The school contributed two methods of study. The first was the usage of official data, such as census reports, housing/welfare records and crime figures. High areas of crime, truancy and poverty were applied to different geographical areas of the city. The second method was the life history, as first studied by early Chicago school theorist, (W.I. Thomas). This contributed a shift away from theoretical abstracts to more concrete approaches of the real world and real world related phenomena. The process of becoming deviant or criminal was explained by psycho-social phenomena. They wanted to present human behavior in its natural environment, and this is why the Chicago School is often referred to as the Ecological School i.e.; Chicago School assumes that ecology leads to economy, which leads to politics, and finally culture (see model 2).

Because Whyte talks mostly about the slum, where no one owns the means of production, which is a distinguishing factor of social class, only part of Karl Marx’s Means of Production Model can be used to describe the case of Street Corner Society. According to Marx Model Doc and his boys (unemployed) would fit under the Proletarian absolute surplus population which includes homeless, unemployed, etc. (see model 1). Chick, a college graduate, would fall under the Lumpon relative surplus population of students, retirees, etc. Furthermore, the Cornerville girls would fit under the Workers and Proletarian category in Marx’s Model. The girls who were involved in the plays (Junior League Club) would fall under Proletarian, while the factory workers would obviously fall under the “Workers” in Marx’s Model.

Another Harvard School aspect is the consensus theory of society. One of the definitions that is associated with the consensus theory is the idealistic worldview. It’s defined as “society is an integrated community held together by a fragile, commonly-shared set of values that is threatened by conflict demands being put on those values” (handout). There are many instances throughout Whyte’s novel that specifically describe this definition of idealism and ultimately the Harvard School. The clearest case of this definition is on page 107 of Street Corner. As Whyte clearly states “The corner boy is tied to his group by a network of reciprocal obligations from which he is either unwilling or unable to break away”. This clearly draws from the idealistic worldview and the Harvard School. Furthermore, Whyte goes into the fact that Doc, under strain from his political campaign, says “now I’m out for the buck . . . . before it was all idealism” (pg. 107). Again, a clear cut case of the Harvard School of thought going on here.

The Harvard School is also integrated into Whyte’s novel. Robert K. Merton’s Typology of Individual Classes can be used in this first example (see model 5). To classify individuals from Street Corner Merton’s model is somewhat inconclusive as was Marx’s Model with means of production but, still has relevance. The first type, conformity can be applied to Chick. Chick conforms to his culturally approved goal, college, and Institutionally prescribe

Some topics in this essay:
Chicago School, Harvard School, Street Corner, Whyte Chicago, Corner Society, Lou Danaro, Foote Whyte, Doc Chick, Durkheim’s Model, Model Doc, chicago school, harvard school, street corner, street corner society, corner society, human community, means production, social disorganization, whyte’s novel, theory society, conflict theory, study human community, chicago school harvard, means production model, human community development,