Human Development and Interaction

Order Description
This assignment is based on the book; “Gang Leader for a Day”. The main focus of the book is a description of a participant observation study of urban gangs. Few of us have first had experience
with gangs, but one of the main points Venkatesh wishes to make is that urban drug gangs and the illegal economy of the ghetto is very mush similar to the economic and social processes at work in
any business. All of us are in a sense participant observers of some group – for example, the place you work. For your third paper, think of yourself as a sociologist doing a participant
observation study of the place you work – describe the work environment and the social processes that are at work – for example the hierarchy and social structure of the workplace. Compare where
you work to the gangs Venkatesh describes. What similarities do you see? If you do not work now, think of the last place you did work (if you have never had a job, think of a business you use
frequently and are familiar with). Make sure your paper highlights the similarities between your work environment and the social environment described in the reading. Note that the best papers draw
significantly not only from the book but also from the course material and the recommended websites. The best papers also avoid extensive quoting. Instead, you should be putting ideas into your own
words (while always citing your sources).