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Ethnography: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America

Chloe Routhier

University of Colorado Colorado Springs

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Introduction

There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America is

a story authored by Alex Kotlowitz. Kotlowitz followed two brothers for two years to highlight

how they struggled to exist in the hopes of achieving their aspirations. Pharoah and Lafeyette

grew up in Chicago's Henry Horner Homes public housing project. The neighborhood changed

from a peaceful haven to a battleground for drugs and other vices when gangs moved in

(Kotlowitz, 1991). The gang's battle zone was disregarded by many, including government

institutions. As Alex Kotlowitz portrays, the siblings have been deeply influenced by their

immediate neighborhood's culture of violence. The two youngsters were born into an area

notorious for criminals, narcotics, and violence, so they had to mature rapidly. Using the account

of these two brothers, Kotlowitz can construct an image that proves there are no children present

because children typically mature quickly and make choices that almost all adults do not. These

young people in this story must also fight against gangs and drug-related peer pressure. This

essay will illustrate the population and social location of the story, provide its history and

political economy, and describe its cultural traditions.

Population and Social Location

The population and social location in the story focus on Chicago's Henry Horner Homes,

one of Chicago's neighborhoods. Inside the Chicago city's core, children live in inadequate

housing, typically with just one parent, usually their mother, where gang violence is an everyday

threat (Kotlowitz, 1991). The population is comprised of several gang groups, affecting the

livelihood in the neighborhood. The population depicted in the story is typically hungry,

underachieving in school, and lacking help from the government. The prospects for these

youngsters are grim, and the rest of the United States wants to pretend they are well (Kotlowitz,

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1991). The social location illustrated in the story indicates that the community comprises mixed

cultures and races.

History and Political Economy

Racism forms the basis for the history and political economy in the community described

in the story. Political-influenced racism harmed the Henry Horner Homes' administration

(Kotlowitz, 1991). The housing project was a haven, but white legislators began to meddle with

it by withholding funds from the project because poor and black individuals populated it. The

Henry Horner Homes were left unfinished because of a lack of finance. As a result, social

housing became a magnet for slums rather than a solution to the problem. In addition, due to a

lack of available land, the local housing department had no choice but to focus on infill

construction. Ghettos expanded upward, and social housing served as a fortress of segregation in

the cities. The rise of criminals in these communities was large since politicians aided in

recruiting gang members to defend them (Kotlowitz, 1991). Gangs were permitted to do what

they pleased, including drug trafficking, without fear of being arrested due to this legislation.

The political economy in the community has encouraged increased poverty since individuals

cannot access good jobs. A lack of quality education influences increased poverty since the

population lacks adequate resources.

Cultural Traditions

The community in the Henry Horner Homes was left isolated and in a state of emergency

because of the community's disorganized culture and tradition. Poverty and inequality are linked

to higher crime rates because of social and traditional cultural disorders (Kotlowitz, 1991).

Societal inequalities are explained by social disorganization culture, whereas cultural deviance

describes the results of these circumstances and how individuals can develop new strategies for

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working as a group. The culture and tradition of the community are based on the activities of the

emerging gangs.

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Reference

Kotlowitz, A. (1991). There are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the

Other America. New York: Doubleday