Dudley Street Social Disorganization

Social Disorganization Social disorganization is people having adverse social attitudes within an area. With a certain group being able to have control over a certain area. In the Dudley Street case, the goal was to get the neighborhood together. Also, let the next towns know that they are protesting being the dumping area anymore. The neighborhood also changed their attitudes about looking at their neighborhood as the “ghetto”. The main focus in the planning part was to get grant money and to include the residents.
Theories
The first theory that I will discuss is the functionalist theory. The community felt helpless as their neighborhood was dwindling away. During the first town meeting, there was only one person there that was a resident. She was upset of people wanting to come in and change where she lived. This made everyone know that it had to be a community that did the changing with some help of outsiders. The first step was to understand what the biggest concern was. The vacant lots proved to be the biggest concern. The residents were able to get the neighborhood cleaned up and make plans for the housing. The residents were responsible for the type of houses that were built. They also held many positions on the board member committee.
There were people that were moving into the area and referring to it as the “ghetto”. However, when the community comes together and people see their neighborhood in a positive light, it started shaping what was happening. Setting goals that are small and are successful empowers people to set bigger goals. Using these theories helps the community to feel valued and empowered by knowing the changes that are being made are something that they did themselves. They will now have more self-respect and respect for their