In class this week we've been talking about the excerpt the class read from Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh. It was a novel about an Indian sociologist reasearching a mostly black community in Chicago. To collect research for his project, Venkatesh went into the projects and talked to some of the people living there. He began by asking them ignorant questions like, "How does it feel to be black and poor?" Obviously, questions like these won't get a very good answer.
He finally decided to get to know the men by just hanging out with them. A lot of what the found was definitely interesting. But, he failed to acknowledge the bigger picture. He was trying to study how being poor and a minority in today's society affects an individual's future. I thought the way he was going about reasearching was very ignorant because his reasearch was too genearlized. I am black and although I don't live in the typical "poor" Chicago neighbrhood, I wouldn't say that if I did- my siblings and I would grow up to deal drugs and live in the projects. So, I didn't necesarilly agree with a lot of the things the author was saying in his book. His generalizations, to me, felt like stereotypes.
You make a good point Tiff, Venkatesh himself did mix his generalizations and stereotypes together. I think at the end he actually understood that you can't do that and you have to see the real picture behind a cover.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think he should've expanded his research and studied several types of people, not necessarily minorities, growing up in many different social classes. Most times, a racial or religious group isn't even a fair way to classify people because stereotypes and generalizations get mixed up.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to your perspective. I like the way you pointed out that Venkatesh did sort of generalize.
ReplyDeleteI love how you don't agree with the author. I completely agree that the way the author first went about his research was as stereotypical as it could have been. STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN! Great points!
ReplyDeleteYes - I think this was an accurate criticism of the excerpt we read, but realize that this was just the introduction. It was written to be provocative so that you'll want to read the rest of the book. Later in the book, he does a better job of seeing the bigger picture. He eventually explains the complex relationships between the different groups in the neighborhood and in doing so, he shows that many stereotypes are simply not true.
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