Streetwise: Race, Class, and Change in an Urban Community

In this ethnographic study of an anonymous Eastern urban community he calls Village-Northton, Anderson delineates the multifaceted elements that form a neighborhood in transition. Northton is predominantly black, its residents poor; Village is racially mixed, economically on the upswing with encroaching gentrification. Where the two communities meet, perhaps overlap, problems are similar for blacks and whites, for old-time residents and newcomers, particularly as services dwindle. The 10-year study addresses racial tension and the roots of alienation and fear through personal stories that emphasize a commonality of concerns about safe streets, housing and education. In this mosaic of urban life, Anderson, sociology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, offers insight for managers and developers of American cities. (Nov.)