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CRIME IN THE AREA

Abstract

Crime in urban communities remains a burning issue for multicultural neighborhoods of

Los Angeles. This problem is closely considered in regards to Boyle Heights, the Los

Angeles community which consists mostly of Latin Americans. The subculture approach

to the study is taken as the dominant one. Such crime prevention activities as reshaping

the public space and increasing its safety through Helms’ Systems (2002),

reconstruction of abandoned buildings into the objects of infrastructure, strengthening

the connections between schools and population through local municipal government

work and the like are suggested.

CRIME IN THE AREA

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Crime in the Area

Introduction

Crime in urban communities is quite a persistent issue, especially in regards to

the multicultural neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The present paper aims to study the

problem of crime in a particular community, and how the subculture approach can be

served as means of identification of this notion. In our case, crime in Los Angeles can

be explicitly demonstrated by Boyle Heights, the community which consists mostly of

Latin Americans.

The subculture theory, which has been developed by Cohen in 1955 is an

attempt to examine youth subcultures, manifesting their protest against the dominant

culture.

The subcultures emerge in the slums of some nation’s largest cities, often

rooted in class differentials, parental aspirations and school standards.

Cohen notes that the position of one’s family in the social structure

determines some problems which a child might face later in his life. Thus,

they will experience status frustration and strain and adapt into either a

corner boy, college boy, or a delinquent boy. (Eve, 1978, p. 116)

Corner boys are conventional in terms of lifestyle and, therefore, they receive

considerable support in group activities. Such individuals often fail to meet academic

standards and, thus receive poor education, which...