Cracks in the Pavement: Social Change and Resilience in Poor Neighborhoods

by Martín Sánchez-Jankowski

Woven throughout with rich details of everyday life, this original, on-the-ground study of poor neighborhoods challenges much prevailing wisdom about urban poverty, shedding new light on the people, institutions, and culture in these communities. Over the course of nearly a decade, Martín Sánchez-Jankowski immersed himself in life in neighborhoods in New York and Los Angeles to investigate how social change and social preservation transpire among the urban poor. Looking at five community mainstays―the housing project, the small grocery store, the barbershop and the beauty salon, the gang, and the local high school―he discovered how these institutions provide a sense of order, continuity, and stability in places often thought to be chaotic, disorganized, and disheartened. His provocative and ground-breaking study provides new data on urban poverty and also advances a new theory of how poor neighborhoods function, illuminating the creativity and resilience that characterize the lives of those who experience the hardships associated with economic deprivation.

Genres: Sociology

504 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not an easy read. Sometimes it feels indoctrinated, too many theories intertwined together. But the empirical data is much fun. The conversations he draw into analysis is very decent and relatable refreshingly. For methodology part, I prefer Street Corner Society because that book gives me more systematically explanatory details.