Choice Vs constraint: Are the urban poor their own worst enemies

Earlier today during lecture, we watched a documentary entitled, “Baltimore: Anatomy of an American City,” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz0nkKdkLqc) that detailed how the war on drugs and the consequent rise incarceration has impacted individuals (specifically, young African American men) who live in Baltimore. [If you did not attend lecture, please watch the video this week. It is available on YouTube]

Referencing the documentary, the reading material (Anderson, Liebow, Auyero) for this week:

Part 1: Are the urban poor their own worst enemies? Answer this question from the perspective of both Rational Actor Theory and Structured Socialization Theory.

Part 2: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these perspectives (Rational Actor Theory and Structured Socialization). Is there a middle ground? Are there alternatives for these young black men living in Baltimore? If so, what do these alternatives look like? If no alternatives exist, why not?

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