Rehabilitative Forces In Sidewalk, By Emile Duneier

Rehabilitative forces is a fairly abstract concept, yet for the purpose of analyzing how rehabilitative forces aided magazine vendors and panhandlers, it can be simply described as an outside force acting upon a person which assists in the restoration of a purposeful and useful life. According to Sidewalk, written by Mitchell Duneier, the battle between the “Fuck it” mentality and turning your life around is a constant struggle for participants in street life. However, street life does contain outside forces through the existing social structure where rehabilitative forces are at play. Sociologist Emile Durkheim’s concept of division of labor is the foundation for which magazine vendors and panhandlers interact in order for every participant

When people of a magazine vendor’s socioeconomic class succumb to this level of an unorthodox lifestyle of the street, some people may lose hope in the world. By building and maintaining a relationship with clients, street vendors have the opportunity to restore a usefulness in the form of providing a service. In Sidewalk a client, named Jack, of these specific vendors once stated, “I kind of miss Marvin and Ron sometimes” (Duneier 71). It is incredible how these vendors are able to have such an affect, such a deep relationship with their cliental when at times they have struggled to have relationships with their own families. Ron and Marvin’s line of unorthodox work, or how they refer to it, their hustle, allows for them to bring more meaning to their lives, bettering themselves with each customer

Panhandlers are given the opportunity by vendors to be a part of their business system through division of labor advancing their place within the community. They earn money by providing a service to vendors, rather than begging on the street corner, and are able to advance financially making more money than if they were to continue begging, the advancements of panhandlers are limited. Eventually, not all but most waste their earned money on drugs and alcohol, or other expenses leaving them once again broke. Through the process of mentoring and social support once might raise his position, but rarely ever out of the current socioeconomic class. Same thing applies to these vendors. They may be able to afford an apartment, or a place to live instead of sleeping on the streets, but they continue to stay as a magazine vendor, and do not transition to the traditional concept of