Street Corner Society
Encyclopedia
Street Corner Society is a famous descriptive case study
written by William Foote Whyte
and published in 1943.
In the late 1930s, Whyte lived in a slum
district of Boston that was mostly inhabited by first and second generation immigrants from Italy
. The neighbourhood was considered dangerous and crime was prevalent. Some Italians were suspected to be potential allies of Italian fascism under Benito Mussolini
. Whyte lived in that district for three and a half years, including 18 months he spent with an Italian family. Through this work, Whyte became a pioneer in participant observation
.
Street Corner Society describes various groups and communities within the district. Paesani – people originally from the same Italian town – are one example. The first part of the book contains detailed accounts of how local gang
s were formed and organized. Whyte differentiated between "corner boys" and "college boys": The lives of the former men revolved around particular street corners and the nearby shops. The college boys, on the other hand, were more interested in good education and moving up the social ladder.
The second part of the book describes the relations of social structure, politics, and racketeering in that district. It is also a testament to the importance of WPA
jobs at the time.
Case study
A case study is an intensive analysis of an individual unit stressing developmental factors in relation to context. The case study is common in social sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find...
written by William Foote Whyte
William Foote Whyte
William Foote Whyte was a sociologist chiefly known for his ethnological study in urban sociology, Street Corner Society...
and published in 1943.
In the late 1930s, Whyte lived in a slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
district of Boston that was mostly inhabited by first and second generation immigrants from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The neighbourhood was considered dangerous and crime was prevalent. Some Italians were suspected to be potential allies of Italian fascism under Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
. Whyte lived in that district for three and a half years, including 18 months he spent with an Italian family. Through this work, Whyte became a pioneer in participant observation
Participant observation
Participant observation is a type of research strategy. It is a widely used methodology in many disciplines, particularly, cultural anthropology, but also sociology, communication studies, and social psychology...
.
Street Corner Society describes various groups and communities within the district. Paesani – people originally from the same Italian town – are one example. The first part of the book contains detailed accounts of how local gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
s were formed and organized. Whyte differentiated between "corner boys" and "college boys": The lives of the former men revolved around particular street corners and the nearby shops. The college boys, on the other hand, were more interested in good education and moving up the social ladder.
The second part of the book describes the relations of social structure, politics, and racketeering in that district. It is also a testament to the importance of WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
jobs at the time.