Middle Life Analysis: Arc of Justice

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Recommended: Erikson's Development theory

Middle Life Analysis; Arc of Justice

“American cities didn’t simply sparkle in the summer of 1925. They simmered with hatred, deeply divided as always” (Boyle, 2005, p. 6). Life was extremely difficult for African Americans during the early 1920s; a period of time that was better known as the segregation era. In the book Arc of Justice, written by Kevin Boyle, the words “racism” and “segregation” play a significant role. Boyle focuses in the story of Ossian Sweet, a young African American doctor who buys a house in a white neighborhood in Detroit back in 1925. After Dr. Sweet’s arrival to their new home, he and his family suddenly become threatened by a white mob that is formed against their arrival. Dr. Sweet and his family face racial discrimination. Later in the book, Boyle describes that Sweet accidentally killed one of the white neighbors who was threatening his family in self-defense. As a result Sweet gets arrested, faces police investigation and gets convicted of murder. One may argue that all people should be given the same rights in order to build a highly-treasured and unbiased nation; however, during the early 1920s white American citizens were not trying to build a united nation. Instead they were determined to suppress the rights of African Americans. This paper aims to describe the impact of racism, segregation, inequality and racially-motivated violence that obstructed Dr. Sweet’s ability to successfully navigate Erikson's seventh stage of development and the specific ways social workers and Christian values can contribute on a community level to improve developmental outcomes in the future.

In the book Arc of Justice there are several cultural structures that contributed with Dr. Sweet’s discon...

... middle of paper ...

... people about racism and setting anti-prejudice groups to establish more harmonious communities. Empathizing with people from different cultures and embracing other people’s cultures are great ways to not only enrich communities, but they certainly help individuals to successfully navigate Erikson’s seventh stage of development.

Bibliography

American Bible Society. (2000). The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments. New York: American Bible Society.

Boyle, K. (2005). Arc of justice: a saga of race, civil rights, and murder in the Jazz Age. New York, N.Y.: Henry Holt and Co.

Workers, N. A. of S. (n.d.). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. National Association of Social Workers.

Zastrow, C., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2007). Understanding human behavior and the social environment. Australia; U.S.A.: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

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