Abstract

The term "ghetto" has an ambiguous meaning in American society. The term frequently has been used as either a noun or an adjective. As a noun the term "ghetto" is often used to describe a place - Small describes the ghetto as a: "…a particular type of neighborhood; it exhibits a cohesive set of characteristics, such as deteriorating housing, crime, depopulation, and social isolation…"(2008: 78.) This description as a noun is indicative of unsavory social conditions and climate that fosters an unproductive populace. As an adjective the term remains more difficult to solidly define. The bulk of available research often has worked to define what the "ghetto" is in reference to a physical location. The term seems to be more pervasive than simply being a place; it can be used to describe people, particular behaviors and traits as well as objects. The current study seeks to gain a deeper understanding of what a 'ghetto' is and how the word is used in a variety of ways. This study will analyze the multifaceted applications of the term 'ghetto' and how the term works to promote negative socioeconomic racialized ideologies. This study is pertinent because it addresses issues of institutionalized discrimination and prejudiced language. Findings are predicted to address the manners in which discrimination functions through language usage.

Notes

If this is your Honors thesis, and want to learn how to access it or for more information about readership statistics, contact us at STARS@ucf.edu

Thesis Completion

2014

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Donley, Amy

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Sociology

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences; Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

Format

PDF

Identifier

CFH0004553

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

Download

Included in

Sociology Commons

Share

COinS