What is a 21st-century neighborhood? How tied is it to the past? Why? What will a 22nd-century neighborhood look like? Is community dying, thriving, or just bumbling along, about the same now as always? Answer the above questions and be ready to talk in class about your final thoughts on Sampson's Chicago research and its relevance to communities generally.

In Sampson's conclusion about the changes he has seen in the city of Chicago, it is challenging to attempt to discern what he has truly found about the status of communities in the city and the change they have experienced. In his analysis of some parts of the city, it seems that some parts have changed for the better, some have stayed relatively the same, and some may have gotten worse. He seems to point to the answer being organizations that have the ability to bring communities together, as well as government funding being able to tie in individuals to make their lives and communities thrive.

Looking at Sampson's conclusion realistically, it is difficult to look into the future and see what the possibilities in future communities may be. While the world is becoming more technologically advanced on a daily basis, it would seem that the world would be brought closer together in an attempt to help humanity. While there are many humanitarian aid groups worldwide, the gap between the rich and poor countries of the world is ever-increasing. Here in the United States, the recession that began in the late 2000's continues to dwell, and is tied to community, economy, and crime in a very real way. It is difficult to say that if there were "X" numbers of government systems funded to help poor communities become more highly educated with less crime when the number of tax dollars to be spent on such projects is dwindling significantly. According to Forbes.com, there are 35 states in the U.S. where people could choose not to work and remain on welfare, and they would be better off than their counterparts who are working 40 hours a week at a minimum-wage job. Welfare, poverty, and crime seem to be so connected that the measurement of any one of these factors could directly influence the other two. It is a tremendous task to look into the future of this country.

Based off of the current course of the economy combined with the governmental procedure in solving the recession I am not able to answer the question to what will a 22nd-century neighborhood look like. My guess is that it will look very much like a 21st-century neighborhood, except for the fact that technology will continue to advance. There will always be crime, there will always be poverty, and there will always be factors of the economy that will not allow everyone to enjoy the same benefits. In answering Sampson's question, "Is the glass half-empty or half-full" my answer would be yes.

11th Blog Response

     Skip ahead one chapter to Sampson's Chp 16: Aftermath: Chicago-2010. Find at least one other source (it can even be a reputable local news source) about Chicago in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, and read that source as well. Now, what do you think of Sampson's arguments in the "aftermath" of the 2008 economic crisis? After answering that question, see if you can answer Sampson's own question: "Why does violence unhinge some communities and draw others closer together?" When you're done, give us your update on your presentation research, with citations.

     From the reading, it seems that Chicago was basically the same once the financial crisis was averted. Many of the same inequalities that were in place pre-2008 remained after the crisis had come and gone. Sampson points to many instances where the low-class areas were cleaned up, and made way for more middle-income mixed families to move in. Other places mentioned like in Washington Park there seems to be a slowdown of the economy, and people still waiting for jobs to return to the area. There are high foreclosures throughout the city, and many in the lower-income neighborhoods. It seems that the hardest areas hit were the black neighborhoods, often suffering much worse than the white or even mixed neighborhoods. Drawing from these two different views, Sampson concludes that stability and change simultaneously exist in the area. 

     The supporting article that I found was titled: Bank Lending During the Financial Crisis of 2008 by Victoria Ivanshina and David Scharfstein. This article talked about the loans and lending for real estate and other investments following the financial crash of 2008. This article talks about the lack of credit following the collapse, and examines what finally caused the collapse and it's effect on major cities and the marketplace.

     Update on my research: I have continued to research possible links between crime rates and poor health in impoverished areas and cities. Along with some research from Sampson, there are also other researchers who seem to link the possibility that when there is a tendency for a high crime rate there also tends to be tendencies towards low overall public health. I am trying to find if there is any current research that seems to explain why these tendencies arise, other than the research that I have already found and cited that states that there seems to simply be a correlation.