Neighborhood Cultural Heterogeneity and Adolescent Violence

A small number of scholars have attempted to reorient current thinking about the way cultural effects operate in poor neighborhoods. Scholars argue that socioeconomic disadvantage fosters heterogeneity in cultural models. Moreover, cultural heterogeneity theoretically plays an important role in shap...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Berg, Mark T. (Author)
Contributors: Stewart, Eric A. ; Brunson, Rod K. ; Simons, Ronald L.
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2012
In: Journal of quantitative criminology
Year: 2012, Volume: 28, Issue: 3, Pages: 411-435
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Keywords:
Adolescence
Cultural processes
Structural disadvantage
Violence
Neighborhood effects
Description
Summary:A small number of scholars have attempted to reorient current thinking about the way cultural effects operate in poor neighborhoods. Scholars argue that socioeconomic disadvantage fosters heterogeneity in cultural models. Moreover, cultural heterogeneity theoretically plays an important role in shaping adolescent decision-making in poor neighborhoods, including decisions related to violent behavior. We test these assumptions using multilevel data comprised of a sample of African-American adolescents. Our findings lend support to these arguments. In particular, the results suggested that neighborhood structural disadvantage increases the degree of disagreement or heterogeneity regarding the inappropriateness of violence. Further, exposure to cultural heterogeneity increased adolescents’ involvement in violent behavior and had a moderating influence on the link between individual frames and adolescent violent behavior.
ISSN:1573-7799
DOI:10.1007/s10940-011-9146-6