Watching the video, when Rios says "Grit alone isn't going to cut it," it shocked me. Not because it is a foreign concept but because so many people believe that if you put your mind to something you can do it. The members of social control in these communities don't understand that that only gets the boys so far. Going back to his analogy of the oyster, you can try so hard to open up but until you are given the resources and space to do so you will close yourself again. Resources matter.#so345
@klg20
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A connection I made was to the Reiman and Leighton chapter when rios states that the boys "were being systematically punished for being poor, young, Black and Latino, and male." This is a direct function of overpoliciing in communities that cannot afford legal consel. Changing policing levels in these communities would remove this punishment for being dealt unfortunate circumstances. This practice is institutionalized through the system and bringing attention to it, may change it. #so345
@bear1234 The conclusion definitely provided a full-circle effect. The book entirely takes you through the school-to-prison pipeline and the fact that the boy in question, Jose, was never actually delinquent has some power to it. He never had a chance. Living a double-binded life led to criminalization for all of these boys. The system was never created to help these boys flourish but was created to penalize and show them who does and doesn't have power. #so345
@akr804 I caught on to this too. The way Chapter 7 discusses all of the double binds it appears that the boys experience more than just situations of double binds but an entire life that is a double bind. Regardless of the boys' skills on both sides, they appear useless in the grand scheme of things. The boy's lives, irrespective of the side they choose, are criminalized making it even harder to combat the stigmas and stereotypes created by society. #so345
A connection that I made when reading Chapter 7 was the relationship between dignity, acts of resistance, and criminalization. Searching for dignity is often done through acts of resistance which warrant labels and further criminalization of the boys. What I found interesting was the role these boys also play in the criminalization of their race. By telling those who "act lawfully" that they are acting "white" they further criminalize their race. Do they understand this? #so345
@purplepuppy52 I also found this concept to be very interesting. In a way "acting lawful" is a constant double bind. The boys cannot "act lawful" and have dignity and respect on the streets. In a way, they are completely alone. The agents of social control treat them the same as if they were delinquent yet to the members of the street they are outsiders and snitches. Are they the most alone of this population? Is "acting lawful" any better or worse than being deviant? #so345
One last thing I noted and caught my eye was the connection between dignity and the idea of becoming a "real man"/masculinity. The system continuously dug at the boy's masculinity by making statements that stated they were not "real men" hitting at their dignity. My question is what good do the people saying this thing is going to come? On the other hand, do the boys use their acts of resistance to gain respect as a justification for becoming a "real man" in their eyes? #so345
The major concept established in this chapter, hypermasculinity, can be connected to the concept of double-bind. The boys struggle with obeying authority figures and losing respect on the streets or disobeying the authority figures, gaining respect, but being punished. Why is it that there cannot be a mix of both? Does this have to do with the mechanisms of informal social control itself or the behaviors of the boys? #so345
A connection I made was to the reading on police brutality and how the police are almost taught to be violent. Rios explains how police are taught to establish violent policing in high-crime neighborhoods with masculinity. If police were "taught" differently do you think policing would differ? Would the boys equate police with different stereotypes? We have seen the importance police play in this neighborhood so how would changing the police behavior change the boys? #so345
@akr804 I think they are linked through the concept of secondary deviance. From my understanding crimes of resistance are used to reaffirm the masculinity that is endangered through social control forms. I think that this can also be tied in with the concept of dignity as the boys think that crimes of resistance increase their dignity and in turn their maculinity as well. I think that the boys think this increases their freedom and agency as they feel that without it they have no freedom.#so345