ABSTRACT
As an undergraduate at a university in a large eastern city, Jay MacLeod established and directed a youth enrichment program at a nearby public housing project. While working with children in this community, he became interested in the educational and career aspirations of their older brothers. Thus began the research that led to his senior thesis and, ultimately, to the publication of Ain't No Makin' It: Aspirations and Attainment in a Low-Income Neighborhood. Through pick-up games and more organized contests, he eventually became acquainted with two groups of young men: the Hallway Hangers and the Brothers. Particularly in relation to the Hallway Hangers, MacLeod was dealing with a group that held values quite at odds with his own beliefs. His appendix will serve as a model for other beginning researchers as they set about the task of learning about a particular group, culture, or institution.
