Module 4

The research question is whether poverty is directly related to crime. Reviews of the film Boys in the Hood show that it addresses the issues faced by poor inner-city communities. Both The New York Times and Roger Ebert discuss how poverty leads to crime, lack of positive role models, and systemic racism. The Guardian also acknowledges the film's relevance to contemporary issues like biased standardized tests and gentrification. The film portrays the struggles and temptations faced by inner-city youth, with some choosing crime to keep up with materialistic desires. The conflict theory, influenced by Karl Marx, explains the distrust of authority and the impact of capitalism on these communities. Poverty is a significant factor in the presence of crime in affected communities. The research question I am going to research is, is poverty directly related to increases in crime? After reading the articles and reviews of Boys in the Hood, it is evident that the film had a real impact on all who had reviewed it in a deep and personal way. The New York Times critic, who was personally affected by the conversation Furious had with Mr. Trey regarding a black man's place in the Army due to the same conversation the author had with his grandfather about a black man's place in the Army or the issues inner city areas have had to deal with due to the real estate gentrification. This film is a great American film which talks on the issues poor, impoverished inner cities deal with to this present day. The New York Times is a mainstream piece of media and shares some of the same ideals as the smaller news sources that spoke about the film. The New York Times spoke, early on Furious takes on a young Trey to the beach for some father-son bonding time. They talk about girls, sex and life. Then Furious mentions his time in Vietnam, surely Singleton was thinking of the young soldiers Fishbourne played in the Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now when he filmed the scene. Don't ever go in the Army, Trey, he says, black man ain't got no place in the Army. I sat up in the theater because that was the exact conversation I had with my grandfather in New York Times. Another source of information was a review from Roger Ebert, an elderly white man compared to what sounds to be like a black man from the New York Times review based on the connection to the same conversation the author had with his grandfather regarding the place of a black man in the Army. Roger Ebert spoke to the same issue that communities who experience poverty need to deal with daily. Roger Ebert speaks about violence and the need to prove their adulthood. Roger Ebert speaks on how without the proper guidance and love, the tendency to get caught up in a life of crime is a real threat. While the New York Times article was most likely written by a black man and Roger Ebert is white, the reviews both speak on the issues that poverty has a real time, a real effect on crime, systematic racism, lack of positive male leaders, and overall stress these kids go through on their daily lives. To quote Ebert, boys in the hood has maturity and emotional depth. There are no cheap shots. Nothing is thrown in for effect. Realism is placed ahead of easy dramatic payoffs and the audience grows deeply involved. By the end of Boys in the Hood, I realized I had not simply a brilliant directorial debut but an American film of enormous importance, end quote, Roger Ebert. What legitimizes my interpretation of the articles and the importance of this film is the review that was done more recently on Boys in the Hood by Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian. Peter speaks on the reality that a lot of what was discussed in the film still remains to today. He spoke about the reality of the SATs are a bit biased besides math and in today's world, some colleges are even not making you submit SAT scores. The same is true of the reality of gentrification which has destroyed cultural neighborhoods in the inner city and has displaced families throughout the country. To quote Bradshaw, Fishbourne's gentrification speech is as fierce as ever along with his denunciation of SAT exams as culturally loaded with the exception of math, end quote of Bradshaw. The desire to have nice things is marketed to us by capitalist society and the kids that live in these communities are doing what they need to do to keep up with the kids that have some of these nice things. A child's mind is not fully mature and the ability to do the right thing usually comes later in life. The positive role models did not set their early examples from an early age. The lack of development will result in some mistakes or crimes while trying to figure out their path. Trey had furious, Ricky had football, and a mom who loved him more than Doughboy. Doughboy had the streets to help form his moral compass and the end result Doughboy was living a life of crime while Trey and Ricky were on the straight and narrow path. The temptations and struggles that these kids had to deal with even tested Trey in the scene where Ricky was shot and Trey's initial reaction was to join Doughboy in the car to avenge Ricky's death. On average, more affluent communities do not have to deal with the same level of inner city killings that these men and women deal with daily. More affluent communities can also have financial support from their families while the kids in the inner city must fend for themselves more. Sometimes inner city kids will take the easier path and commit crimes rather than work nine to five to get the commercial items they choose. I feel the majority of the general audience that sees the movie Boys in the Hood is biased towards inner city due to the media and the outside views that they have of what goes on in the inner city. Yes, crime does happen in the inner city. However, the film looks at the more compassionate side of Doughboy and his protective nature. People fear what they don't understand, it's natural and after they see the film, I believe it shows some of the issues these young adults need to deal with daily. The conflict theory is an excellent way to look at the sociological assumptions one has about poverty in the inner city as it relates to crime. While it may look like the young adults in these communities might not be willing to trust authority as far as law enforcement or government, this can be correlated to Karl Marx and his reference to how the oppressed show a lack of authority or trust to the oppressor. Karl Marx would also argue that capitalism glorifies the cars and new sneakers that these kids want in the inner city and that it causes the community to do things that are not morally correct to collect items like Doughboy's car. In conclusion, Karl Marx and the conflict theory will assist in the reasons why crime is present in the communities affected by poverty.