Sociologist William Julius Wilson spoke Monday afternoon at the Wilson School about the problems and trends affecting African-American youth who live in urban neighborhoods.
Wilson — director of the Joblessness and Urban Poverty Research Program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government — has focused his research on the effects of poverty on race relations, unemployment and families.
In his talk, "Successful Adolescents in High-Risk Black Urban Neighborhoods," Wilson argued the success of inner-city youth depends on the influence of family and community.
"Families are probably the single most important factor," he said.
Wilson said youth who manage to succeed in "high-risk" areas tend to have involved parents who are active in teaching their children. Involved parents, he explained, usually set curfews for their children, limit television watching and help with homework. Social organizations and neighbors can provide important aid to parents, Wilson added.
"Community can help youth by providing resources that make it easier for parents to manage their children," he said.
For maximum success, Wilson said neighborhoods should form networks consisting of community organizations, parents, children and neighbors. Closely-knit communities with active residents are able to provide support to parents, he said.
Wilson also talked about how boys seem to struggle more than girls in high-risk neighborhoods. "Adolescent black males have lower levels of social competence," Wilson said, explaining that they tend to be less school-focused, more pessimistic and more easily influenced by bad schools and negative peer groups.
Because mothers tend to supervise their daughters more than their sons, there should be community programs like "Big Brother" that focus on boys, Wilson said.
During the question-and-answer period audience members asked about other policy solutions for helping youth in high-risk areas. Such issues as educational improvement, neighborhood development and suburban relocation came up.
Wilson said such projects are limited by available funding but still stressed the importance of seeking solutions.
"You have to talk about where we have to go — that is our responsibility."
Wilson is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a MacArthur Prize Fellow and past president of the American Sociological Association. "Youth in Cities," a book he co-edited with University sociology professor Marta Tienda, comes out this fall.
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