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The Smell Of Urine Plague

Decent Essays

The smell of urine plague the location you’re at in a stairwell somewhere in the projects of Chicago. Young men, ages of high school students believe you are a spy from a rival, threatening to kill you. You know you can’t do anything at this point to convince them you are not a rival nor part of any gang but a student surveying poor African Americans from the University of Chicago. Their leader, J.T. after spending the night with them, releases you, just to get an invitation to learn about the poor community they live in and experience their everyday lives. To be honest, I have never experienced something like Sudhir Venkatesh, author of Gang Leader for a day has. He was a sociology grad student when he wrote this book, interacting with gangs and their struggles. You can say that Venkatesh went from being a sociologist to a sociologist “gone wrong” by following around Black Kings for about seven or so years within the Robert Taylor Home community, jotting down notes and meeting up with citizens of the community. You can debate whether or not, Venkatesh was being ethical and not. Venatesh formed relationships with his study, which was unethical by his lack of consent, which in return, disrespected the community. He misunderstood their rights, writing down notes whenever he could behind their back or even remembering everything before he got home, making sure no one would see him doing such things. Academic writings like For Whom, written by Michelle Fine, specified the

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