HANGING OUT IN HELROSE - A CASE HISTORY OF COMMUNITY CONTROL

• NCJ Number: 65330
• Author(s): M E KELLEHER
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): 76-NI-99-0013
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI - COLUMBIA - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

AN 18-MONTH FIELD STUDY ON ADOLESCENT ACTIVITIES AT A COMMERCIAL GAMES ESTABLISHMENT ANALYZED INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE YOUTHS' DESIRE FOR A FREE SETTING AND THE COMMUNITY'S DESIRE FOR SOCIAL CONTROL.

Abstract

THE STUDY HIGHLIGHTED THE INTERACTIONS BOTH AMONG THE YOUTHS AT JELLY'S (THE NAME OF THE COMMERCIAL GAMES BUSINESS) AND BETWEEN THE JELLY'S STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. WHILE MUCH OF THE INTERACTION INVOLVED YOUNG PEOPLE SEEKING COMPANIONSHIP AMONG THEIR PEERS, SOME OF THE INTERACTION ALSO INVOLVED DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. THE ACTIVITIES WITHIN JELLY'S WERE RULED BY AN OBSERVABLE SET OF SOCIAL CONTROLS WHICH ALSO GREW OUT OF A SERIES OF INTERACTIONS. SOME INTERACTIONS INVOLVED NOT ONLY PATRONS AND STAFF, BUT ALSO DIRECT AND INDIRECT CONTACTS BETWEEN PEOPLE AT THE SETTING AND MEMBERS OF THE ADULT COMMUNITY. THE YOUNG PEOPLE AT JELLY'S WERE, IN OTHER WORDS, NOT AN ISOLATED OR ALIENATED GROUP. STAFF MEMBERS FOUND IT NECESSARY TO BALANCE THEIR CLOSENESS TO JELLY'S YOUTHFUL PATRONS WITH THE DEMANDS OF RUNNING A BUSINESS. REGULAR PATRONS PROVIDED A DEGREE OF CONTROL BECAUSE THEY SERVED AS AUTHORITY FIGURES WITHIN THE SETTING. GAME PLAYING ALSO PROVIDED CONTROLS WITHIN JELLY'S BY INTRODUCING THE VALUES OF COMPETITION AND SPORTSMANSHIP. TRADITIONAL SEX ROLES WERE BROUGHT INTO THE SETTING BY THE GAME PLAYING ITSELF AND THROUGH THE ATTITUDES OF BOTH PATRONS AND STAFF. LASTLY, COMMUNITY ADULTS PROVIDED A DEREE OF CONTROL WITHIN THE SETTING. STAFF MEMBERS ATTEMPTED TO MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS AND IMPOSED SOME OF THOSE EXPECTATIONS ON THEIR CLIENTS. WHILE THE PARTICIPANTS AT JELLY'S COULD EITHER ACCEPT OR REJECT COMMUNITY DEMANDS, THEY COULD NOT MAKE ANY DEMANDS OF THEIR OWN BECAUSE OF THEIR LIMITED POWER WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. SUCH INFLEXIBILITY ON THE PART OF THE DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS HELPED PAVE THE WAY FOR THE CLOSING OF JELLY'S AND THE ARREST OF MANY YOUNG PEOPLE. BY SEEKING TO IMPOSE MORE CONTROL, ADULT LEADERS ACTUALLY UNDERMINED THE CONTROLS THAT ALREADY EXISTED WITHIN JELLY'S AND HELPED BRING ABOUT THE FURTHER DISRUPTION OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA. POLICY ISSUES RAISED BY THE STUDY ARE DICUSSED IN TERMS OF COMMERCIAL VERSUS COMMUNITY-SPONSERED SETTINGS AND ORDER VERSUS DISORDER. THE STUDY CONCLUDES THAT THE BEST POSSIBLE SOLUTION IS FOR THE ADULT COMMUNITY TO ACCEPT LIMITS TO THE DEGREE OF CONTROL THEY EXERT OVER ADOLESCENTS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DEG)