On the Issues: Robert Sampson and Charles Franklin

Description

Robert Sampson, Henry Ford II Professor of Social Sciences at Harvard University, Director of the Boston Area Research Initiative, Author of Great American City: Chicago and the Enduring Neighborhood Effect, and Charles Franklin, Marquette University Professor of Law and Public Policy and Director of the Marquette Law School Poll

Robert Sampson’s critically acclaimed book Great American City has been called “one of the most important works of urban studies in a generation.” Based on a decade of research in Chicago, Sampson shows us why neighborhoods and a sense of community still matter. Prof. Sampson’s research and teaching cover a variety of areas, including crime, disorder, the life course, neighborhood effects, civic engagement, and the social structure of the city. He is particularly interested in inequality in cities, and why some cities thrive, while others are characterized by deep social divisions and violence. Prof. Sampson will be joined by Marquette University Law School’s Charles Franklin, who recently completed a poll of the “Chicago megacity” about public attitudes toward neighborhoods, economic prospects, and civic life more generally.