Sociologist John J. Betancur's Argument on Latinos

This paper examines sociologist John J. Betancur's argument regarding one of the distinct ethnic groups in American society, Latinos. Betancur contends that this group is suppressed in its opportunities for mobility by society's assumption that the progress of Latinos would mimic that of other minority groups in urban areas. He argues against the ecological model, which proposed that progress for all lower economic groups would follow the same pattern as each became acclimated to the larger society.

Betancur (1996, June) contends that Chicago's Latino community is "characterized by residential exclusion and speculation rather than by opportunity and mobility" (p. 1299). Members tend to remain concentrated in enclaves rather than following the pattern of previous ethnic groups, who were often the previous occupants of the same neighborhoods, in being able to work their way up and out of the community. He notes, "Residential mobility {in Latino communities] . . . is largely horizontal" (p. 1316); members change residences but move to other houses in the same neighborhood, rather than away from the community as a whole.

He argues that the ecological model, which "explained urban change in terms of competition and succession among land uses" (p. 1300), does not apply to Latinos. This model argues that the ethnic character of a neighborhood undergoes a natural ecological transformation as different groups successively compete for possession of houses and stores, pushing o

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tead of proposals emphasizing private property rights. Bridger (1996, Summer) argues, "Community imagery is manifested primarily through public discourse" (p. 354), meaning that a community develops its sense of individual identity as a result of writings in its newspapers, debates in public hearings, and even the publications of its Chamber of Commerce. In the case of Lancaster County, tourism encouraged by such publications, beginning in the 1950s, made the 18,000 Amish who reside in the county the primary symbol of Lancaster. This is what Bridger terms a "community typification" (p. 356), an image that stands for the society's entire personality, even when such a symbol is not inclusive of everything the community has to offer. The Amish exemplify the county's charm and ties to the past but do not suggest the simultaneous struggle with a desire of many to grow and modernize. As Bridger observes, such typifications are "never politically neutral" (p. 356). Many in Lancaster continue to argue for the necessity of developing the valuable rural countryside of the county. Lancaster is located within easy driving distance of Philadelphia and very close to the massive industrial and business developments of adjoining Chester

Category: Psychology - S