In the 1991 American hood drama film, Boyz N the Hood, many global and urban planning issues are exemplified through the urban neighborhood, also referred to as the hood, in South Central Los Angeles. The film puts into perspective the effect gun violence, gentrification and role model relationships in an urban slum. The creation of these urban slums comes directly from a term known as gentrification. Gentrification is the process of shifting an urban community towards a wealthier one by removing the lower class from the area and forcing them to relocate. Resulting from gentrification, new urban slums are created which have a high density of residents on the lower end of the socio-economic hierarchy. Consequentially, these urban planning issues …show more content…
In the film, Boyz N the Hood, the main setting is an urban slum in South Central Los Angeles. According to statistical data, South Central is known for having high crime rates, high poverty rates, and higher illiteracy rates. According to Chantal Hailey’s article “The Devastating Impact of Persistent Crime on Teens”, it is shown that persistent crime in a neighborhood or urban slum increases the likeliness of a resident partaking in a crime (1). In other words, that statement means that in a place like South Central, where crime is terrifyingly high, more and more people are likely to commit a crime themselves. This is where the negative effect on the youth comes into play. Youth who were interviewed in the article stated that life was more difficult because of the constant fear of being a victim of crime. In order to cope with this fear, many youth turn to ruthless behavior, drug use, or gun violence. This very claim was depicted in the film Boyz N the Hood. As shown in the movie, “Doughboy” was a perfect example of how the urban planning issues negatively affected the youth. Doughboy validates the accuracy of the article statement, since throughout the film, he develops a drinking addiction, and participates in heavy gun violence. In the beginning of the movie, when he is a kid, he realized that …show more content…
In this case, gentrification plays a huge role in creating these urban slums. As previously stated, gentrification is the process by which wealthier folks enter an existing urban district and increase property values, and rental costs, ultimately driving out the previous low class residents. This poses a major question, where do these residents who have basically been evicted from their residence go? They relocate to areas where the rent is cheaper, the property values aren’t as high, and where poverty rates are high, in other words, urban slums. As stated in William Julius Wilson’s article, “From Institutional Jobs to Ghettos”, if one lives in an area where poverty is high and not many people work, chances are there is going to be a higher crime rate (120). In the film Boyz N the Hood, this is clearly shown. During the night when Tre and his dad, Furious, are sleeping, a home invasion takes place, confirming that results of gentrification are horrendous for everyone but the investors. In addition, in the film, Tre’s dad, Furious, states that in the process of gentrification, gun shops and liquor stores are strategically placed in urban slums. This in fact shows that the process of gentrification has negative intentions, which ultimately raises crime rates,