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.