Urban Culture Dilemma

“ Every failure is a blessing in disguise, providing it teaches some needed lesson one could not have learned without it. Most so-called Failures are only temporary defeats.”
Napoleon Hill

Pop culture challenges traditional values and places a heavy burden on inner city youth. Children in an urban culture may have different life experiences than other children; this experience may give them a different view of education. Tsui and Gutek (1999) suggested that an individual in a minority category has very different experiences and that same individual may have different experiences in different settings. Levin (1999) further maintained that the high correlation between poverty and race in these areas has caused racial isolation to be compounded by socioeconomic class isolation. Today’s Black youths are bombarded with videos, music, and other mediums that create a counterculture in America. Therefore, urban youth have their own subculture. In urban America, self-identity becomes complicated due to such issues as socioeconomic despair, pressures from gangs, a lack of faith in authority, and social influences that focus on individualism and materialism (Beachum & McCray, 2004).

To understand this point, one must vigilantly examine the Hip Hop phenomena. Routinely, outsiders view Hip Hop as a narrow-focused culture, containing gangsta rap and vulgar music videos. On the contrary, Hip-Hop refers to a counterculture movement with its Black roots that includes music, fashion, and political activism. Smith and Jackson (2003) argued that the Hip Hop culture is a major influence in the world today that challenges the thinking of many traditional institutions. Consequently, Hip Hop culture, aided by mass media, bombards impressionable youth with conflicting value systems. This influence projects itself in several areas including sex, relationships, concept of success, and life (Beachum & McCray,). Furthermore, researchers have found that adolescents of color are more likely to be actively engaged in exploring their racial or ethnic identity than White adolescents (Beachum & McCray). Although many older adults view Hip-Hop culture as threatening, Smith and Jackson (2003) maintained the incontestable merits of Hip-Hop culture on society.

This reality becomes problematic in the urban culture. For example, Black youth watch seven to eight hours of television a day compared to four and a half-hours for White youth. Unfortunately, these images on television, often portraying urban youth as negative, become extremely important to them and influence their development (Beachum & McCray, 2004). Black youth become sensitive to society’s view of them with regard to race. Therefore, Hip-Hop culture has the ability to impact the values of these urban citizens. Unfortunately, the values dictated by negative influencers of Hip Hop culture, and many times, the media contradict the values of schools (Beachum & McCray). McWhorter (2003) also did not view Hip-Hop as positive. He argues that the attitude and style of Hip-Hop identity keeps Blacks down. Supporters argue that Hip-Hop is about political consciousness and showcases the independent spirit, such as in the hippies of the 60s. Others disagree with this notion. Many older adults view Hip-Hop as a showcase of gang-bangin’, police-baiting, and women-bashing, and lavish living. To gain street credibility, rappers exchange rap music for police rap sheets. Furthermore, Black children are exposed to more of the negative side of Hip-Hop. It is not strange to see a child fail badly in school yet is be able to rattle off violent, sexist, nihilistic lyrics like a college scholar (McWhorter). However, McWhorter conceived that the rise of antisocial rap music has mirrored the breakdown of community norms among inner city youth over the decades. Clearly, something needs to change if America is to save its children from cultural warfare. Leaders must have courage to save our children.

References:

Beachum, F. and McCray, C. (2004). Cultural collision in urban schools. Current Issues in Education [on-line], 7(5). Available: http://cie.ed.asu.edu/volume7/number5/.

McWhorter, J. (2003). How hip-hop holds Blacks back. City Journal. Received on March 26, 2007, from http://www.city-journal.org/html/13_3_how_hip_hop.html.

Orfield, G. & Lee, C. (2006). Racial transformation and changing nature of segregation. Civil Rights Project. Harvard University. pp. 1-41.

Smith, E. & Jackson, P. (2005). The hip hop church. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Press.

Tsui, A. & Gutek, B. (1999). Demographic differences in organizations. New York: Lexington Books.

© 2008 by Daryl D. Green

Examine the problem with urban culture impacts on America’s children.

Daryl D. Green has published over 100 articles in the field of decision-making and leadership. Mr. Green is an author of several books, including More Than A Conqueror. He has been noted in USA Today and AP. For more information, you can email him at www.darylgreen.org.

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