Ecological theories linking community characteristics to the level of crime have rarely been tested outside the context of the United States and Western Europe. In this study we examine the effects of social cohesion and neighborhood disorder on crime using data from a survey of neighborhoods in Brazil. We find that lower-income neighborhoods,…

Discusses whether the values about place of residence, nature of home, and other housing related issues which are so different among social classes that socioeconomically mixed neighborhoods are viable or not. Review of studies showed that social class does not explain adequately the value differences that prevail in urban America. (Author/RJ)

Analysis of data on socioeconomic and demographic well-being in 77 Chicago (Illinois) community areas found a strong relationship between socioeconomic and demographic factors and child maltreatment rates. Pairing of socioeconomically similar areas with contrasting patterns of child maltreatment revealed greater social disorganization in high-risk…

Investigates a view of multiculturalism that could help analyze problems regarding governance in socially excluded neighborhoods, summarizing results from previous research on social dynamics in socially excluded neighborhoods. Uses Parekh's theory of multiculturalism to outline the major components of a multicultural perspective, suggesting that…

This paper studies informal social participation of blacks and assesses what the patterns mean for the residents and the social organization of their communities. (Author/AM)

Discusses several topics and activities to help urban youths develop survival skills that will help them cope with urban anxieties. (GB)

Explores the relevance of environmental education in modern society, focusing on urban areas. Environmental education can enable a relevant and fulfilling education within a community-specific environment. Properly conceptualized, environmental education has much to offer all communities. (SLD)

Purpose: To examine substance use differences among African-American adolescents living in rural and more urban areas in Iowa and Georgia and factors thought to be related to those differences. Specifically, negative affect and perceived availability were examined as mediators of the relation between community size and alcohol, tobacco, and drug…

Findings indicate that Blacks exhibit a lesser degree of both facility use and local community-based social interaction than do Whites, and that Black neighborhood satisfaction and attachment depend very little upon the extent of their activity within their communities. (Author/RDN)

Discusses the relationship between community infrastructure and health through the development of the Community Resource Accessibility Index (CRAI) research tool.This area-based index of community services, facilities, and amenities enables comparisons between opportunity structures in the local environment and residents' health and wellbeing. It…

These materials discuss the history of Chicago, Illinois, including prominent persons in the city's past, and landmarks for which Chicago is well known. A number of activities are suggested, some of which concern Chicago's industries, historical sites, architecture, newspapers, ethnic groups, and history. A list of books about Chicago for…

This study examined the status of children in three Los Angeles, California neighborhoods, taking information from the 1998 Focused Study of Children and Neighborhoods, which involved 91 families. After discussing reasons to care about neighborhoods and suggesting that neighborhoods are the foundation upon which the basic social and economic…

A model which examines the ghetto formed near the University of Colorado by urban change, university growth, and partial cultural realignment within the student-youth community is detailed. (Author/JB)