teacher quality, funds for professional development, attractive high quality leadership, etc. Racial segregation, which can affect -District- and state-level decisions about funding -Feelings of stigma and privilege -Teacher expectations due to racism Economic segregation, which can affect -Differential external fundraising capacities -Familial resources of peers -Differential parental abilities to assist children with homework, -More non-school challenges such as hunger, homelessness, health problems -Stigma, privilege, and expectations (see race)
Schools and Cities: Economic and Racial Disparities
Percentile rank on state exams of school attended, average U.S. public school student -Asian students scored in highest percentile -White students scored in second highest percentile -Black students scored in lowest percentile
Interaction places and practices
Places (bars, beaches, parks, stoops/porches, plazas, etc) that have rules and norms for behavior, what things mean, and how it all makes sense Ex: -LGBQT enclaves partially as a response to homophobic harassment elsewhere: "And a man sort of walked . . . as he was walking by me screamed "****ing lesbians" and kept going. Or "****ing dyke" I can't—probably "****ing dyke" I can't remember which one, but . . . after the fact I was sort of a little bit afraid because I was like, "oh my God, there's these people out there who want to beat me up"
Metropolitan Governance (aka "regionalism")
Planning at the regional level and coordination among politicians and economic interests to lessen inequalities Refers to the governing of metropolitan regions. This can be accomplished by a variety of mechanisms, ranging from a comprehensive metropolitan ''government'' to a variety of forms of cooperation among the numerous jurisdictions in a metropolitan area, which will be termed ''governance'' here.
Community and civic culture
Plastic bag bans In Chicago, we vote "early and often." Atlanta is the "City too busy to hate."
Urban identities and lifestyles
Presence of cultural artifacts (clothing, accents, hairstyles) that mark a place-based identity. Ex: -Sex in the City set up: Carrie's boyfriend Berger publishes his first book, which is set in New York City. Carrie loves it, but makes an off-handed joke... And then later at 3:40). -Robinson's "country cosmopolitanism": Memphis as "gangland feuds and throwaway twenty-twos" and "fly girls raised on cornbread and butter" - lyrics of Memphis rapper Daralik
Urban Conservatism
Promote business interests under the model that benefits will trickle down to poor and minority neighborhoods and residents -Real Estate Incentives to Wealthy..."Bloomberg wants every billionaire on Earth to live in NYC" -Corporate Urban Subsidies
Memphis and Shelby County: Property Values
Property Tax Income-how schools are funded Memphis housing prices were lower than other areas in that region Municipal Fragmentation-resources
Ingredients for Excellent Schools: Payne (2008)
Protect or increase time on task High expectations Collaborative leader/teacher community Authoritative/ supportive environment Curricular focus High teacher quality
Reciprocal relationship between culture and place
Reciprocal relationship between culture and place -Cultures need places to be performed/displayed. Places are only places because of culture-makers. -City cultures travel - even globally - through cultural objects -They are mediated by those objects (i.e., internet, movies, science fiction, etc)
Place Disparities in Criminalization-Marijuana Use
Recreational marijuana use is legal in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Alaska, DC, and illegal everywhere else Medical marijuana is legal in 25 states plus DC Dozens (if not hundreds) of localities have "decriminalized" marijuana Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level Next week, California will vote on Prop 64, which would make recreational use legal AND, if approved, people now serving criminal sentences for activities that would now be legal would be eligible for resentencing
Fair Sentencing Act of 2010
Reduced the powder/crack sentencing disparity from 100-to-1 to 18-to-1.
Cities in Culture: The transnational distribution of urban scenes and practices through the internet (and other cultural objects).
"...Parkour is unbounded from the local at the very same time it is put into localized practice" (Kidder 2012, 247). The same can be said of hip hop, of hookah, of salsa, etc.
Mass Incarceration Effects on Community Life
"Coercive mobility" (Clear 2007) - concentrated removal and re-entry of residents due to incarceration has destabilizing effects that actually increase crime. "Well, for one thing, like on the street where I live, we've got the prostitution and all of that, and we have the police riding by, they ride, and they get one off the street, they incarcerate them, that's good, they're off the street, I don't have to look at them passing the house... I don't have to look at them hopping in and out of cars" (Clear 2007, p. 125). "I think primarily one of the ways that it's a problem for this community is once an individual is incarcerated, if and when they return to the community their life as a productive citizen is pretty much over, because they're 'unemployable.' It's almost impossible for them to get a job. They are severely stigmatized, and that sort of goes along with the unemployability, their inability to fit into the mainstream of the community, into the active participatory portion of the community" (Clear 2007, p. 139).
Creative Class Policies
"Have pursued urban development strategies promoting 'culture' and the 'arts' as a route to economic growth, arguing that 'creativity' is the most important characteristic for urban success in the knowledge economy neighborhood art galleries, performance spaces, and theaters" But whose culture? What constitutes creativity? -Chicago pro- "food truck" legislation in 2013 -But street vendors were illegal until 2015 ordinance, which still bars preparing food on food carts. How would "the growth machine" approach the issue of culture and creativity as an urban planning tool?
Schools and Cities: Immigration
"In New York City, half the children in schools originate in immigrant homes—representing a breathtaking 190 countries and territories and speaking more than 170 distinct languages." "In Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague, two thirds of all children in schools come from immigrant-origin homes" "in Paris one third of children are of immigrant origin" "in Copenhagen one fifth are of immigrant origin."
1994 Crime Bill
$30 billion: for new prisons ($8B), for incarcerating illegal aliens ($1.8B), for policing ($8.8B), for prevention ($7B); crime control bill-harsher criminal policies; Important sentencing developments include "mandatory minimums," "truth in sentencing," and "three strikes" policies. Mandatory Minimums-Mandatory minimum sentencing laws set minimum sentences for certain crimes that judges cannot lower, even for extenuating circumstances. The most common of these laws deal with drug offenses and set mandatory minimum sentences for possession of a drug over a certain amount. Truth in Sentencing-a collection of different but related public policy stances on sentencing of those convicted of crimes in the justice system. In most contexts, it refers to policies and legislation that aim to abolish or curb parole so that convicts serve the period to which they have been sentenced Three Strikes- significantly increases the prison sentences of persons convicted of a felony who have been previously convicted of two or more violent crimes or serious felonies, and limits the ability of these offenders to receive a punishment other than a life sentence
Majority Minority Public Schools
-2014 marked the year that non-Whites made up more than 50% of public school students -Even in Aberdeen Idaho, Hispanic children made up 56% of public school children in 2011
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg (2001)
-Despite some evidence to the contrary, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that CMS schools had reached "unitary status" - or had successfully desegregated - and were released from desegregation mandates.
Components of Culture in Cities
-Images and representations of the city -Community and civic culture -Place-based myths, narratives, and collective memories -Sentiment and meaning of and for places -Urban identities and lifestyles -Interaction places and practices
Milliken v. Bradley (1974) (Detroit)
-No constitutional support for racial desegregation across school district lines -school systems were not responsible for desegregation across district lines unless it could be shown that they had each deliberately engaged in a policy of segregation
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
-Outlawed racial segregation in schools -Court-mandated racial desegregation in at least 1,094 school districts across the country lead to dramatic reductions in school segregation up until ~1990s.
Hypotheses for Falling Crime (with no clear answer)
-Policing practices -Incarceration -Changes in drug markets -Fewer young people -Tougher gun laws -Stronger economy -Unleading gasoline -Legalization of abortion (very controversial)
San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez (1973)
-School funding based on local property taxes is not unconstitutional. -Education is not a constitutionally protected right.
Four Approaches to Urban Politics
1) Urban liberalism 2) Urban progressivism 3) Urban conservatism 4) Urban radicalism (Note: These are ideal types and are not mutually exclusive)
U.S. Immigration Legislation as Stealth Urban Policy (Homeland Security Act)
2002 Homeland Security Act -Immigration activities moved to Department of Homeland Security -Service and enforcement functions separated -Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) created for enforcement -Coordination with states and localities
Memphis and Shelby County: SES and Achievement
87% versus 37% of students are lower-income in Memphis and Shelby County, respectively. In Memphis, in grades 3-8, 27.6 percent of students were proficient or advanced in math and 29.2 percent were proficient or advanced in reading. In high school, 33.8 were in those categories in Algebra 1 and 43.2 percent in English 1. In Shelby County, in grades 3-8. 57.4 percent were proficient or advanced in math and 61.3 percent in reading. In high school, 60.2 percent were proficient or advanced in Algebra 1 and 74.3 percent in English 1. Shelby County has a higher percentage of students who were proficient or advanced in math and reading than in Memphis
U.S. Immigration Legislation as Stealth Urban Policy (Federal Judge Stops Immigration Authorities from Issuing "Detainers")
A federal judge in Chicago has ordered immigration authorities in Illinois and five neighboring states to stop asking local law enforcement agencies to detain suspects who may be in the country illegally. The order, signed Friday by U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee, would void thousands of so-called "detainers" sent annually to state, county and municipal jail and police officials requesting that they keep suspects in custody for 48 hours after their local cases play out—giving immigration agents time to pick them up. Detainers are one of the major tools used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to identify individuals to deport in the interior of the country.
1965 Hart-Cellar Act
Abolished country quotas and Eastern hemisphere restrictions Liberalized family reunification and occupational immigration Decrease in European "demand" opened up slots for non-European immigrants
Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School Dist. No. 1 (2007)
Background: The Seattle School District allowed students to apply to any high school in the District. Since certain schools often became oversubscribed when too many students chose them as their first choice, the District used a system of tiebreakers to decide which students would be admitted to the popular schools. The second most important tiebreaker was a racial factor intended to maintain racial diversity. If the racial demographics of any school's student body deviated by more than a predetermined number of percentage points from those of Seattle's total student population (approximately 40% white and 60% non-white), the racial tiebreaker went into effect. At a particular school either whites or non-whites could be favored for admission depending on which race would bring the racial balance closer to the goal. By a 5-4 vote, the Court applied a "strict scrutiny" framework and found the District's racial tiebreaker plan unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the plurality opinion that "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race."
Schools and Cities: Desegregation and the Law
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) -Outlawed racial segregation in schools -Court-mandated racial desegregation in at least 1,094 school districts across the country lead to dramatic reductions in school segregation up until ~1990s. San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez (1973) -School funding based on local property taxes is not unconstitutional. -Education is not a constitutionally protected right. Milliken v. Bradley (1974) (Detroit) -No constitutional support for racial desegregation across school district lines Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg (2001) -Despite some evidence to the contrary, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that CMS schools had reached "unitary status" - or had successfully desegregated - and were released from desegregation mandates. Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School Dist. No. 1 (2007) -"The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race." -Chief Justice John Roberts
Per-pupil Funding Disparities
Can affect... -Class size, technology access, enrichment activities, advanced classes, ELL supports, socio-emotional support, differences in teacher quality, funds for professional development, attractive high quality leadership, etc.
Economic Segregation
Can affect... -Differential external fundraising capacities -Familial resources of peers -Differential parental abilities to assist children with homework, -More non-school challenges such as hunger, homelessness, health problems -Stigma, privilege, and expectations (see race)
Racial Segregation
Can affect... -District- and state-level decisions about funding -Feelings of stigma and privilege -Teacher expectations due to racism
Cities in Culture 50/50 Example
Case, the movie 50/50, set in Seattle Why set a movie about cancer in Seattle? But the culture in cities in highly mediated when we see cities in culture.
Crime Trends
Crime rates are currently decreasing
Culture/Cities
Culture in cities - What people do, believe, enact, create, and pass down in cities. Cities in culture - How cities are represented in music, film, literature, photography, etc. The two are related. A discussion of culture might seem separate from our discussions of inequality, race, power, immigration, segregation, etc. but it is not...
Culture/Cities: Some Takeaways
Culture is about meaning Cultural inequality: whose cultural performances and materials are worth protecting, cultivating, supporting, etc? Culture can be commodified Reciprocal relationship between culture and place -Cultures need places to be performed/displayed. Places are only places because of culture-makers. -City cultures travel - even globally - through cultural objects -They are mediated by those objects (i.e., internet, movies, science fiction, etc)
Culture in Cities
Culture: "the way people make sense of the world and the symbolic and material products that express that way of life" (175). Culture in Place: "A place is only a place if it has culture makers—human beings—to create it, use it, live with it, live through it, and consider it significant. In turn, cultures need places to showcase their work and maintain their most valued assets..." (175). Cultures use and shape the natural and man-made materiality of cities.
A Different Model of Immigration
Ecuadorian Constitution (2008): -Article 40. The right to migrate of persons is recognized. No human being shall be identified or considered as illegal because of his/her migratory status. -Art. 416. (6) [Ecuador's foreign policy] advocates the principle of universal citizenship, the free movement of all inhabitants of the planet, and the progressive extinction of the status of alien or foreigner as an element to transform the unequal relations between countries, especially those between North and South.
Ingredients for Excellent Schools: University of Chicago (2006)
Effective Leaders Collaborative Teachers Involved Families Supportive Environment Ambitious Instruction
How Immigrants Change Cities: Language, Education and Politics
Ex: Tucson, Arizona public schools' Ethnic Studies curriculum-Arizona Law Bans Ethnic Studies Classes San Luis, Arizona, City Council candidate's English skills-A county court barred Alejandrina Cabrera from running for city council last week, claiming she lacked the English language skills necessary for the job. She's since filed an appeal and hopes to get back in the race before ballots are printed on Feb. 7.
Examples of People Policies
Federal minimum wage (state and local minimum wage policies are both people and place policies) Universal health care (although ACA leaves many decisions to states) Federal housing subsidies (right now, 25% of eligible families receive assistance)
Mass Incarceration Effects on Voting
Felony disenfranchisement is the exclusion from voting of people otherwise eligible to vote (known as disfranchisement) due to conviction of a criminal offense, usually restricted to the more serious class of crimes: felonies. Disenfranchise-deprive (someone) of the right to vote.
Some Consequences of Mass Incarceration
Fiscal stress on city, states and federal budgets Political Participation at individual, neighborhood, and city levels Neighborhood Instability
1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act
Heavy emphasis on enforcement and border control Unauthorized immigrants not eligible for Social Security and gave states authority to limit eligibility for various social service benefits Scaled back family immigration by increasing income necessary for sponsorship
Ingredients for Excellent Schools: Kannapel et al (2005)
High expectations Collaborative decision making Teachers accept their role in student successor failure Strategic assignment of staff Regular teacher-parent communication Caring staff and faculty Dedication to diversity and equity
Schools and Cities: Success Stories
High performing urban schools Bridgeport, CT - High Horizons Magnet -85% Black and Hispanic, 90% low-income, 91% and 81% math and reading proficiency, respectively. Bridgeport, CT - Multicultural Magnet Hartford, CT - Mary Hooker Magnet New Haven, CT - Elm City College Prep
Cities in Culture
Just as culture happens in cities, cities are portrayed in cultural objects - novels, paintings, photography, television, film, music - which then feed back into the local production of meaning - or cultures - of that city. The "meanings" of a city in cultural objects can be consistent or discordant. -Different depictions of NY (New York New York-On the Town, Glee Empire State of Mind, Real Empire State of Mind)
Smart Growth
Limits on the footprint of metropolitan areas Planned economic and community development that attempts to curb urban sprawl and worsening environmental conditions.
Assimilation
Linguistic, socioeconomic, and spatial incorporation into American-ness, coded as Whiteness "made in America with Italian Parts"
Mass Incarceration Effects on City Budgets
Los Angeles. California has the largest prison population in the country, with more than 170,000 individuals behind bars. In Los Angeles, more than half of current parolees live in neighborhoods that are home to less than 20 percent of the city's adult residents. More than a billion dollars are spent every year to incarcerate people from these communities. At the same time, as of spring 2010, the Los Angeles Unified School District was projecting a deficit of $640 million in the 2010-11 academic year. As a result, district officials were planning to raise class sizes and lay off thousands of teachers and other school-based staff. Philadelphia. In 2009, the School District of Philadelphia faced a projected budget shortfall of $147 million, after losing $160 million in state funding. Yet, during this same period, taxpayers spent nearly $290 million to imprison residents from just 11 Philadelphia neighborhoods, home to about one-quarter of the city's population. Houston. In the 2009-2010 academic year, state budget cuts forced the Houston Independent School District to manage a projected $10 million shortfall. However, in the preceding year, Texas spent over $175 million to imprison residents from just 10 neighborhoods in Houston. In Houston, of the six schools deemed lower-performing, five are in neighborhoods with the highest rates of incarceration.
Memphis and Shelby County: Race
Memphis has much higher percentage of black students than Shelby County (85% to 37.8%). Memphis and Shelby schools combined have a 70.6% black population.
New Urbanism
Method for retrofitting suburbs and planning new city neighborhoods that emphasizes: environmental sustainability, walkable, mixed-use (commercial and residential), integration of public transportation, higher density An urban design movement which promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighborhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types.
Beyond Incarceration: Monetary Sanctions
Monetary-of or relating to money or currency Sanctions-penalty for disobeying a law or crime Monetary Sanctions-money penalty for disobeying a law or crime Municipal Violations - using criminal justice as a revenue source. (ex-John Oliver video of woman who didn't pay her driving tickets) Municipal-of or relating to a city or town or its governing body The snare of criminal justice contact, fines, and fees. The case of Philando Castile-The Minnesota police officer who fatally shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop in July was charged Wednesday with second-degree manslaughter and two felony counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm
Right to the City
Reimagining the politics of place so that people are more important than profit Social theorist Henri Lefebvre, 1) rights (and "citizenship") are based on inhabitance, not nationality, 2) the right to appropriate space (or use space rather than own/exchange it), 3) the right to participate in the production of space.
Schools and Cities: Localism
Schools are extremely local institutions. They are governed mostly at the local and state levels. Roughly 40% of school funding comes from local sources, about 40-50% from state, and 10-20% from federal. Performance varies widely between districts (see map of CA) The financial ability to "buy into" certain neighborhoods also affects ability to "buy into" certain school districts.
Economic and Racial Segregation
Schools are more racially and economically segregated than neighborhoods Pretty much no progress on racial de-segregation since 1990s Economic segregation is increasing
School Reforms-System Level
Small Schools Community Schools-A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Its integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development and community engagement leads to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities Choice -Intra- and Inter-district mobility -Expansion of school types -Charter School-Charter schools are public schools operating under a "charter," essentially a contract entered into between the school and its authorizing agency. The autonomy granted under the charter agreement allows the school considerable decision-making authority over key matters of curriculum, personnel, and budget. Charter schools are often not a part of states' current districts and, therefore, have few if any zoning limitations. Therefore, students attend charter schools by the choice of their parents or guardians rather than by assignment to a school district. -Vouchers-a government-funded voucher redeemable for tuition fees at a school other than the public school that a student could attend free. Race and/or class desegregation Funding equity-a fund that invests in stocks, also called equity securities Testing and standards (i.e., the Common Core) Early childhood education
Segmented Assimilation
Some will assimilate; some will experience mobility but retain nonwhite ethnic identity; some will downwardly assimilate into a permanent U.S. racial "minority."
Is immigration a crime?
Sometimes, says the Federal Govt (look at picture) But Cities of Refuge (try to) say no...(like SF) -If immigrants and refugees residing in San Francisco view city and country officials as agents of the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service), capable of facilitating their arrest and deportation, the results would be detrimental to the interests of all San Franciscans. Immigrants and refugees would be afraid to report crimes and illnesses to city and county officials which, in turn, would jeopardize the general public health and safety.
Examples of Place Policies
State/Regional: Limit bidding wars for corporate and/or factory locations (see Dreier et al.) Local: Inclusionary zoning, extra resources for high-poverty schools, rent control, community land trusts Federal: Promise Neighborhoods, Empowerment Zones, etc
The Drug War has Fueled Mass Incarceration
Stock-who is in prison now Flows-who is going to prison
Critique of "Immigration" Studies
Suffers from Methodological Nationalism -"Methodological nationalism is understood as the assumption that the nation/state/society is the natural social and political form of the modern world" (Wimmer and Glick-Schiller 2002). -In this framework, "immigration," "immigrant," and "illegal" are all problematic concepts.
Cities in Culture: Culture Makers
To be a good culture-maker - writer, filmmaker, musician, photographer, playwright - one should be a good urban sociologist. "[N]ovelists and sociologists are competitors, their choice of discipline signifying differing epistemological convictions about how it is possible to engage with, analyse and represent social life" (Hewitt and Graham 2015, 934). Similarly to be a good journalist, marketing exec, architect, shop owner - what else? - requires being a good urban sociologist!
Urban Radicalism
Total shift of power balance from elites to non-elites and marginalized populations (Not in Place Matters)
Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 and 1989 Establishment of Office of National Drug Control Policy headed by the "Drug Czar"
Tried to prevent young people from using illegal drugs, reducing number of users, and decreasing drug availability
How Immigrants Change Cities: Work
Unskilled Labor migrants Professionals "The brain drain"-the departure of educated or professional people from one country, economic sector, or field for another usually for better pay or living conditions Entrepreneurs -Ethnic enclaves- a geographic area with high ethnic concentration, characteristic cultural identity, and economic activity. The term is usually used to refer to either a residential area or a workspace with a high concentration of ethnic firms -Middlemen-minority entrepreneurs who mediate between the dominant and subordinate groups. Their customers are typically members of marginalized racial or ethnic groups that are segregated from the majority group. (Refugees and Asylees) Ex: -Nurses in West Indian Day Parade, Brooklyn, NY-NYSNA (New York State Nurses Association float at West Indies Day Parade) -Day Laborer Center in Signal Hill/Long Beach, CA- assigns day laborers to jobs
Sentiment and meaning of and for places
Use values; subjective evaluations that may be discordant
What is crime?
Various Examples of Crimes Hanging out? Loitering? -See LA Municipal Code: Title 13, Chapter 13.44 "Loitering by Criminal Street Gangs" -Chicago's 1992 law (8-4-015 Gang loitering) was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1999 and revived in 2000 Shopping? -Mayfair Mall security worker Dave Yandel on Friday hands out pamphlets that outline the Wauwatosa shopping center's new policy, which goes into effect next Friday, for younger shoppers during some hours of operation. "Youth control complex" (Rios 2015) or necessary for law, order and safety? -Federal government finds banks guilty of discrimination in subprime mortgage business -Memphis and other cities sue banks -Grand jury doesn't indict in Eric Garner killing -A Clinton Township trustee appeared in federal court Thursday on charges he demanded and took bribes in exchange for his vote on municipal contracts since 2012 -Buffalo Grove doctor charged in national health care fraud sweep -Former Chicago Public Schools chief to plead guilty to bribery scheme -City employee Mike Glasgow and state employees Stephen Busch and Mike Prysby. Busch, a district water supervisor for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and Prysby, a district water engineer, each face six charges. -Over the past decade, the City of Chicago has spent more than $500 million on police-related settlements, judgments, legal fees and other costs
Memphis and Shelby County
Voters in Memphis go to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to merge the city's school system with that of suburban Shelby County. Both city and county schools are funded through joint tax revenues. But after Shelby County officials asked the state to separate the county into a new taxing district, the city school board dropped its school charter and forced the merger vote. Like many places in this country, the school system in the City of Memphis is mostly black, while the suburban system is mostly white. A bold bid by the struggling, majority-black Memphis City Schools system to force a merger with the majority-white, successful suburban district has fanned relatively routine fears over funding and student performance into accusations of full-blown racism. Memphis city residents voted "yes" in a referendum held last week, sparking the latest round of controversy in a contentious school system battle involving race issues, poverty, taxes. The referendum initiates the consolidation of Memphis City Schools (MCS), a large urban district that largely serves African American and low-income students, into the Shelby County Schools (SCS), one whose students are largely white and middle class.
