Chapter 4. The Power of Context (Part One): Bernie Goetz & the Rise & Fall of New York City Crime
1.Who is Bernhard Goetz?
Bernhard Goetz is a gentleman who was riding on the subway in NY City and gained the title hero for shooting 4 black men who were trying to take advantage of him on the subway.He shot the gentlemen who were trying to steal money from him.He was called a hero and did not serve any time.This was in the 1980’s.
2.Describe New York City in the 1980s—specifically crime and public transportation. According to Gladwell, what tipped the NYC crime epidemic?
In the 1980s crime was very high in NY City.There was a lot of graffiti all over the subway walls and the trains.The train system was not well kept.The tracks had problems and the trains derailed a lot.There were people at the turn styles taking peoples money and holding it so that they could come in.The area was not a place people wanted to be and they did not argue or fight with the robbers they just gave them the money.The thing that tipped the crime epidemic according to Gladwell is the Broken windows theory.
3.Explain the Broken Windows theory.
This theory states that as soon as a window is broken and not fixed then it is telling the people around that it is ok to break another.So it becomes an epidemic and spreads.This is what Gladwell is saying happened in NYC that once they cleaned up the little things the big things stopped being such an issue.So they cleaned up the graffiti and the people that were not paying for the subway and that is what cleaned up the rest of the city.
4.Do you agree that “behavior is a function of social context” and that “what really matters is little things” (on page 150)?
I think in some ways behavior is a function of social texts.I watch the students in my classroom and I know that some of the things they do here they only do because their friends are doing it.I know that they would not use that behavior at home.That is social they are doing it because their friends are.
The little things play a big part in life.I do not know why it is the way things work.But I do know that it is sometimes the little things in life that make or allow us to make the changes that need to happen.I know that today with CSAP one little thing changed and I feel so much better than I did yesterday or this morning before I found out that change could be made.
5.How did David Gunn, the new subway director, put the Broken Window theory into effect in New York City?
David Gunn started with cleaning up the graffiti in the subway.It was something he felt strongly about.He was not going to spend money on new trains and things if they were just going to mess it up.So it took many years but he got all the graffiti cleaned up.He started with one line at a time and eventually got it all taken care of.I thought it was kind of funny that it took three days for the people to do the damage and he painted over it on the third night so it never saw the light of day.He was teaching some lessons.
6.How did the new head of the transit police, William Bratton, aid Gunn with the Broken Window theory?
William Bratton started with Gunn in stopping the people that were not paying to ride the subway.He put together his own system to be able to process those crimes quickly and he made sure that they were taken care of.He thought if he took care of the small crimes the big crimes would stop.And 1 out of 7 had a weapon or other things on their person.
7.Describe the prison experiment. What do you make of the results?
In the prison experiment they took a group of 21 volunteers and had them become an experiment.They took half of them and made them the security and the other half were the prisoners.They took those and made them be arrested at their home and blind folded them and took them to the “jail” in the basement of a school.The prisoners became really mean and the prisoners had melt downs.They had to quit after 6 days instead of two weeks.The results are kind of scary.IF you put someone in a context and they act like that even if they are mild mannered before.It makes me think and wonder what we do to our students everyday and other people in our society.
8.What effect does birth order have on personality?
It has a lot to do with birth order inside the home but it does not have as much to do with what happens outside of the home.The older sibling is more domineering and the younger is more likely to be rebellious, but this is just in the home not in areas outside the home.It is called a family personality.
9.What is the Good Samaritan research and what do you think of it?
They took a bunch of people that were going to school to be preachers and had them read about the good Samaritan in the bible.Then they were told that they were going to go share this idea with others.They were on their way to share and the researchers put a person that was “homeless and needed help” in their way.If the preachers were in a hurry only 6% stopped to help.The ones that had extra time 63% stopped and helped.This means that people who are in a hurry do not stop to help even if they are learning to be Good Samaritans.This really does not surprise me.Not many of us stop to help anyone.Like people with flat tires on the side of the road, we don’t go out of our way to stop and help them…we just keep going.
10.Gladwell states that “…our inner states are the result of our outer circumstances” (on page 152).Do you believe that environment truly makes an impact on our actions?
I do know that if my students do not feel safe in their environment they do not speak up or share.So in some ways the environment has something to do with our learning situation and our life situation.If I do not get breakfast then I might have to go steal it.So yes the environment has something to do with my circumstances.
11.How do you define character?Look at how Gladwell defines it on page 163.Compare and contrast your thoughts to his.
I think that we have a character that we are like most of the time.But I think that the environment and the circumstances get in our way so sometimes we have to step out of character.I think we have the ability to carry other character traits and display them sometimes, so in that case our character is not stable.If someone makes someone mad then yes there are going to be repercussions.But I think that is all part of our character.I think that we all have a part in us to cheat and that in certain situations it comes out.So yes he has some good ideas and thoughts but I think there is more to it then his little paragraph.
12.Do you follow your convictions and thoughts or the immediate context of your behavior?Give an example or two.
I think this depends on the situation.If someone really makes me angry I will fly off the handle.But I don’t walk around angry and upset all of the time.I try to keep things positive but sometimes people around me are negative and it is easier to fit into the situation then it is to be the good person and not gossip.But that is not always me.I am different at home then at school sometimes.It just depends on the situation.
Chapter 5. The Power of Context (Part Two): The Magic Number of One Hundred and Fifty
1.How did the Ya-Ya Sisterhood tip?
Ya-Ya Sisterhood tipped when groups started reading it and discussing it with each other.This allowed other people to continue to talk about it and it spread like wild fire.Nothing like 10 girls sitting around talking about a book for two hours.
2.What is channel capacity?
Channel capacity is the amount of space our brain has for certain types of information.
3.What is Robin Dunbar’s argument about brain evolution?
Robin Dunbar’s argument about the brain evolution is that primates have a larger neocortex because we work and live in such large groups that we needed to have a large part of this part of the brain to keep the relationships straight.
4.What is the Rule of 150 and how do Gladwell’s examples support the validity of this rule?
The rule of 150 is that is the maximum number of individuals with whom we can have genuinely social relationships.It is the number of people you would not feel embarrassed about joining uninvited for a drink if you happened to bump into them in a bar.He talks about a military organization.This is important because you want those people focus and able to protect us.In order to work together well they can not have more than 150 in each group.Religious groups are this way.If you get too many people they may not still believe (well at least back then when they are talking about it).
5.How did Gore become and stay so successful as a business?
Gore uses the number of 150 to run his business.He keeps the numbers at the plants at 150.They only put that many parking spaces in.Then when they have too many cars to fit in the lot they know it is time to open another building.They may even be close together, within blocks.He found that people work better together that way.He also does not have “positions” he just expects people to work together and know who the expert is for each part.Then the peer pressure makes them work better.No one has a bigger office or a bigger space.They are all equal.He says that they work better that way.He knows that there is a lot to be said about every department working together.
6.Is Gore Associates a company more businesses should model?Do you think we’d see less corruption and job dissatisfaction if more companies subscribed to the Rule of 150 and Gore Associates’ philosophy?
I am not sure what would happen if everyone went to this philosophy.I know that here at school we have a lot less than that number and because it is such a small staff we do not seem to be very connected.Maybe there is a happy medium there.Maybe we need to have the 150 in order for it to work?Maybe if the salaries and everything still changed as you gained more years and everything it would be a good way to work.But we would run out of room for buildings.There would not be enough space for all businesses to go to this model.
7.What is transactive memory? Do you believe in the idea of family memory sharing?Examine your own family and see if the process holds true.
This is the memory that is not inside our heads.It is the memory we share with family members.I know that this is what my husband and I do.I know that his parents rely on us to help with computer stuff.We also have my brother to answer the really hard computer questions.So yes this does hold true with my family.
8.Take Gladwell’s quiz: List all the people you know whose death would leave you devastated.Does your list fall in line with Gladwell’s assumption about groups and time?
Mom, Dad, Chris, Lisa, Crystal, Shawn, Diana, Kim.Yes it does fall in line with his assumptions.However all of my groups are smaller.I do not have 12 on my list.
9.Think of groups you belong or belonged to.Do they fit into the Rule of 150?Describe each group’s dynamics.Would each group function better if it followed to the Rule of 150?
I have never been in a group that big.The groups that I have been involved with are much smaller.The biggest group I have ever been in was 20.The only one bigger was a working condition when I worked in two major companies.Then I did not even know 150.My circles do not ever connect so I never have 150 together at the same time.We have good dynamics in each group because I do not think many of my friends cross more than once or twice.So I am not sure I work in the role of 150 much.I think the one on one things work better.I am in a world right now that I work with about 30.We do not work all that well together we argue a lot and things but it is just before spring break.I am not sure I have ever been in this atmosphere.I have always worked in small companies except two.In those companies I know there were a lot of problems and we did not know many people.But I am not sure that it would be able to run in the rule of 150 because we had more than that just to run the facilities.One was a medical center and the other was a major retailer.
