Friday, June 7, 2013

The culture outside culture (ghetto review)

Every major urban center has areas which are classified as "ghettos" . In the case of the ghetto, culture suffers a series of mutation those was created a new cultural specie , which keeps some of  the main features of the culture from which it evolved but it's content substantially differs. Ghettos can be defined as urban areas which are inhabited by people from the lower middle class or any other individuals of  a low social status . 

These areas are often  characterized by a low life standard , unemployment , alcohol abuse , drug abuse and a high criminality rate . 
  Analyzing its structures , norms and forms  of manifestation , ghetto culture can be classified as a subculture in reference to the local cultural area in which it is assimilated . Depending on the level of segregation of the people who live in this places , ghettos can  become solid cultural environments that have almost no common traits with the national  or local cultures in which they reside .  There are a number of features of this cultural environment that give them their unique character :

 1. Obsessive functionalism - A very undeveloped perception of what is and whats not aesthetic .  Individuals  focus more on items , rituals and  costumes that are necessary for daily activities .  Everything that has a purely optional character and that dosen't significant bring positive changes to their daily lives is regarded as useless . 

  2. The tendency for imitation - Imitation of trends , fashion or costumes belonging to other cultures.

 3.Lack of trust in authorities - Relationships with local authorities are often marked by conflicts. 

 4. Norms | Taboos | Costumes - They have their own set of norms , taboos and costumes.

 5. Ethnicity and race -  We can find ghetto area where the majority of inhabitants are black or hispanic , some ghetto are the result of a failed social integration of some ethnic or racial groups in the structures of society.

6.  Language - Solid ghetto areas have their own "language" , if we take as a example the black ghetto area of the U.S. we can see that the english spoken there suffered a series of changes : changes in word connotation , accent , the creation of new words and expressions . 

7. Hostility to the outside world - This behavioral path can be witness in the case of severe segregation . 

8. Highly secular - The activities and organization of ghetto groups is not based on religious believes . 

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