ABSTRACT
Consistent with national trends, rising levels of female-headed households and increasing proportions of children living in poverty characterized the racial transformation of Rosedale. The number of children living in poverty in Rosedale has steadily increased since 1960. Social change in Rosedale altered not only the racial composition of the community but also the involvement of the white community in the administration of collective discipline. The disciplinary power of elderly whites and the institutional practices to which they were committed were eradicated by the cultural and socioeconomic chasm created by racial change. The caseworker's experiences appear applicable to many of Rosedale's teenagers, especially those involved in criminal behavior. His observations illuminate the terrible predicament faced by single-parent families in the community. Integrally related to increasing levels of family disorganization is the pervasive influence of poverty on incentives to commit crime. Economic deprivation compels adolescents to engage in crime. Once drawn to theft, family institutions are unable to control delinquent activities.
