I’m a Soloist: Social Strategies among Disadvantaged Urban Youth

• In Event: 4260 - Disadvantaged Local Contexts and Youth Well-being: Identifying Key Mechanisms

Abstract

Previous sociological work has emphasized the growing isolation of the inner-city poor from beneficial institutions and economic diversity. I argue that youth in these communities also experience social isolation on a personal level. Unlike the community level isolation that is imposed upon the youth, this personal level social isolation represents a deliberate choice by many disadvantaged youth in an effort to manage their environments. Using in-depth interview data from 150 low-income Baltimore youth, I examine the strategies deployed to survive and attempt to thrive in the face of ongoing challenges. I find that low-income urban youth are forced to adopt social strategies to stay on track that may not be required of middle class youth. While some respondents seek out on track peers, the majority choose to withdraw within, focusing on their own development. Many of the youth associate distancing from friends with being a mature, accomplished adult. These decisions among youth, while helping them to achieve their goals, contribute to a culture of social distancing among the urban poor. The social isolation within these communities compounds their social isolation from broader society.

Author

• Holly Howell Koogler, Johns Hopkins University