Street Corner Society: The Social Structure of an Italian Slum

Street Corner Society is one of a handful of works that can justifiably be called classics of sociological research.William Foote Whyte's account of the Italian American slum he called "Cornerville"-Boston's North End-has been the model for urban ethnography for fifty years.By mapping the intricate social worlds of street gangs and "corner boys," Whyte was among the first to demonstrate that a poor community need not be socially disorganized.His writing set a standard for vivid portrayals of real people in real situations. And his frank discussion of his methodology-participant observation-has served as an essential casebook in field research for generations of students and scholars.This fiftieth anniversary edition includes a new preface and revisions to the methodological appendix.In a new section on the book's legacy, Whyte responds to recent challenges to the validity, interpretation, and uses of his data. "The Whyte Impact on the Underdog," the moving statement by a gang leader wh