It’s nice to see Stephen J. Dubner, of Freakonomics fame, lending some of his publicity lustre to sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh, who’s written what promises to be a fascinating book on his field work for his dissertation – as a participant/observer in the gang life of the Chicago projects:
Now a professor of sociology at Columbia University, Venkatesh ventured into Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes housing project in the 1990s to do research for his doctorate. He befriended the leader of the Black Kings, one of the country’s largest and most violent crack-dealing gangs, and led the group for a day. Venkatesh’s new book, Gang Leader for a Day, captures his years inside the projects and how residents and gang members interacted, coexisted and raised families.
Via barry at investigativeblog, you can follow this link to a podcast of an interview with Venkatesh. The purpose of the research is described in this piece from the Chicago Sun-Times, which also features a podcast of Venkatesh reading from his book.
I’m also pleased to see a revival of this sort of ethnographic observational fieldwork in the sociology of deviance, which has become too obsessed with a narrow instrumentalism in proposing policy for crime prevention, or various theoretical dead ends. It’s reminiscent of the work of the originator of labelling theory, Howard S. Becker, who wrote his dissertation while working as a jazz pianist in the 50s and published a book in 63 on what would these days be called the “night time economy” of drugs. It’s fitting that Venkatesh did his graduate work at Chicago – the Chicago school of sociology lives on.
Oh yeah, let’s hear it for the Chicago Boys [cough cough].
Somewhere recently I read a great story about this Venkatesh bloke inviting a bunch of crooks around to his house for spare ribs and beer, and an all-day session of watching/reviewing The Wire. Haven’t seen any of it, but from what I’ve read of the series, I want to.
I’ll see if I can find the link to the article… um tomorrow. You’ll just have to take this luvvie’s word for it that it exists.
It’s tomorrow, today!
The Chicago school of sociologists, Liam, are quite distinct from Friedman’s gang. In fact they were considered such dangerous lefties that Becker didn’t publish his book on drugs til the McCarthyist thing had subsided, though it was written years before.
Be interested in the link!
Yes, my banal sarcasm, as always, precedes the joke. Sorry.
Also interesting from the same source, a lesson on how not to deal with youth, poverty and migration:
So is The Wire any good?
That’s nothing, you just wait for my tell-all expose on the latte-swilling elitists of Fitzroy.
Hope there’s a whole chapter on running into Julia Zemiro.
Years ago I read a book by a Sydney sociologist – at least I think he was a sociologist – who lived for a year among homeless Sydney derelicts as part of his research. It was quite a chilling insight into another world. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the title, but I gather it was considered quite ground-breaking at the time.Seems his methodology was similiar to Venkatesh’s.
“So is The Wire any good?”
Yes, according to Prospect magazine’s review, unfortunately hidden behind their subscription wall.
IIRC the reviewer called it the best TV show ever. Yes, ever. (With The Sopranos coming in at no. 2.)
“The Wire” deserves all the accolades; it’s as good as they say. The first season is out on DVD here, and it’s possible to see all the others through the usual channels.
Good to see you back in the fray Cap’n Creighton. Yes “The Wire” is one of the most powerful, darkest pieces of drama to come out of the US in a long while.
No one does gritty cop opera better than the Yanks these days. I’d put it up there with “Baltimore:Life On The Streets”.
No, fuck it, I wouldn’t. “The Wire” is motherfuckin’ sui generis. Best art direction ever too.
You can order the first four seasons on DVD through Amazon. Or if you have the patience and HDD space, find a torrent.
Yes, it certainly does rival The Sopranos, though there are no episodes analogous to the dream exploration of Tony’s childhood or any sort of deviations like that. It’s a pretty straight forward crime drama, but there’s just no dumbing down, no translation of the slang, no gilded heroes (or villains). Just a brilliant exposition of the crunching gears of social structure and agency that sociologists have tried so desparately to reconcile (or reify) for the past century and a bit. The script, photography and acting – even by the 14 year olds who star in the 4th season – are in a different galaxy to Bruckheimer or the other soft focus/technowetdream, soapy crap that fill the commercial schedules.
In fact, I now can’t bear to watch my formerly beloved Inspector Rex – the episode where a rip and run is cause for celebration represents much of the facile, instrumentality of debates on laura norder in western liberal politics. On the plus side, though, My Wu-Tang Clan records now make a whole lot more sense (in fact, the Method Man is in a couple of episodes in season 4 I believe).
etc.
http://www.dapslyrics.com/display.php?sid=5642
My comment cross with Nabs’.
Gritty cop opera pretty much nails it.
Well I was gonna say dk.au that
“Just a brilliant exposition of the crunching gears”
was a damn good summary of The Wire vibe too.
Heya, Nabs. Interesting you should mention Life on the Street; I’ve never seen it, but it was based on David Simon’s non-fiction book, “A Year on the Killing Streets”. I don’t think he had much involvement with it apart from that. I’d be interested in reading the book he wrote with Ed Burns, “The Corner” prior to them co-creating The Wire…
Oho, so David Simon was also involved with “The Wire”? The pieces start to click together.
The Wire is the best television show ever.
That is all.
Simon was only tangentially involved with H:LOTS but The Wire is entirely his baby. The book ” A Year on the Killing Streets” is ripper too.
I have JZ’s mobile number and email address. Just sayin’
Well, I’ve surreptitiously perved on her in cafes.
She’s a babe!
PS Liking the new brevity deal, L!
The Wire is fab, but could use a few more chicks in it.
American Project was extroadinary for the amount of observations about normal interactions throughout the Homes, and I’m glad that his (similar) subject matter is being released in a more popular form (not that American Project was too dense for a non-sociologist). It deserves a wide audience.
The first four seasons of The Wire are in JB, or whatever your local entertainment emporium is called in the uncivilized states.
Queensland must be civilised because it’s called JB.