Dysfunctional Neighborhoods

Penny Loudermilk

Grand Canyon University

English 106

12 July 2010

Dysfunctional Neighborhoods

Why have some neighborhoods become dysfunctional? What makes them dysfunctional? How can we as a society help? These are question that I am finding hard to answers. I have not been able to find case studies or any articles on dysfunctional neighborhoods as yet. I have lived in my neighborhood for six months now and have only met one neighbor. I have seen my next door neighbors outside a couple of times but that is all. The only way I know I have people that live in my neighborhood is because I see them drive up to their homes and go inside. This is not the way it was when I lived in Northern California.

What makes up a neighborhood? The dictionary defines it as: a society of people, having common rights and privileges, or common interests, civil, political or ecclesiastical; or living under the same laws and regulations. I do not see anything in common among anyone in my neighborhood except location. Oh there are children that live in the neighborhood but they go to other neighborhoods to play with relatives or old friends. (Webster’s 1828)

Years ago people in neighborhoods used to know each other by first name; they would visit in the evenings and sit around talking about what happened during the day, this is how they stayed up on current and social events. Maybe the men might sit on the porch and swap tales they had made up; while the women would be inside comparing dishes that they had made all while collecting information on what happened to those who were not there.

While the adults are entertaining each other the children play together glad to have other children to run around with. Most of this interaction happened on Sundays, and even though it was only once a week people built real bonds with their neighbors. Neighbors helped in times of need. Now days your neighbor might just sit back and watch while something tragic was happening, all because...