The Myth Of The Ant Queen Gladwell Analysis

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It is undeniable that the type of individuals we become are heavily dependent upon many factors including, but not limited to our families, our friends, and our neighborhoods. Our society solutes that the basis for individual behavior can be further determined or predicted by their upbringing, personal convictions, morality, and the people which an individual chooses to surround themselves with. As Gladwell describes in his essay “The Power of Context” the environment which an individual is surrounded by undoubtingly influences that individual. The question there-in lies, to what degree does our external circumstances shape our individual characteristics? One example of this effect can be found within Johnson’s essay “The Myth of the Ant Queen. …show more content…

He starts with a vivid sketch illustrating a subway shooting by Bernhard Goetz. The author emphasizes the fact that Goetz was viewed as a hero and “subway vigilante, despite having shot four African-American youths. Furthermore, Gladwell continues with the terrifying descriptions of the state of New York underground in the 1980s. He is attempting to convey that, one of the most effective strategies for fighting subway crime in New York is by keeping the cars and walls free of graffiti and cracking down on minor offenses such as skipping on fares, this which he later labels the Broken Window Theory. After convincing the readers that the Broken Windows theory (and the Power of Context theory) are efficient and effective explanations for the social behaviors of those four teens and other individuals in New York, he also attempts to prove that social epidemics can be reversed by addressing the smallest details of the environment, and states that “behavior is a function of social context” (Gladwell 153). The purpose of these theories is to highlight that crimes can be addressed by tackling the minor problems in New York fare-beating and graffiti. Furthermore, Gladwell dwells on the “contagious” nature of emotions and perceptions and explains the other factors that influence behavioral changes in the communities and cultures, such as the Law of the Few and the Stickiness Factor (Gladwell 157). He uses this argument to provide a logical basis for support of the Broken Windows theory. Gladwell also shows how the Power of Context works in intimate settings such as the upbringing of children. He highlights the results of studies that show that the effect of environment is more powerful than the influence of family. He points out that a child who resides a good neighborhood, but is from a troubled family is better off than a child who lives bad neighborhood and has a good family. One of the main points that

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