Collective Efficacy Theory

When Professor Jeffery described chapter 7  as the meat of this book, he wasn't kidding around. You can tell that Sampson's research piles up into this portion of the book and glows with his enthusiasm. According to Sampson and his colleagues collective efficacy is defined as the process of activating or converting social ties among neighborhood residents in order to achieve collective goals, such as public order or the control of crime. I thought I should define collective efficacy because it is such a new concept for me and I wanted to be able to refer back to it as need be. 

Sampson in this chapter poses a great point when it comes to stigmatized minority groups. While he is busy comparing collective efficacy in Stockholm and Chicago he makes a type of side note that I didn't expect. He states that even though chapter seven is titled collective efficacy and is focused on  that primarily he notes the similarities both large scale cities have when it comes to immigrants. Sampson found that as immigrant populations rose the socioeconomic spatial isolation did as well. You have to wonder what will happen in the coming years as this trend continues. Which, I believe has already happened in many cities. For example, a city such as Los Angeles is known for their concentrated population of Latinos. With one of my discipline's being Spanish I found little detour in the chapter very interesting. I not only look at the language but also at culture. I read an article that talks about the influence of Immigrants specifically Latinos in the United States. According to some numbers thrown out there by the Associated Press suggested that the rise of Latino immigrants would "blur" the racial lines by the year 2043(1). So instead isolation as Sampson suggests I think what we are looking at here is a change of what the "majority" will be in the U.S. in coming years. I believe the heavy influence and influx of Hispanics will change communities and neighborhoods. Latino neighborhoods function very differently compared to other racial groups… and as I continued to read the chapter the following line jumped out at me. Latin American countries may prove to be the exception. I realized that Sampson had already taken into consideration the way Latin American countries function and how their us of collective efficacy would, in fact, be different from the way he applies it to cities such as Stockholm and Chicago. And how does collective efficacy look like in those highly immigrant communities? 

The Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Study(2), helps to tie in my Spanish and Biology discipline's. The high levels of Latinos in the Los Angeles area helps tie in my Spanish emphasis. Also, this particular study helped answer health related questions which helps to link Biology. One of the big questions answered in the duration of this study was the health disparities present in communities of Los Angeles. Health disparities which included the development of children and as mentioned in the text how collective efficacy is correlated with the obesity rates in adolescents. A higher collective efficacy really made a difference in these communities. The study found that the high levels of collective efficacy in a community showed lower  rates of obesity. In other words, people are communicating they are showing an effort that makes a difference in adolescents who are growing up in these communities that are at times looked down upon because it is "L.A." Sampson goes on to suggest and interaction of collective efficacy with Latino culture. 

It just astonishes me at how much of a difference neighborhood characteristics can have on even a thing like the risk of obesity. 

In my own neighborhood, just a few days ago I woke up at 6 AM to the sound of two gun shots. Yes, I live in St. George and there was a shooting 50 feet from my front door. It happens. So to answer those same questions Sampson gave out to his respondents, now, I would answer very differently than I would have just last week. Especially to the level of efficacy now present in my neighborhood. I would say it has dropped a bit. However, like any other St. George neighborhood there not many kids hanging out on the corners just a couple of older dudes in their forties smoking cigarettes and being sketchy. No graffiti present on any walls. Just the one shooting at 6 AM sunday morning. 

Here is a link to both articles I used in my blog: 
1) Latino Populations Blurs Traditional U.S. Racial Lines
2) The Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Study