Street Corner Society

by William Foote Whyte

When it was published in the 1940s, 'Street Corner Society' was one of the very first attempts to apply the techniques of modern social research to an American subculture--in this case, to the inhabitants of a poor Italian neighborhood in a large, unspecified northeastern city (Boston). Up to that time, social scientists generally studied the U.S. society as a whole--while it was considered standard practice for Margaret Meade to journey to an island in the South Pacific to study the sexual mores of neolithic villagers, the prospect of Mr. Whyte going across town to concentrate his study on the social, educational, and vocational development of the sons and daughters of immigrants was revolutionary in the early 1940s. Whyte buried himself in the work, to the extent of moving in to an apartment in the neighborhood and learning to speak fluent Italian. This book is a blueprint for how social research on a subculture should be done. If it, at times, seems plodding and stilted to twenty first century readers, that is because it represents a prototype for a sort of study that has been replicated and perfected through these past sixty years. The book represents a look at a segment of American society, as it existed at a specific point in history (the tail end of the depression)--much of the society Whyte studied had already changed by the time the book saw print (by 1943, one must assume that most of the young men profiled in the study were in uniform), however that is true to some extent of all social research.

Genres: Sociology, Nonfiction, Anthropology, Ethnography, History, Urban Studies, Cities

364 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1943

About the author

There is more than one author in the Goodreads catalog with this name. This entry is for William Foote ^ Whyte.

Reviews

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a Christmas miracle! I finally finished Street Corner Society!! Thoughtful detailed book about a largely Italian enclave in 1930s/1940s east coast community. Perhaps slow going for me as it’s about young men’s lives with the women few and far between. But as the corner boys grew in their characters, it was impossible not to see how this book influences much societal understanding of these people even decades into the future. The Sopranos anyone?

[Julio César · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it is always strange to read a book about a persisting phenomenon in a different time and space, the impact of Whyte's urban ethnography on an Italian slum in Boston's North End in the late 1930's cannot be overstated. Some passages are surprisingly contemporary, especially those referring to the relationship between the police and the racket organizations -and I am a Latin American reader of the 21st century.
Even more than the actual ethnographic analysis, I found very interesting the Post-scriptum on this 1953 edition I read, on the explanation of how the study developed, starting from Whyte's economist background in Harvard, the scholarships, his living in Cornerville, getting married and just how life goes by as you keep on doing your research. It's a candid account, much more than we are used to in these days.
The parallels to Bourgois In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio are obvious but nonetheless appaling. He must be one of Whyte's most qualified disciples.

[FiveBooks]

Former NYPD chief John F. Timoney has chosen to discuss William Foote Whyte's Street Corner Society on FiveBooks as one of the top five on his subject - Policing, saying that:

“…To the average person corner boys are up to no good, but one corner boy, Doc, takes the author under his wing for a year and a half. Whyte learns that things are not as simple as they appear on the corner. The group is much more complex than you’d expect, with rules and regulations, leaders and deputy leaders, and due deference. Whyte tries to ingratiate himself with his new crowd by cursing and using the F word – this is, if you will, a Harvard boy’s perception of how one might fit in on the corner. However, Doc chastises him for doing so and indicates that more is expected of a Harvard boy…”

The full interview is available here: http://fivebooks.com/interviews/john-...

[Yusuf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bir gün böyle bir kitap yazabilirsem baya mutlu olurdum. İçinde hiç analiz yokmuş gibi hissettiren metinlerden. Bunu başarmak benim için bir başarı kriteri sanırım. Eğer sadece olay anlatıyor, hiç soyutlama ya da teorik araç gereç kullanmıyormuş gibi geliyorsa bir metni okurken, orada yazar acayip bir is başarıyor demektir bence. Bu kitap da böyle. Sanki inanilmaz detaylı bir hatıra okuyorsunuz gibi geliyor. En iyi erken dönem etnografik çalışmalardan birisi, zaten bir klasik, dolayısıyla benim övgüme ihtiyacı yok.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivated by the visible influence of relationships, and the give and take between individuals that establish group hierarchies. While Whyte describes this urban, relatively new immigrant population of Italians, the tribute by Angelo Orlandella suggests that understanding these nuances and behaviors is universal and can facilitate relationships in every domain. Hard to imagine that these were new ideas that spawned an innovative approach to cultural research. Def struck by the power of Whyte's observations, but concerned that he lost connection to those who were most important to his work and that some, particularly Doc, felt used. That is so very important to me, to know that the gift of disclosure and trust must be acknowledged, maintained and returned even in an anthropological or sociological exchange.

[Kris Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great example of participatory observation, and an amazing picture of life for male Italian immigrants in the 1930s in Boston’s North End. It’s a bit dry in places, but I found myself thinking about the lives of my own Italian American family in this time period, their path of street corner versus college boy life, the limited options for women whose stories are virtually absent here. It’s also incredible to hear Italians referred to as a race by politicians of the time, affirming what I read about race as a social construct in Yancey’s Who is White?

[Tim Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read passages from this book when I was an undergrad in, probably, 1996 and meant to read the whole thing some day. FINALLY, twenty years later, I did. It turns out that I like sociology as a bigger picture. Though I enjoyed reading this study, the nitty gritty parts were tedious for me so that i sped through at times. More, I enjoyed the 82-page appendix where the author described his process, difficulties and strategies.

[Darcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

classic anthropology

[Revati Ahuja · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relevant book for those interested in participant observation . The Appendix of the book is most entertaining where the author tells about the back stage process of research

[Christian Grimaldo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imperdible para un estudiante de las ciencias sociales en cuanto ejemplo de la flexibilidad metodológica.

[Lucky · Rating 4 out of 5]

书末的结论认为，科纳维尔之所以发展滞后，原因是未能与美国社会更好的融合，部分由于外部的排斥，而上世纪初的战争也使得偏见深化。有些遗憾的是，作者并没有就这一观点做出很好的论证，虽然提到了一些关于意大利或意大利文化不受重视的事例，以及街坊文教馆娱乐中心在一定程度上展示了其他种族和阶层的人士看待街角青年的态度，然而除此之外，大量篇幅都集中在科纳维尔的内部结构上，即便是政治竞选的相关叙述也比较典型，适用于各个地区的情况，很难解释这一社区的特殊问题。
不过对科纳维尔本身的组织研究仍然非常有价值，从街角帮到俱乐部，再到规模更大的非法团体与政治组织，科纳维尔的框架被一层层地展开，证明与通常将贫民区问题归因于缺乏组织性的判断相反，这个意大利移民社区实际上有着非常清晰的社会结构。当地非法团伙（主要是赌博集团）与警察的关系更是值得深思，两者之间既表现出商业化的合作特征，又出于法律和道德的牵制而保持着微妙的猫鼠关系。
非法团伙通常不倾向于使用暴力，甚至相当诚实，从不会吞掉任何中奖人的奖金，他们的事业为科纳维尔提供了许多就业机会，并且（起码从书中来看）科纳维尔的居民也相当认可这些赌博集团的存在。至于落入这个世界的警察，只有极少数不愿意顺从环境，连那些廉洁的警察也认同打击犯罪并不是管理科纳维尔的首要目标，能够维持治安使这里平安无事，才是评判工作效率的标准。
作者还提到很重要的一点：“这些归纳并不意味着警察部门和非法活动组织之间串通一气并就一种共同的政策达成一致。他们之间的关系并不是总体性的，而是建立在这两个群体中的个人之间。双方的行动已成为习惯和惯例，就像其他人和其他群体之间的行动一样。虽然一项研究能揭示出在人们的行动中有某些一贯存在的模式，但不要以为是有人把他们设计成了这个样子。”所以，当我们将群体作为研究对象的时候，组成它的个体又该如何进行考量？他们的意志和选择在绝对的准则面前是否不值一提？
自治与法治之间有着相当广阔的迷雾地带，对更加公平有序的社会的期待，可能会使我们认同某些立竿见影的极端做法，却容易忽略人们的既有观念是否允许如此迅猛的改变以及随之而来的后遗症。尽管法律的强制力是秩序的根本保证，但一个社会整体的转变过程到底应该是渐进的还是激进的，却并不像那些法条一样清晰。

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finish this book after three weeks! Definitely a social science classic. How street corner society operates deeply reflects on larger social structures. More importantly, the author wrote about how he did field work in urban cities. This is pretty much the very first book talking about ethnography in urban environment. Recommend to anyone who is interested in social science!

[zehraogut · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author used a language in this book that we can call both academic and literary. It is quite fluent and never boring. The section of a book in which the author describes the background and research method of the book is interesting. The author also criticized himself and replied critiques against his book on academic releases.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The appendix is a great learning tool for the participant observation research method often used in modern anthropological studies. Whyte’s unbiased storytelling and self-criticism makes his work seem deeply genuine, and shows his desire to not only record his findings, but to truly understand the Cornerville community.

[Marilyn Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic sociological study

Very interesting, classic study of parts of the North End in Boston. William Whyte is very forthcoming about his mistakes and failures, but his participant observer study is valuable

[Magali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta fue una lectura escolar y no esperaba que fuera tan interesante. Me agradó mucho la forma en como el autor comparte detalles de su proceso, conflictos y experiencias personales en su investigación.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first introduction to the study of sociology in urban America. A classic observational study.

[Martin Willoughby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good if you're studying early 20th century social structures, not so good as a piece of history.

[Marin Beal · Rating 4 out of 5]

the original "On The Run"

[Davit K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peut être le livre de socio que je conseillerais le plus aux néophytes. Intéressant + facile à lire.

[Kai T]

A very detailed account of society of the Italian corner boys back in the time. An inspiring ethnographic work.

[Stephano George · Rating 1 out of 5]

没什么新颖论点

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A SOCIOLOGIST LOOKS AT ITALIAN SLUM GANGS OF THE MID-20TH CENTURY

William Foote Whyte (1914-2000) was an American sociologist who taught at Cornell University. He wrote in the Introduction to this 1943 book, “In the heart of ‘Eastern City’ there is a slum district known as Cornerville, which is inhabited almost exclusively by Italian immigrants and their children. To the rest of the city it is a mysterious, dangerous, and depressing area… They think of it as the home of racketeers and corrupt politicians, of poverty and crime, of subversive beliefs and activities… one may discover that bathtubs are rare, that children overrun the narrow and neglected streets, that the juvenile delinquency rate if high, that crime is prevalent among adults, and that a large proportion of the population was on home relief or W.P.A. during the depression…. There is one thing wrong with such a picture: no human beings are in it… The only way to gain such knowledge is to live in Cornerville and participate in the activities of its people.” (Pg. xv-xvi)

He explains, “Within the ranks of the younger man there are two main divisions: corner boys and college boys. Corner boys are groups of men who center their social activities upon particular street corners, with their adjoining barbershops, lunchrooms, poolrooms, or clubrooms. They constitute the bottom level of society within their age group, and at the same time make up the great majority of the young men of Cornerville… Few had completed high school, and many of them had left school before finishing the eighth grade. The college boys are a small group of young men who have risen above the corner-boy level higher education… they are still moving socially upward.” (Pg. xviii)

He explains, “Both the college boy and the corner boy want to get ahead. The difference between them is that the college boy either does not tie himself to a group of close friends or else is willing to sacrifice his friendship with those who do not advance as fast as he does. The corner boy is tied to his group by a network of reciprocal obligations from which he is either unwilling or unable to break away.” (Pg. 107)

He points out, “The politician and the racketeer grow up in similar environments, have influence over the same groups or the same sorts of groups, are expected to perform some of the same functions, and have many interests in common. Between them, co-operative relations, of varying degrees intimacy, are bound to develop.” (Pg. 205)

He explains, “The corner-gang structure arises out of the habitual association of the members over a long period of time. The nuclei of most gangs can be traced back to early boyhood, when living close together provided the first opportunities for social contacts… I know of no corner gangs which arose through classroom or school-playground association.” (Pg. 255)

He asks, “Can any program be effective if all the top positions of formal authority are held by people who are aliens to Cornerville? What is the effect upon the individual when he has to subordinate himself to people that he recognizes as different from his own?” (Pg. 276)

He acknowledges in an Appendix, “There… were important gaps in my study. My knowledge of the role of the church in the community was fragmentary, and this I hoped to fill in… I must confess also that for quite unscientific reasons I have always found politics, rackets, and gangs more interesting than the basic unit of human society. The gap that worried me most was in the area of the rackets and the police. I had a general knowledge of how the rackets functioned, but nothing to compare with the detailed interpersonal data I had upon the corner gang. As my book was evolving, it seemed to me that this was the gap that simply must be filled, although at the time I had no idea how I would get the inside picture that was necessary.” (Pg. 324)

This work will interest those studying such social groups.

[Jing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Denied the previous opinions that the slums are unorganized by studying the relationship between street gangs, illegal groups and political institutions.

Sociology | Chicago School

None literature-based problematization

Methods: participant observation(very similar to undercover police)

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly invigorating look into the life of gang members in New York City before all the reforms. Kind of funny at some points which I wasn't anticipating!

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not like this book in the least. Everything It revealed about inner city slum conditions should already be known by anyone who ever took the time to get to know people living in such conditions. To think, just because people lived in the slums, they could or would not have social groups and organized political groups is loco.

[Kevin Kosar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pair this book with Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and you’ll get a great feel for what life in the poor part of a big eastern city was like between 1900 and 1940 (read more)