The Roughnecks and the Saints by William J. Chambliss
I think we all identify with either the Saints or the Roughnecks. We would all like to flaunt authority and play games with police, even if we are truly saints in real life. Even the perfect student may often wonder what it would be like to be a part of a group that deliberately goes somewhere with the intention of creating mischief for some unsuspecting person who happens along. The Saints were that kind of gang, and so were the Roughnecks. Maybe it is a teen-aged thing to want to do this. The Roughnecks just happened to be poorer than the Saints. That probably had always been a problem, even when they were younger, in that they could not buy the expensive clothes other kids had or afford the toys that the other kids brought to school, and it really rankled them and became a problem for them when they were in high school, when the couldn't con their parents into buying them a car or giving them the spending money they wanted, because their parents were not that well off. They had to make do with hanging out in public places nearer home, because it was easier to
Both of the re-labeled Roughnecks turned out well, because of the community's expectations of them and their new image of themselves as "good," which carried them over through college and on into maturity. The Saints all (except one) lived up to this expectation. The community had no bias against them, but wished them well and predicted they would do well. As a matter of fact, if someone is labeled "bad," they are likely to act "bad" in public to demonstrate their awareness of others' labels on them. These roughnecks acted out their "bad" label by making lewd remarks to people on the street and creating problems around them in public. " Parents who have high expectations of their children are not often disappointed, in that their children usually grow up to be within the standards of what their parents expect. In public places, a young person can think of mischievous things to do when others aren't aware, but it makes others suspicious of them when they are caught. " The only one that was caught and "re-labeled" believed his label, it appears, as he did not turn out very well. Labeling someone as deviant may often ensure that that person will live according to the label. On the other hand, if the community looks upon another group as being conventional, that is, obeying the laws of the community and living within its standards, even though a member of that group may stray occasionally, the "straying" is considered momentary, and not permanent, and the members of the group will usually live a rather conventional life outwardly. The Saints were polite and played by the rules of their society, when caught or whenever observed. Parents who have low expectations of their children are often correct, in that their children "do not amount to anything. One immediately began to live up to his label in dress and manners. They were labeled as "good boys" and people didn't want to see them any other way.
Common topics in this essay:
Roughnecks Maybe,
Saints Roughnecks,
expectations children,
,
|
Acceptance Essays
