Pride in the Projects: Teens Building Identities in Urban Contexts

Index

academic achievement, 8, 11, 65–67, 100, 192 and the Black-White achievement gap, 11, 83, 84 and disengaged students, 97, 172–173 See also school(s); teacher(s) adolescent(s) biracial, 116–121, 166 characterized by, 37 define themselves by who they are not, 80 developmental needs of, 5–18, 183 goals of, 90 and identity development/integration, 6–7, 9, 193, 198 needs of, 183 and perceived connections to others, 45 and period of the greatest developmental change, 6 physical presence of, 5–6 and positive developmental settings. See the East Side Boys and Girls Club and self-descriptions, 41–47 and lack of gender difference in, 42– 44, 59 reveal that the self is shifting in relation to other people, 46 and self-transformation, 61–79, 187–192 and sense of self. See sense of self, adolescent separation and, 41 and the social Other, 190–192 See also the East Side Boys and Girls Club African American men. See Black males African American women, 239–240 defining femininity for, 121–122 traditional image of strength and, 133–136 values of, 47–48, 141 after-school programs. See youth organization(s) Alexis (youth attending East Side), 70 Alyiah (youth attending East Side), 118– 119, 144 acknowledges East Side’s role in nurturing her future, 58, 112–113, 115 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Index 272 ❙ Index Alyiah (continued) challenges the “us versus them” idea, 118–119 and gender differences, 132–133, 138, 139, 140, 153 American Journal of Community Psychology , 190 Anita (youth attending East Side), 125–126 Antonio (youth attending East Side), 32, 42, 85–86, 90–91, 98, 101–102, 138, 143 author (Nancy Deutsch), 231n82, 232n34, 236n44, 239n12, 241n3, 243n16 and her place in the project, 34–35 and methods used, 35–36 and reason(s) for choosing the site, 25 and statement of purpose, 3–4 Baldwin, James, 100–101 Black females. See African American women Black males on being Black and male, 85–86, 90– 91, 97–100, 105, 136–138, 235, 240 bodies of, and stereotyping, 21, 90, 137, 164, 196, 236 incarceration rate of black males, 164 school experiences of, 44, 52, 65, 83– 84, 172–173 bidirectional respect, importance of, 48– 54, 184, 186, 192 BJ (youth attending East Side) desire to escape from the projects, 90 and language and discursive resistance, 87–88 and her photo project, 1–2, 17, 84–85, 201 known as a tomboy, 131, 139, 147, 148 the Black Power movement, 91 Bob (youth attending East Side) defines feminine/masculine, 133, 142 defines his sense of self, 101–102 and his opinion of East Side, 58, 116, 195 and his views of the future, 31–32, 180 as White male, 85, 105 Bond, Meg, 190 boys and all-male discussion group. See Charles and police harassment 136, 160, 162– 163, 196 Boys and Girls Clubs of America mission statement of, 27 national rules vs. individual club rules, 27–28 breakdown of black power, 91–96 “break the gaze,” 85 Bronfenbrenner, Uri (ecological systems model), 5, 5n3, 14, 86, 191, 236n31 California Proposition 49, 4, 178 Carla (youth attending East Side) and her belief in behavioral markers, 103–104 manages people’s perceptions of her based on her body, 150–151, 153 and respect for authority, 50 Carlos (East Side staff member), 75 case studies discussion of, 23–24 and John, 24, 156–177 and Lorenzo, 23, 61–79 and Nicole, 23–24, 107–128 Charles (East Side physical education director), 27, 96, 133, 146, 185, 197 on earning respect, 49, 52 and impact of his departure, 29 and importance of male discussion group held by, 175, 196 recognizes that adults stereotype local teens, 32, 192 and relationship with John, 164, 175 and relationship with Lorenzo, 23, 68, 71–75 talks to the boys about the police, 136 talks to the boys about fathering children , 133, 142–143, 172, 175 Cheryl (East Side staff member), 27, 49, 93–94, 96, 104, 108, 124–126 Index ❙ 273 acknowledges that stores are prejudiced against the local teens, 114, 192 allegedly crossed the line between staff and peer, 29, 175 emphasizes respect and responsibility, 55–56, 57 and impact of her departure, 29–30, 146, 185, 197 as proactive advocate for the girls, 146 and relationship with Nicole, 113–114, 146 Christine (youth attending East Side), 147 Chu, Judy, 12, 227n1, 229n40, 229n54, 230n63, 233n38, 233n45, 235n21, 240n33 clothing styles, signify particular meanings to adults, 95 “code switching,” 65–67, 100 connected self, 39...