Anderson deciphers city 'code'

It's not in the official law books, but it governs some communities throughout Philadelphia. In a discussion of his book, Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City, Sociology Professor Elijah Anderson described the street code's origins and tenets to about a dozen students and community members yesterday in the University Bookstore. Christine Hibbard, a supervisor with the Trade Book Department at Barnes and Noble, said that Anderson was invited to speak not only because he is a University faculty member, but because of the importance of his book as well. The code, Anderson told the audience, is a form of "retributive justice." Particularly observed within African-American communities in the inner city, he said, it is the golden rule "with a certain caveat of payback." "Retribution becomes a tool for letting people know you're tough," Anderson said. The code emphasizes the importance of having credibility, reputation and respect. According to Anderson, individuals in many urban neighborhoods often perpetuate violence when they feel they have been harmed by another person. Anderson also explained how the code developed, emphasizing the impact of economic issues. A changing economy that has seen both an exodus of manufacturing jobs from big cities and an increase in technical industries in areas separated from the city has served to cut off some communities from the outside world, Anderson said. "The people there are suffering from a kind of dislocation." He argued for the development in these communities of "human capital," noting that youths who may have otherwise entered the "underground economy" of drug-dealing should be better educated so that they can connect with the rest of society. Anderson added that the code of the street is put in place when the police abdicate their authority over a specific area. The perception -- whether or not it is true -- is that the police are an "outside occupying force" that does not "treat the inner-city black communities with respect," he said. What's more, he said that so-called "decent" people -- a term coined by the members of the communities themselves -- buy into the code of the street, only exacerbating the problem. Parents who "want their kids to protect themselves," for example, can teach their children not to trust the police, sometimes even threatening their children if they fail to show they can protect themselves. Anderson also read from his book during the talk. One passage was about a man who told Anderson that someone pulled a gun on him. When the man went to the police station, he was told that he needed the address of the perpetrator. "I bet if you were a Penn student and you called the police? it wouldn't happen this way," Anderson said. After speaking, the author addressed questions from the audience and signed copies of his book. "It was challenging for me to think about 'what do kids need to make it?'" said Carey Davis, an audience member who heads a coalition in Southwest Philadelphia called City Lights. "Dr. Anderson has been such a key person in Philadelphia in helping people better understand these communities." Anderson said he hopes students who read the book get "a better appreciation of the complexity of life in this community adjacent to the University and beyond."

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