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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:honorstheses1990-2015-2616 |
| Date | 01 May 2014 |
| Creators | Richardson, Shaun |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | HIM 1990-2015 |
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